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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

️ 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.

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!

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!

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Recipe

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