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    Home / Recipes / Cakes

    Keto Carrot Cake Recipe (Low-Carb, Sugar-Free)

    By Lisa MarcAurele · Mar 11, 2021 · 140 Comments

    63.4K shares
    Jump to Recipe
    keto carrot cake recipe
    Text The BEST Low Carb CARROT CAKE
    keto carrot cake pinterest image
    keto carrot cake pinterest image

    Get ready to fall in love with this low-carb keto carrot cake recipe that tastes just like a traditional one! It's delicious, spicy, and made with a secret ingredient that keeps the cake perfectly moist.

    keto carrot cake cover image
    Article Index
    • Ingredients
    • Quick tips
    • Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe

    This cake was on my mind for a long time before I even made it!

    Ever since I created my zucchini spice cupcakes, I started dreaming of a sugar-free carrot cake. I just knew it would be amazing as a low-carb dessert.

    And, I was right! Trust me, you are going to love this recipe.

    With its wonderfully spicy flavor, fluffy and rich cream cheese frosting, and just the right amount of sweetness, it’s the perfect treat.

    Ingredients

    This is an easy cake to bake that's made with simple ingredients. Let's take a look at the key ingredients used to make this scrumptious cake.

    Zucchini

    The trick to a super moist keto carrot cake is zucchini! Many low-carb cake recipes tend to be dry. That’s why I knew zucchini would be a great addition to the batter.

    It keeps the cake from drying out and ensures there’s plenty of liquid for the coconut flour to absorb. Plus, what a great way to sneak vegetables into your dessert.

    Low-Carb Flour

    I used a combination of almond flour and coconut flour. This is tricky because coconut flour absorbs a lot more moisture than almond flour, so it is important to use the exact measurements. Baking powder and soda are used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of the cake.

    Spices

    I think the best spices for a carrot cake recipe are cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. All of them together make it taste like my favorite cake when I was younger!

    Keto Sweeteners

    You'll need a granular sugar substitute for the cake and a powdered confectioner sweetener for the frosting. I like to use a monk fruit and erythritol blend for both but there are many sugar alternatives to choose from.

    Keto Frosting

    To make the low-carb frosting, I used cream cheese, heavy cream, butter, and vanilla. Reuse this frosting recipe on other treats like a keto pumpkin spice cake.

    Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low carb recipe.

    carrot cake dry mixture

    Equipment

    • Silicone Pans: Low-carb gluten-free cakes tend to stick to regular metal baking pans. That’s why I like to use non-stick silicone pans to guarantee an easy release every time.
    • Nut Chopper: Chop nuts evenly, either fine or coarse. A nut chopper makes it much easier than chopping nuts by hand. Plus, there’s no worry about over-chopping, which can happen with a hand chopper or food processor.
    • Stand Mixer: For a light and fluffy frosting, it’s best to use a good stand mixer that can whip at a higher speed than hand mixers.
    • Parchment Liners: If you prefer to use a metal pan, or you just want to make sure none of the bottom of the cake sticks to the pan, you can use parchment circles. Using pre-cut ones saves time and are guaranteed to be a perfect fit.

    Quick tips

    There are a few ways you can switch up this recipe based on what sounds best for you. Here are some ideas:

    • Bake keto carrot cake muffins instead for single-serve treats. Just be sure to adjust the baking time.
    • Reduce the sweetness. Feel free to adjust the sweetener to taste. You can also use less frosting or eliminate it all-together. The cake is incredibly tasty on its own!
    • Lighten the cake texture. Substitute protein powder for a couple tablespoons to ¼ cup of the almond flour to make the cake less dense.
    • Try different types of nuts. Pecans or hazelnuts are great substitutes for walnuts.

    Instructions

    This keto low carb carrot cake recipe is far from complicated to make. In fact, it comes together with just a few simple steps!

    You’ll mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, combine them, then add the nuts and bake your cakes. The frosting can be mixed up while the cake bakes as well. Then, assemble and frost!

    carrot and zucchini egg mixture for batter

    Prepare the batter

    The very first thing you’ll do is make the batter. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

    Then stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

    Tip: Toast the nuts before you add them to the batter.

    finishing the keto carrot cake batter

    Bake

    Place the batter in the prepared baking pans and bake the cake! This is a very sticky batter, so please line the pans with parchment paper or use non-stick silicone pans. I also like to grease the bottom and sides of the pans to make sure the cake releases easily.

    Let the cake layers cool for at least fifteen minutes on a rack before removing from the pan. Then cool completely before adding the frosting so it won’t melt.

    baking low carb carrot cake

    Prepare Frosting

    When you make the sugar-free cream cheese frosting, use an electric hand mixer. This is so much easier than trying to cream it all together by hand. Then just beat everything together until it is nice and fluffy!

    Note: Be careful when you add the powdered sugar substitute. Add it slowly, or else it will make a mess.

    Assemble the cake

    To assemble your low carb carrot cake, stack the two keto cakes on top of one another with a layer of frosting in between. Spread the remaining frosting over the whole cake.

    I used two 9-inch round cake pans to make a two layer cake. However, you can bake it in a single 9×13-inch pan or divide the cake batter into cupcake molds. The baking time will just need to be adjusted if using a different size baking pan. My batter took about 25-30 minutes to fully cook.

    adding keto cream cheese frosting to carrot cake

    ️ Serving suggestions

    My favorite thing to serve with this cake is a hot cup of coffee. I just love how the rich flavor of the coffee beans compliments the sweet cake!

    But you can also eat it with a scoop of low-carb vanilla ice cream on the side.

    FAQs

    Before we get to the delicious keto carrot cake recipe, I want to answer some questions people have asked about this sugar-free cake.

    Are carrots keto friendly?

    You may have heard that you can't have carrots on a strict low carb diet. Many following a ketogenic diet avoid carrots because they contain more sugar than other vegetables.

    When it comes to carrots, they should be enjoyed in moderation. One cup, or about 70 grams, has 6.7 grams of carbs and 2 grams of fiber, so about 4 grams of net carbs. That same amount has 3.3 grams of sugar.

    But this low carb keto carrot cake only calls for 1 cup of shredded carrots in the entire recipe, which is cut into 16 slices. This means that there are only 0.3 net carbs and 0.2 grams of sugar per slice from carrots.

    If you’ve heard that you cannot eat carrots on keto, don’t worry. The amount of carrot in this recipe will not knock you out of ketosis, and it’s plenty for the cake.

    keto carrot cake slice on blue plate

    Is carrot cake ok for diabetics?

    A traditional carrot cake recipe can be a sugar bomb. In fact, most cakes have 25 to 60 grams of sugar per slice! For this reason, I would not recommend a restaurant or store-bought version of this dessert for diabetics.

    However, this low-carb carrot cake was created to be very low in both carbs and sugar. In fact, each slice has just 2 grams of sugar and 4 grams of net carbs.

    If you or someone you know is watching their sugar intake, give this cake a try. It won’t spike your blood sugar and it’s just as delicious as the real thing. Seriously!

    fork bite of carrot cake slice on plate

    Related recipes

    Looking for more low-carb cake recipes that you can enjoy on a keto diet? Check out a few of these favorites:

    • The best keto chocolate cake has a rich, chocolate flavor and ultra-moist texture thanks to, you guessed it, zucchini!
    • Sugar-free red velvet cake is made with low-carb flours and topped with a keto cream cheese frosting for a truly special treat.
    • Cranberry cheesecake is a decadent dessert as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
    • Chocolate peanut butter cake is an easy-to-make, moist chocolate cake topped with sugar-free peanut butter frosting.
    • German chocolate cake is another recipe that uses zucchini for an ultra-rich texture. This one is topped with amazing coconut pecan frosting!

    Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!

    Recipe

    keto carrot cake recipe image

    Low Carb Keto Carrot Cake

    4.94 from 31 votes
    In search of a moist and delicious sugar-free and gluten-free carrot cake that's keto friendly? This is the cake for you!
    Prep Time:15 mins
    Cook Time:30 mins
    Total Time:45 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections
    Servings: 16 people
    Calories: 294

    Video

    Ingredients

    CAKE:

    • 1 ½ cups almond flour
    • ½ cup coconut flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon allspice or ginger
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 cup coconut oil I used the liquid kind
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 cup low carb sugar substitute more or less (I use ¾ cup)
    • 1 ½ cups packed grated zucchini about 295 grams (one medium)
    • 1 cup loosely packed grated carrots about 70 grams (1 large)
    • ½ cup walnuts optional

    FROSTING:

    • 16 ounces cream cheese
    • ½ cup butter 1 stick
    • 2 cups Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons heavy cream more or less for desired consistency
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    CAKE:

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper or use silicone pans.
    • Stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice (or ginger) in a medium bowl. Set aside.
    • In large mixing bow, whisk together coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir in zucchini, carrots, and sweetener. Then add flour mixture and stir until well combined.Stir in walnuts, if using.
    • Spread batter evenly between the two cake pans. Smooth tops if necessary.
    • Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned on top and cake is firm to the touch.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack before frosting.

    FROSTING:

    • Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer.
    • Add powdered sweetener and beat until smooth.
    • Beat in the vanilla extract. Add in the heavy whipping cream, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Frosting should be light and fluffy after whipping.

    Notes

    Sweetener can be adjusted to taste. To reduce erythritol, I often lessen the sweetener used an add in concentrated stevia to taste.
    If you don't have baking soda, you can substitute it with two tablespoons of baking powder.
    Both the zucchini and carrots should be finely grated versus chunky for the best cake texture.
    Pecans or hazelnuts can be used instead of walnuts.
    If using nuts, it's best to toast them in a dry skillet on the stove. Just put the heat on medium and stir them often until they become fragrant.
    Spices can be changed up. Ground cloves and ginger are nice additions.
    Batter can be baked in a 9×13 pan with baking time increased slightly. Only half the frosting would be needed to frost only the top of the cake.

    Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 294 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1430IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg

    Additional Info

    Net Carbs: 4 g | % Carbs: 5.6 % | % Protein: 9.8 % | % Fat: 84.7 % | SmartPoints: 12
    Values
    Array
    (
        [serving_size] => 1
        [calories] => 294
        [carbohydrates] => 7
        [protein] => 7
        [fat] => 27
        [saturated_fat] => 12
        [cholesterol] => 101
        [sodium] => 312
        [potassium] => 149
        [fiber] => 3
        [sugar] => 2
        [vitamin_a] => 1430
        [vitamin_c] => 3.5
        [calcium] => 76
        [iron] => 1
        [serving_unit] => slice
    )
    

    Notes on Nutritional Information

    Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

    Copyright

    © LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.

    First published on February 18, 2019. Updated on March 11, 2021, with new images and additional recipe information.

    « The Best Low-Carb & Keto Flours
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      « Previous 1 2 3 4
    1. abloom

      August 19, 2022 at 4:34 am

      5 stars
      My husband is desperate for me to make this again. Even though he's not on any diet.

      Reply
    2. Julie

      January 04, 2022 at 10:45 am

      So if I am using king arthur keto flour would it be 2 cups as the almond flour and coconut flour equals 2?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        January 04, 2022 at 3:21 pm

        Yes. That should work but may need slight adjustments if the consistency of the batter doesn't feel right.

        Reply
    3. Diane

      September 03, 2021 at 10:25 am

      Could I use all almond flour in this cake?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        September 03, 2021 at 11:48 am

        It should work okay in the recipe. You may want to add in a little xanthan gum if you have it as I find it helps prevent crumbling.

        Reply
    4. Matt

      August 11, 2021 at 7:19 am

      5 stars
      My wife makes these, I’m not keto but I wouldn’t even know the difference in taste other than I don’t feel gross after eating them. Highly recommend trying it out!

      Reply
    5. Momof3under3

      August 11, 2021 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      The absolute best. ???? just as good as the real thing, my mother in law introduced me to them and we both make a batch weekly now!

      Reply
    6. Meyre

      April 07, 2021 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      I made for Easter/21 and it was a hit; nobody could believe it was a keto cake, in their words "a diet" cake. I was looking for a dairy free recipe and yours was right there. Thank you

      Reply
    7. Kerin

      March 16, 2021 at 7:26 pm

      Hello can I use butter in place of coconut oil?

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        March 17, 2021 at 12:24 pm

        Butter should work instead if you prefer that. I'd use unsalted.

        Reply
        • Denise P

          April 16, 2022 at 3:30 pm

          5 stars
          I'm new-ish to keto and have not had good luck with dessert recipes. This was my first attempt at one of your recipes. Yummy!! I went with cupcakes. I'm so glad I found you!! Can't wait to try other recipes. Thanks so much ????

    8. Brenda C

      March 07, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      5 stars
      I wish I could post a picture. We made regular and mini muffins a double batch. A+

      Reply
      • Bernadine Langer

        April 17, 2022 at 4:21 pm

        Do we drain the zucchini, do we squeeze it to get most of the moisture out before we put it in the batter

        Reply
        • Lisa MarcAurele

          April 20, 2022 at 9:33 am

          I don't remove moisture as I like a moist cake.

    9. Kathy Singer

      October 27, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is delish! I added toasted pecans rather than walnut, and ginger instead of all spice. The icing was great, very creamy and went perfectly with the moist cake. Lisa you hit a home run with this one......thank you!!

      Reply
    10. Mary Krick

      October 21, 2020 at 1:56 pm

      I just finished baking this cake. In the icing ingredients, is the stick of butter unsalted or salted.
      Thanks, Mary

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        October 21, 2020 at 2:50 pm

        I used salted, but for a sweeter taste, you can use unsalted.

        Reply
        • Toni

          March 30, 2021 at 7:00 pm

          Hi
          Need to make this cake in advance. How long will this cake keep before frosting it and eating it
          Thanks

        • Lisa MarcAurele

          March 30, 2021 at 7:13 pm

          It should keep for at least a week in the fridge. Up to six months in the freezer.

    11. Debbie

      September 20, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      Absolutely delicious ????

      Reply
    12. Heidi

      September 16, 2020 at 1:43 pm

      5 stars
      This cake is delicious!! I did add ginger and cloves to mine. Also made it in a 9x13 pan and cut the frosting recipe in half, as I wasn't layering it. This recipe is a keeper!

      Reply
    13. Angie

      August 08, 2020 at 1:35 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe easy to make - great to eat - my husband and I share a slice every second day. Freezes great too!

      Reply
    14. Eileen Yoder

      August 04, 2020 at 11:22 pm

      Hi, I was wondering if I could put the cake in a 9x 13” pan instead of 2 round cake pans? And what would the cooking time be? Thank you so much.

      Reply
      • Lisa MarcAurele

        August 05, 2020 at 7:31 am

        You could make a 9x13 size. I'd say start checking the cake after 35 minutes.

        Reply
    « Previous 1 2 3 4

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