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A few weeks ago I posted a keto low carb cream cheese frosting recipe, and mentioned that I had plans to use it more. And, I love that I got recipe requests for ways to use it! Well, you guys are totally my people, because many of you asked for the exact recipe I was planning. Low carb keto sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour! Yay!
With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how to make sugar-free carrot cake. It makes such a wonderful spring dessert!
Granted, it doesn’t exactly feel like spring with the foot of snow (!!) we got last week. But I know the Midwest by now. We can easily go from arctic tundra to heat wave in a matter of days.
So, whether it’s still cold where you live or already starting to warm up, pin or bookmark this keto carrot cake recipe. It will come in handy soon.
It’s good enough to share with the whole family, even if they aren’t low carb. Try it for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, or any birthday coming up!
Low Carb Carrot Cake with Almond Flour
You probably know by now that I try to accommodate a variety of diets here at Wholesome Yum. The entire site is low carb and gluten-free, but I also have sections for special dietary requirements in the low carb recipes index.
Choosing a low carb flour for this keto carrot cake was a little challenging. Even though I love almond flour, I know many people have nut allergies, so I attempted with coconut flour.
But, almond flour carrot cake just turned out so much better, I had to go with that. If you can’t have almond flour, you might be able to get away with using ground sunflower seed meal instead. Of course you’d also have to skip the pecans if you have a nut allergy.
If you don’t have an allergy-related reason not to, I highly recommend making this low carb carrot cake with almond flour. It turned out so moist and flavorful! I served it for guests and they kept asking if I was sure that it had no wheat flour or sugar in it.
For those that are keto, you may be wondering how there could possibly be a keto carrot cake. Yes, it’s true that carrots contain more carbs than many other vegetables.
Still, a sugar-free carrot cake can work for a keto diet if it works for your macro requirements. A slice has 5.5 grams net carbs, so it’s totally doable!
I used a tiny bit of blackstrap molasses in this low carb carrot cake. It’s there for flavor, not sweetness, and does not add a significant amount of carbs per serving. But, if this is problematic, feel free to skip it. That is why it was listed as an optional ingredient.
Dairy-Free & Paleo Options for Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Since we are talking about special diets, I’d like to give some dairy-free and paleo options for this sugar-free carrot cake recipe. In my opinion they are not quite as good as the original version with dairy, but pretty close!
I’ll share my modifications if you want to know how to make paleo gluten-free carrot cake with almond flour.
If you are able to tolerate grass-fed butter, I recommend leaving that as is. It provides the best flavor, and creaming the butter with sweetener creates air pockets. You can still do this with coconut oil, but I like the result best with butter.
But if butter is not an option, using ghee or coconut instead will work! There is just a slight difference in texture and flavor of the end result.
Since erythritol is a natural sweetener, I feel comfortable using it in paleo recipes. That being said, I know some people would rather not. Feel free to replace it with coconut sugar instead. Here is a conversion chart.
Finally, there is the cream cheese frosting for low carb carrot cake. The version I make is neither dairy-free nor paleo, but you can easily swap it with any frosting you like.
I don’t have a paleo one yet, but have heard that some people make it with whipped coconut cream. You can also omit it, too!
How To Make Sugar-Free Carrot Cake
Okay, are you ready to see how to make sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour? Don’t be put off by the number of steps. They are all straightforward!
You might be wondering about the number of ingredients. Isn’t it more than ten? Well, I have a couple of optional ingredients, which I don’t include since they are up to you. The frosting is also considered its own “ingredient”, which is what I always do when using one recipe in another.
I know that’s a bit of a stretch, but I hope you won’t get caught up on the ingredient count. This keto carrot cake recipe was too good not to share!
To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenhei. Line two cake pans with parchment paper, then grease the bottom and sides. I like to use springform pans for easy release, but whatever you have is fine.
Cream together the butter and erythritol, then beat in the remaining wet ingredients. These include molasses, vanilla extract, pineapple extract, and finally eggs, one at a time.
Pineapple extract is optional because it might be a little harder to find, but if you can get it, it’s so good! I included it because many traditional carrot cake recipes include crushed pineapple, and this was a great way to get the same flavor.
Mix together the dry ingredients in another bowl – almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Make sure you use finely ground blanched almond flour, not almond meal, for the right texture.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then add the grated carrots and pecans.
Make sure the carrots are just loosely packed when measuring, don’t cram them into the measuring cup or you’ll end up with too much. You don’t really need to drain them, but if they are very wet and oozing water, give them a squeeze first.
You don’t want to get rid of all the moisture, though. The carrots help keep the batter moist. For this reason, pre-shredded carrots are not recommended. Grate them yourself right before using, so that they are somewhat wet.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, and bake until the top springs back. You can also use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Final Touches for Keto Carrot Cake
Let the layers of low carb carrot cake cool completely before frosting. I usually cool them in the pan for ten minutes, then a wire rack afterward.
What about the cream cheese frosting? You can make it anytime using this recipe. Don’t forget that you’ll need to double it to have enough for the cake! If you happen to have any leftover, try it on this chocolate mug cake – so good!
It’s fine to store the frosting ahead in the fridge, or just make it while the keto carrot cake bakes or cools. It only takes a few minutes.
Make sure it’s at room temperature before frosting your low carb carrot cake. Otherwise, it will be difficult to spread. You can always thin it out with a little cream if needed.
When the cake layers are completely cool, you can frost one of them. Stack the other one on top, then frost again. Top with more crunchy pecans. Yum, yum!
If you’re not ready to serve your sugar-free carrot cake right away – and if you can resist! – go ahead and refrigerate it. Gently cover it to avoid absorbing odors in the fridge. It’s best within a day or two, but may last up to a week.
Tools To Make Keto Carrot Cake
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- 9″ Springform Pan – This carrot cake is a lot easier to remove when using a springform pan. This is a perfect size for this cake and my cheesecake recipes.
- Box Grater – If you don’t have a food processor, then this is a must have! A box grater is perfect for grating carrots, cheese, cauliflower, and broccoli.
- Pineapple Extract – Real pineapple is higher in carbs and not always a great option in recipes. This extract is lovely and adds the perfect amount of tropical flavor to make this Sugar-Free Carrot Cake shine.
Low Carb Keto Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Almond Flour
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Low Carb Keto Sugar-Free Carrot Cake Recipe with Almond Flour
The best low carb keto carrot cake recipe! Learn how to make sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour for a moist and delicious dessert.
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Ingredients
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Get Keto Sweetener For This Recipe
GET BESTIInstructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line two 9 in (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. (Use springform pans if you have them.) Grease the bottom and sides.
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In a large bowl, cream together the butter and Besti, until fluffy. Beat in the molasses (if using), vanilla extract, and pineapple extract (if using). Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Set aside.
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In another bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
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Stir in the grated carrots. Fold 1 cup (99 g) of the chopped pecans, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup (48.5 g).
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Transfer the batter evenly among the two prepared baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is spring-y.
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Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the sugar-free frosting according to the instructions here. (Double the recipe by entering "12" into the box for # of servings on that page.)
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When the cake has cooled to room temperature, place the bottom layer on a plate or cake stand. Frost, then add the top layer and frost again. Top with the remaining chopped pecans.
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Recipe Notes
Nutrition info includes the frosting, based on this sugar-free cream cheese frosting recipe.
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 of entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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359 Comments
Michelle
This looks delicious. I’m going to make it for Easter. Can you use pineapple juice instead of extract? And is any kind of almond flour ok?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Michelle, Extract will give you the flavor without the carbs so I don’t recommend using juice. I recommend Wholesome Yum Almond Flour, it is a blanched almond flour that has the finest grind, for moist baked goods without the gritty texture.
Heidi
So excited to make this! Quick question, do you think I could bake this same batter into a sheet pan and make a roll cake out of it?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Heidi, I don’t think this recipe would work well in a roll, because the almond flour won’t be sturdy enough to roll. It might work slightly better if you add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the cake batter. But let me know how it goes if you try it!
Olive Camillari
Not only did I love this recipe, but so did everyone else! For me, the consistency was more like bread pudding. It was nice with and without the frosting. Will definitely be making again. Thank you for sharing.
Cheryl a Hauble
I made this and ended up with an alum taste from the baking powder. Instructions were followed carefully. Clabber Girl is the brand of baking powder. Any ideas as to what went wrong?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Cheryl, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. A few things I want to confirm… Did you only use 2 tsp of baking powder? That is not usually enough to taste in a whole cake. Is your baking powder fresh? Did you by chance use baking soda instead of baking powder? It needs to be baking powder. If it doesn’t seem to be any of these things, make sure your baking powder is aluminum-free, as some people can be sensitive to aluminum-based baking powders. Hope this helps!
cheryl a hauble
I used exactly 2 t of bp. Double whisked my dry. My BP and bs are in totally different types of containers. Clabber Girl is not aluminum free. However, my understanding to aluminum sensitive is a metallic taste not alum or cream of tartar taste. My guts say mixed wrong at factory. The cake looked beautiful beautiful. I have been doing keto 3 yes and believe I made this with no issues Thanks for getting back to me.
Laura Melgoza
I’m looking to make a carrot loaf. I started doing keto a few years back, but I recently started incorporating dessert as I had previously completely excluded it– really tough! With that being said YOUR recipes have ALL been the BEST! I’d like to make this carrot cake into a loaf. Is it possible, and if so, what would the baking time be?
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Laura, That sounds like a good idea. I think this would be like my Lemon Blueberry Zucchini Bread, which bakes for 60-70 minutes. I have not tried this though, so I cannot guarantee the results will be perfect.
Faith
Oh, MY!! This was not only super easy to make but tasted fantastic! I made it in a 9×13 baking dish and it came out perfectly. I did QUADRUPLE the frosting tho, lol SOO YUMMMY!
Suzanne Murphy
Can you please tell me if the carb count includes the optional molasses and pineapple extract? And what the carb count would be without the molasses? I am planning on making this for my 1 year old grandsons birthday cake, and he is T1D and really need to be as accurate as possible on carbs.
Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Suzanne, Yes, the carb count includes all the ingredients listed. There are 15g of carbs in a tablespoon of this molasses.
Heidi Aring
Hello! I really want to make this for my diabetic mother in law. However, monk fruit is quite difficult to get where I live (Germany) would substituting 3/4 cup Erythritol be okay instead? Or would I need a different amount? Additionally, large eggs are also not available here, all eggs are about medium/small in size. Would you suggest using an extra egg or adding a bit of extra oil? I don’t want it to be dry. Thank you so much!
Wholesome Yum D
Hi Heidi, You can check the chart in my keto sweeteners guide to know exactly how much to use. I would add an extra egg to make up for the size difference.