Keto Carrot Cake (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

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
)

Get ready to fall in love with this low-carb keto carrot cake that tastes just like the real thing! Delicious, spicy, and made with a secret ingredient that keeps it perfectly moist.

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 Needed For Low-Carb Carrot Cake

This is such a simple cake that anyone can bake. All of the ingredients are listed out in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here is a bit more information about what I used to make this scrumptious cake.

Zucchini

Since I mentioned the recipe that inspired this keto carrot cake above, you can probably guess the secret ingredient…

The trick to a super moist low carb 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. Zucchini has so much moisture, it keeps this carrot cake from drying out. And, it 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.

Spices

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

Keto Frosting

To make the low-carb frosting, I used cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, butter, and vanilla. Reuse this frosting recipe on other treats like some low-carb cupcakes.

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

Essential Kitchen Tools For Baking The Cake

• 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 the cake as muffins instead for single-serve treats. Just be sure to adjust the baking time.
• To reduce the sweetness, you can use less frosting or eliminate it all-together. The cake is incredibly tasty on its own!
• To lighten the cake, substitute protein powder for a couple tablespoons to ¼ cup of the almond flour.
• Adjust sweetener to taste. To reduce erythritol, I often lessen the sweetener used an add in concentrated stevia to taste.
• Try different types of nuts. Pecans or hazelnuts are great substitutes for walnuts.
• Switch up the spices and add ground cloves or ginger.

How To Make Low Carb Carrot Cake

This cake 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!

Making the Batter

The very first thing you’ll do is make the batter. I suggest using two different bowls. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another one.

Then you should add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

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

Baking The Cake

After you make the batter, bake the cake! This is a very sticky batter, so please line the pans with parchment paper or use non-stick silicone pans.

Let them cool off completely before you add the frosting, that way it won’t melt.

Making Sugar Free Cream Cheese Frosting

When you make the frosting, use an electric mixer. This is so much easier than trying to cream it all together by hand.

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

Beat everything together until it is nice and fluffy!

Assembling The Cake

To assemble your keto carrot cake, stack the two 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 double-layer frosted 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.

What To Serve With Keto Carrot Cake

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!

If you plan on serving this as a dessert, it will feel right at home on a dessert table with other keto desserts. Eat it with some low-carb brownies or a small bowl of low-carb ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions About Low-Carb Carrot Cake

Before we get to the recipe, I want to answer some questions people have about gluten-free carrot cake.

Are carrots low carb?

Carrots are right in the name of this recipe. So you may be wondering, can you have carrots on keto or low carb diets? 

In general, starchy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots are avoided in low carb and keto diets. Also, many on strict keto avoid carrots because they contain more sugar than other vegetables.

However, eating low carb or keto is about managing your carb and sugar intake. There is no such thing as “keto foods”; there are just foods that fit or don’t fit within your keto macros.

When it comes to carrots, they should be enjoyed in moderation. 1 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.

If you’re eating carrots by themselves, you’ll eat that amount in a few bites. So carrots do not make a good low carb or keto snack.

But, this keto carrot cake only calls for 1 cup of 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 serving 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?

Traditional versions of this dessert can be sugar bombs. 

In fact, carrot cake from a popular restaurant can have over 25 grams of sugar per slice! And, carrot cake carbs can reach up to 60 grams. For this reason, I would not recommend a restaurant or store-bought version of this dessert for diabetics.

However, this keto carrot cake recipe was created to be very low in both carbs and sugar. In fact, each slice only contains 2 grams of sugar and 4 grams of net carbs.

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

How do you make your low-carb carrot cake? I’d love to hear your favorite variations in the comments below!

Other Low Carb Cake 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 Low Carb 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-friendly cream cheese frosting for a truly special treat.
• Cranberry Swirl 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 ME ON FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM FOR MORE EASY KETO RECIPES.

Low Carb Carrot Cake

Author: Lisa MarcAurele

4.92 from 24 votes

In search of a moist and delicious sugar free carrot cake that’s keto friendly? This is the cake for you!

Recipe Video (Click on Image to Play)

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe View Collections Save Recipe

Servings 16 people

Calories 294

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
• ▢ 1 cup Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener or 2 cups regular powdered sweetener
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy whipping 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.

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
)

FREE EMAIL SERIES

My Top 5 Secrets to Master Keto!

Note 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.

© LowCarbYum.com
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele 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.