This Low Carb Carrot Cake is sweet and moist with luscious cream cheese frosting is easy to make with simple ingredients and its sugar free. It's so much healthier than traditional carrot cakes, and it's jam packed with flavour, texture and warming spices.
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below and I'll send this recipe link straight to your inbox so you'll always have it handy!
And if carrot cake seems like too much effort, try making these quick and easy Carrot Cake Bliss Balls instead!
What Makes This Carrot Cake Special?
- It's deliciously moist and light
- It's high in protein
- It's naturally sweetened with no added sugars
- It's nutritious and low in fat
- It has lashings of lemon cream cheese frosting (yum!)
- Makes 15 generous slices
- Its the perfect snack to have with your morning coffee
- Healthy comfort food you can eat every day
- Perfect for those looking for sugar free dessert options
- You can make it as cupcakes or a cake
- Perfect for all seasons, like my Chocolate Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Almond Flour: Blanched or unblanched almond flour will work. Sometimes almond flour is also called almond meal depending on where you live and for this recipe, almond flour and almond meal can be used interchangeably.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour helps to give the cake more bulk and fibre.
- Granulated Sweetener: Its important to use a granulated sweetener that measures like sugar. I love use granulated monkfruit sweetener, however granulated stevia would also work. I wouldn't recommend using liquid sweeteners for this recipe as they would require different ratios.
- Spices: The spices used in this low carb carrot cake are combination of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and all spice
- Cream Cheese: Its important to use the cream cheese that comes in blocks as opposed to the spreadable cream cheese. I like the creaminess of the full fat cream cheese, but using a low fat or light cream cheese is an option to keep it lower in calories.
- Powdered Sweetener: using a powdered sweetener in the cream cheese is better than using a granulated sweetener which may result in a slight grittiness if not mixed properly. Powdered sweeteners are easily available in the supermarket with granulated sweeteners. If all else fails, use a mortar and pestle to grind down granulated sweetener into a fine powder.
- Baking Powder: If you haven't used your baking powder in the last 6 months, I'd suggest buying a new one as it looses its effectiveness as a rising agent over time. Using old baking powder may mean your cake doesn't rise.
How To Make
- Cream sweetener and butter: Add softened butter and granulated sweetener into a large bowl and mix until creamy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Then incorporate one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and combine.
- Add Carrots: Add two cups of shredded carrots and stir to combine.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Then add dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Stir until well combined.
- Add Nuts: Then add roughly chopped pecan nuts, stir to incorporate into the batter.
- Mix and Pour: Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray, extend evenly.
- Bake: Bake the sheet cake for 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated oven or until lightly golden in the edges.
FAQ's
Can I Use Stevia?
Yes. Granulated stevia will work just fine. My favourite brand of stevia is Natvia as it measures like sugar.
Should the Carrots be Peeled Before Grating?
Yes. Its good to remove the outer skin of the carrot, but that's just my preference. Leaving the outer skin on, may make for some firmer carrot pieces in the cake once it's cooked.
How Long Does It Last?
The cake will last 3 to 4 days.
Does It Need To Be Refrigerated?
Yes. Because it has cream cheese frosting on it, it's best kept in the fridge in an air tight container.
Recipe Tips
- Don't skip lining the tin with baking or parchment paper as this will make it much easier to get the cake out and prevent it from sticking.
- If you don't have a rectangle pan, using a round springform tin is also another option. Make sure to line the base and sides with paper before pouring the batter in. The cooking time should be about the same.
- Let cake cool completely to room temperature before adding the cream cheese frosting as it will probably slide off otherwise.
Carrot Cake Variations
- Add half a cup of drained, tinned pineapple along with the carrot
- Add half a cup of dried blueberries to the batter and stir in by hand
- Add ¼ cup peanut butter to the batter and mix in with the carrot
- Instead of the lemon cream cheese frosting, try swapping espresso for the lemon juice
I never tire of carrot cake and this is one I make time and time again as it's such a classic cake, one of my favourite comfort foods. It's light, but filling, with lots of flavour and texture and has the right amount of spice.
More Sugar Free Baking:
- Oat Flour Banana Bread
- One Bowl Coconut Yoghurt Cake
- No Sugar Oatmeal Ginger Cookies
- Sugar Free Lemon Loaf
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Chilli Chocolate Cheesecake with double cream and fresh raspberries.
- Go To: All Sugar Free Baking Recipes
Low Carb Carrot Cake
Kim Morris
This Low Carb Carrot Cake is sugar free, yet sweet and moist with lots of warming spices, nuts and a lush creamy frosting thats also sugar free..
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- ½ cup monkfruit sweetener (white)
- 4 large eggs - at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups finely shredded carrots
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon all-spice
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Frosting
- 1 ½ cups cream cheese
- ⅓ cup butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup powdered monkfruit sweetener
Optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180℃/350℉ and prepare a 22cm x 7cm (9'' x 13'') baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Add ¾ cup butter (softened) and ½ cup monkfruit sweetener (white) into a large bowl. Mix until creamy. Then incorporate 4 large eggs - one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and combine.
- Add 2 cups finely shredded carrots and stir to combine. Then add 2 ½ cups almond flour, 3 tablespoons coconut flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon all-spice. Stir until well combined.
- Then add 1 cup roughly chopped pecans, stir to incorporate into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray, extend evenly.
- Bake the sheet cake for 25 to 30 minutes (180℃/350℉) or until lightly golden in the edges. When inserting a toothpick, this should come out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before unmolding.
Frosting
- Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Add 1 ½ cups cream cheese and ⅓ cup butter (softened) into a bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine them. Once the mixture is very creamy, add ⅓ cup powdered monkfruit sweetener and mix again. Start with ¼ cup and adjust sweetness to taste. *Optional: add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the cake has cooled down, spread the frosting on top. Refrigerate for ½ hour before serving.
- Divide your cake into 15 squares and serve.
Notes
- Almond Flour: Blanched or unblanched almond flour will work. Sometimes almond flour is also called almond meal depending on where you live and for this recipe, almond flour and almond meal can be used interchangeably.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour helps to give the cake more bulk and fibre.
- Monkfruit Sweetener: Its important to use a granulated sweetener that measures like sugar. I love use granulated monkfruit sweetener, however granulated stevia would also work. I wouldn't recommend using liquid sweeteners for this recipe as they would require different ratios.
- Spices: The spices used in this low carb carrot cake are combination of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and all spice
- Cream Cheese: Its important to use the cream cheese that comes in blocks as opposed to the spreadable cream cheese. I like the creaminess of the full fat cream cheese, but using a low fat or light cream cheese is an option to keep it lower in calories.
- Powdered Sweetener for cream cheese frosting: using a powdered sweetener in the cream cheese is better than using a granulated sweetener which may result in a slight grittiness if not mixed properly. Powdered sweeteners are easily available in the supermarket with granulated sweeteners. Highly recommend monkfruit powdered sweetener which is similar to the old fashioned icing sugar, but without the calories.
- Baking Powder: If you haven't used your baking powder in the last 6 months, I'd suggest buying a new one as it looses its effectiveness as a rising agent over time. Using old baking powder may mean your cake doesn't rise.
- Nutritional information includes frosting
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 10gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gFiber: 3gSugar: 3g
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Wanna learn my secrets to maintaining a Sugar Free Lifestyle for the past 10 years?Get my FREE 5 Day email series where I'll show you how to master sensible snacking, how to create sugar free dessert truffles and how to make the perfect low calorie no sugar banana bread, plus more!
Philip Perry says
I am looking to try this recipe. My only concern is the amount of butter, eggs and cream cheese, this doesn't sound like 'low in fat' to me.
I am on a low fat & low sugar diet, so I have to be careful of the ingredients I use in
baking.
Any comments/advice would be appreciated
Regards
Phil
Kim says
The cream cheese is for the top of the cake, so you could leave it off (unfrosted), or use extra light cream cheese instead of the regular full fat. Regarding the butter, you could try using a low fat butter or Nuttelex dairy spread which tends to be lower in fats as well. For the eggs, these are necessary as they help to bind the cake together. You could try with just using 3 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs but I haven't tried this personally. Using unsweetened apple sauce in baked goods can add moisture without the fats so this may be an option also.
Helen says
Hi Kim, I'm loving your site and plan to make many of your recipes. I love that you use Australian products which is so much easier for Australian cooks. Id love to make this carrot cake, (a favourite) and a slab cake is my preference for baking. Does this recipe use US measurements?
Jacquie Lovegrove says
Yum. I want to eat this, but I guess I'll have to make it first!