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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 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.
The secret ingredient
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.
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
- Stir together almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl and mix until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Once they’re well mixed, stir in grated zucchini and carrots. Both should be very finely grated, not in chunks, for the best cake texture. Stir in the sweetener as well.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture into the wet mixture, stirring everything well.
- If using nuts, it’s best to toast them in a dry skillet on the stove first. Just put the heat on medium and stir them often until they become fragrant. Then stir them into the batter.
Baking the cake
- Spread the batter evenly between the two cake pans lined with parchment paper or use non-stick silicone pans. You can smooth the tops if necessary.
- Put the two cakes in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are browned and firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before frosting. It’s important to let them cool fully so the frosting doesn’t melt.
Making sugar free cream cheese frosting
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until they are well-combined.
- Add in the powdered sweetener and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth. If you only have granular sweetener, you can powder it in a blender or food processor.
- Finally, add in the vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream and continue to beat until light 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.
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 restaurant or store-bought versions of the 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!
Carrot cake variations
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 1/4 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 do you make your low carb carrot cake? I’d love to hear your favorite variations in the comments below!
Tools used to make this carrot cake recipe
- 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.
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 an amazing coconut pecan frosting!
I’m also loving the way the German black forest cake over at My PCOS Kitchen!
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Low Carb Carrot Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice or ginger
- 1 cup coconut oil I used the liquid kind
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup low carb sugar substitute more or less (I use 3/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups packed grated zucchini about 295 grams (one medium)
- 1 cup loosely packed grated carrots about 70 grams (1 large)
- 1/2 cup walnuts optional
FROSTING:
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 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
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
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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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.
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: February 18, 2019… Last updated: December 10, 2019
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Mikiyah says
Can I use all almond flour? I don’t like coconut. Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele says
All almond flour should work in this recipe, but you may need to add something like xanthan gum to improve texture.
Mindy says
Wow! I can’t say enough about this cake! I used allulose in the cake and powdered Lakanto sweetener for the frosting. I don’t know what happened w/ the cream cheese frosting but it wasn’t firm…a little too wet. I think it was the cream cheese I used (Gina Marie) which doesn’t have any stabilizers or junk in it. I think adding the whipping cream made it a bit thin. I’ll omit the whipping cream next time.
Gail Bridenbaugh says
Just made the carrot cake last evening. I cut it in 16 pieces and laid 12 of them out on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet and put in freezer. When frozen, I wrapped individually. It is absolutely fabulous! I would say it’s the best keto dessert I’ve made yet. Thank you!!
Evelyn says
Love it did it without the zucchini and it taste so delicious looking for more recipes…
David S says
The cake didn’t rise and it was oily. Used all the ingredients listed!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Did you check your baking powder and soda? It may not have been fresh.
Alisa B. says
Hi Lisa, was wondering if I can add unflavored collagen peptides to the recipe for added protein or vanilla whey protein powder. What would you recommend?
Lisa MarcAurele says
When I add collagen or whey, I typically replace some of the almond flour with it as it acts similar to a flour.
Nino Sommer says
If i don’t have allspice how can I prepare it?
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can leave it out or improvise with another spice blend of cinnamon and cloves with a pinch of nutmeg.
Nino Sommer says
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for the recipe. Can I use a squash instead of zuccini?
Lisa MarcAurele says
Yellow squash or similar should work fine in place of zucchini.
Lauren says
Busy attempting your recipe, and suddenly changed my mind from a cake to your suggestion of cupcakes. You mentioned to adjust the cooking time……kindly advise me please. Thanks in advance 🙂
Lisa MarcAurele says
Cupcakes should only take 10-15 minutes depending on the oven.
Nicole says
I am VERY allergic to coconut. What can I replace the flour and oil with so that the recipe will still work? I am excited to try it!
Lisa MarcAurele says
For this recipe, you could try using almond flour or flax meal. Any fat can be used for the oil. Maybe try butter or avocado oil?
Anita says
No salt?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I don’t think it’s needed, but feel free to add it if you’d like.
Sarah says
Just made this as a practice for Thanksgiving. So good! I wouldn’t change a thing. One question : is a serving 1/12 of the cake?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I cut them into thin slices since it’s a double layer and get 16 slices.
Anita says
Do you squeeze the liquid out of the zucchini before using it in this recipe or do you leave the liquid with the zucchini?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I don’t squeeze out the liquid as it helps keep the cake moist.
Marc says
I made this recipe for the first time tonight. Wow what a treat!! It was like I was eating a Publix carrot cake which is one all time favorites. But now, this is my new one!!
Trish says
Just made this last night for my mother-in-law’s birthday and we all LOVED it!! No one could believe it was Keto – even me, and I made the darn thing. I made just a couple switches, using cardamom in place of the allspice, Allulose in the cake (1 1/2 cups because it’s not as sweet as other sugar subs) and just under 1 1/2 cups of Swerve Confectioners in the frosting. The cake was sooo moist with the zucchini addition and the frosting is just dreamy. Superb recipe, Lisa!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Thanks for writing in Trish and sharing your modifications with us. This one is my new favorite cake for special occasions!
Rachelle says
I have made this 2 times, and it has been a hit both times ! Love love love this?
Elizabeth Horlock says
Awesome – so moist. Very easy to make. Use directions exactly.
Edie Wampler says
Just made the carrot cake but in 20 nice sized cupcakes. Made no change to the recipe and baked for 18 minutes @ 350. My hubs and I couldn’t wait until completely cooled to try one but four huge thumbs up to Lisa and this recipe. The cake is surprisingly light and who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting. It’s going into my bake to impress all my gf, no sugar friends
Lorry says
I have just found this recipe and have made it 3 times, 1 cake and 2 batches of muffins (with NO icing, hubby said didn’t need it). My husband is over the moon as am I, who would of thought absolutely amazing! I used Swerve and birch xylitol and both worked wonderfully. For those that say carrots are not on the Keto list they would have to realize that there are not enough carrots in one piece of cake or muffin to make a difference! For us this recipe is the bomb thank you so much, still losing weight, and has given us something awesome to look forward to, total win win thank you so much!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Agree! I don’t think the cake needs any frosting either and I typically leave it off. There’s no need for the additional sweetener.
Michael says
My cake did not rise very much. I faithfully follow the recipe except for substituting the coconut oil with Avocado oil. The end result was a baked layer of cake only one inch high in each of 2 pans. What did I do wrong?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I don’t recommend using avocado oil in this recipe. Coconut oil or butter are best. However, sometimes it can be a variation in the flour used. Coconut flour can vary in absorbency and sometimes has more fat than others.
Chrissy says
How much butter do I use if I decide to use butter instead of coconut oil?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It should be the same amount.
[email protected] says
We r very interested in these desserts. Get tired of the same thing & my husband has a sweet tooth.
Lisa MarcAurele says
My family not on low carb loves this carrot cake. I hop you and your husband like it too.
rhonda says
what is lakento classic white, PLEASE ?????
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s a monk fruit sweetener company. You can see their products here => Lakanto
CYNDIE says
Carrots are a Keto no-no as are all root vegies! They are high carb food. I used your recipe as a zucchini cake and it was great! I used more zucchini and upped the flour mix by a 1/2 C. It was perfect!
Lisa MarcAurele says
There is not enough carrots in this recipe to make a difference for someone in low carb maintenance (like myself).
Kevin says
Hi Lisa, I have been doing keto for 7 years and never saw carrots on the keto food list. I thought the idea was to eliminate high starchy root vegetable like carrots , potatoes etc. I know now that keto is very popular now and even though low carb is a factor in keto but the main goal is to absorb as much saturated fact as storage and use it to burn fat. So we all have to sacrifice some of the American diet food as we can to have keto be an asset and work for us. Carrots are not in the keto diet.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Carrots are usually avoided on keto but they can be used for low carb in moderation.
jeanne says
So it’s Low Carb Not Keto. Your title is misleading.
Lisa MarcAurele says
If you look at the macros, this cake is certainly keto friendly.
Debbie says
Wondering if you have the nutritional info for just the frosting? I could figure it out, but …. much easier if you already have them!! How ?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I haven’t calculated it separately, but it’s easy to do with an online recipe analyzer like MyFitnessPal.
Debbie says
Oh my!! This is AMAZING!! Like I’m cheating!! And, bonus …. I had some icing left over – a great “dip” for pecans! ? I make your German chocolate zucchini cake with your coconut pecan frosting into cupcakes and LOVE them!! Yummmm!!
Lisa MarcAurele says
So glad you are enjoying the low carb cake recipes!
Danielle says
This carrot cake just blew my mind. The best low carb dessert I’ve tried so far! The cake is super moist! I’m going to look up more recipes involving zucchini now.
Lisa MarcAurele says
You may like the chocolate cake recipe too.
Robyn says
Lisa I’ve made various cake recipes with Lakanto and erithrytol, they bake up delicious but when I take them out of the refrigerator the next day they have a very gritty texture. It actually hurts my mouth. Is there anything I can do to avoid this? Other than eating the whole cake in one sitting?
Lisa MarcAurele says
That just means the cake has too much erythritol. You can either use a sweetener without erythritol or sub out more of the erythritol sweetener with another sweetener. I have all the substitutes listed in the sugar substitute conversion chart.
Karen Muldowney says
Do you think I could make this with a different kind of oil? I do not like coconut.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Definitely! You can use any oil you prefer. Butter should work too.
Teresa says
There is no salt in this recipe. I made it as is and something was lacking but still loved it. I thought I needed more salt but as I’m making again today, I noticed so I will add the salt this time.
Nancy says
Hi Lisa- just made the cake last night. I used coconut oil that was solid in the jar and melted it on low heat. It is delicious but is oliy! Can I reduce the coconut oil next time?
Thanks, Nancy
Lisa MarcAurele says
You definitely can reduce the oil next time. There’s plenty of fat in the recipe so there is room to reduce it.
Julie says
This cake was so moist and yummy. I’ll be making this again!
Elke Meixner says
Hello, I believe there is a mistake in the conversion of the powder monk fruit sweetener to metric system. 1 cup does not equal 2 g.
Lisa MarcAurele says
You’re right. Since I don’t have a weight measure for that, I added the volume measurement of 240ml.
Michele Sellers says
According to the back of the package, a serving is 1 tsp which is 4 grams. There are 48 tsp for 1 cup so 1 cup is 192 grams.
Jamie says
Guys, seriously, for those who LOVE food but want to maintain a healthy (especially ketogenic) diet this is a cake for you! I substituted the almond flour for tapioca flour because I am allergic to nuts and boy did it it turn out great! Tastes just like the real thing! The number one thing I crave on Keto (and always) is a good slice of cake! So thank you for this recipe! 10/10 recommended!
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can also sub in finely ground sunflower seeds in place of almond flour. It’s more keto friendly than tapioca flour.
Liz says
It was great! You would never know it wasn’t the real thing!
Nancy says
I would like to put this cake into and 8×8 pan or a 9x 13 instead of round cake pans. Have you tried this or what do you suggest ?
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can do that, but baking times will vary.
Steph says
Hi Lisa,
How much protein powder would you use ? I’ve got some that needs using up so lightening the cake seems like a great way to do so!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Sometimes, I replace a little bit of almond flour. I’d suggest using anywhere from a couple tablespoons to 1/4 cup in place of some of the almond flour.
Wendy says
What do you think about using Lakanto golden brown sugar in the cake?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It should work out. I used the regular white Lakanto.
Wendy North says
Have you ever tried allulose? I wonder if a cup of it can be substituted for the monk fruit sweetener?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I use allulose in ice cream. It should work in this recipe too but you’ll likely need to use more than the sweetener used in the recipe. Allulose is less sweet than the monk fruit sweetener used.
Michelle says
Hi Lisa! This looks amazing, I can’t wait for a special occasion to try it out. Just a question for clarification. In your write-up on the frosting you say, “To make it, I use two 16 ounce blocks of cream cheese.” The total in the recipe is 16 oz so maybe you meant two 8-oz blocks? I don’t think I’ve seen 16 oz. blocks anyway. Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele says
I use a total of 16 ounces and each block is 8 ounces so I’ll fix that.
Paul Nelson says
Is it possible, or advisable, to substitute some arrowroot flour for some of the almond flour to maybe lighten the cake up a bit?
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can do that but you need to be cautious of carbs. I use unflavored whey protein powder to lighten up cakes without adding carbs.
Wendy says
Can this cake be sliced then frozen?
Lisa MarcAurele says
Yes! I like to freeze the low carb carrot cake in slices myself.
Marian Keck says
I am fairly new to Keto and would love to find some good desserts that won’t leave an unpleasant after taste.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Try blending sweeteners. It’s the sweeteners like stevia and erythritol that can have a funny taste. But when blending sweeteners together, the taste is improved. I also find monk fruit to be the cleanest tasting.
Mary Rose Hunt says
HI Lisa, I tried this carrot cake today but I felt the texture of the mixture was to thick, you said split the BATTER between 2 baking tins. Well it was more like a dough so I added some coconut milk to loosen it. The cake needed another 5 mins cooking but oh boy! was it worth it. What did you use to join the two cakes together. I don’t see that in the instruction so I just used some of the frosting mix. Thanks for your recipes. I am enjoying making them and hubby loves them
Lisa MarcAurele says
I used the frosting in between the layers. Coconut flour can vary in absorbency so maybe that’s why you needed a little more liquid. Or maybe it was because the liquid in zucchini can vary. The batter is thick, but it shouldn’t be like dough.
Beth Buffa says
This is probably the best low carb dessert I have ever had. I rank it right up there with your Coconut Crème Pie. I made this today and used the Lakanto Classic for the cake and Stevia for the icing. Wow ! Thanks for a great recipe !
Lisa MarcAurele says
Thanks for writing in Beth! I loved this cake too. It’s going to be my new birthday cake.
Lori says
Trying it out, is the baking soda to baking powder amounts correct or reversed? Thanks for all the good recipes!
Lisa MarcAurele says
The amounts listed are what I used. Feel free to reverse them if you’d rather.
Sue Mobley says
How do I unsubscribe to your site? I keep getting pop ups and spam every day. I’m sick of it.
Lisa MarcAurele says
It depends on the device, but this article should help: https://help.pushcrew.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007651954-A-website-is-sending-me-push-notifications-How-do-I-unsubscribe-
Carol Nolans says
Don’t know if you’re still here and will see this, but if so you might want to check your computer for viruses. While I see a lot of advertisements (that’s typically how a website earns revenue) I do NOT get pop ups….and never have. I’m probably on this site a couple times a week either to use a recipe or to check out something she posted from FB…but never do I get pop ups on this site.
karen vogelsang says
Looks good. How big is one slice ??? How many servings in a cake ??? Need to know, so I don’t overdo my carb intake for the day. Thanks
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s super filling so I cut the cake into 16 slices.
Barbara Gray says
I have more wt to lose to reach my goal but i will try this out…….Thanks lisa.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Hope you love the carrot cake!