from 17 reviews
Published · Modified · by Alexis Joseph · 31 Comments
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Tested and perfected--this recipe for healthy, homemade carrot cake is made with almond flour and no refined sugar. Moist, tender, and perfectly spiced, I recommend you top it with thick layer of my healthy cream cheese frosting. And if you love a carrot cake with raisins, they can easily be tossed into the batter before baking. Ready in 40 minutes!
If your tastebuds have had the pleasure of devouring my carrot cake baked oatmeal, you know I live for carrot cake flavored anything.
I also live for approachable recipes that are fuss-free and don't require any crazy chops in the kitchen. This one bowl beauty truly makes healthier carrot cake foolproof!
And because it's made with almond flour, it's gluten free, naturally sweet and doesn't require a bunch of added sugar. My toddler eats it for breakfast, bless his soul.
Need more carrots in your life? Fret not--I've got carrot cake overnight oats, carrot bread, and carrot cake protein bites, too!
Ingredients
- Carrots: You want fresh carrots, not pre-grated since they lose so much moisture. I love using the shredding attachment on my food processor, but you can also use a box grater and grate them by hand. No need to squeeze the water out!
- Almond flour: Super fine blanched almond flour is what we want here versus almond meal, which has the skins. I get Kirkland brand at Costco. Almond flour is rich in healthy fats, which means we don't need much butter in this recipe.
- Ground flax: Also known as flax meal, this adds another layer of binding, plus extra nutrition. I use flax in so many recipes, and it's easy to find at every grocery store these days. Store in the fridge for optimal shelf life!
- Maple syrup: We're using a touch of nature's finest sweetener. You could also try honey. Use more for a sweeter cake.
- Eggs: Eggs are important here for binding since there's no flours containing gluten, which helps offer binding and structure in "regular" cake. I do not think this would work well without them!
- Baking soda: For rise.
- Salt: A must for balancing flavors.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla is essential in cakes!
- Raisins: My favorite carrot cake add in!
- Cream cheese: The main ingredient in the healthy frosting, along with Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Pecans/walnuts: For that amazing contrasting crunch.
Customize it
- Add-ins: Add ⅓ cup crushed pineapple with the liquid squeezed out. You could also do ⅓ cup shredded coconut!
- Raisins: Not a raisin fan? Omit them and swap with walnuts or pecans.
- Sweeter cake: Craving a sweeter dessert? Increase the maple syrup to ½ cup. It still won't be super sweet!
Let's make it (step-by-step)!
Whiskalmond flour, flax, baking soda, spices and salt in amixing bowl.
Add maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and butter.
Whisk to combine. Fold in carrots and raisins.
Spoon batter into baking dish. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
Let cake cool completely before spreading frosting over cake!
Storage
Unfrosted cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Frosted cake should be refrigerated after 2 hours and stored there until it's all eaten up!
Let me know if you love this recipe! I'm so grateful for your feedback. Eeee happy baking!
Healthy Carrot Cake
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 17 reviews
- Author: Alexis Joseph
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Moist healthy carrot cake with no refined sugar! Super easy to make in 1 bowl with almond flour, maple syrup, warming spices, and raisins then topped with the most incredible homemade cream cheese frosting. You'd never guess this cake was gluten free! On the table in 40 minutes. Who knew homemade cake could be so easy?
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ⅓ cup raisins
- 1 batch healthy cream cheese frosting
- handful of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, for topping
Instructions
- Prep:Set out unwrapped cream cheese to soften if you haven't already. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Shred carrots (I use shredding attachment in my food processor). Melt butter and set aside.
- Mix dry: Whisk almond flour, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix wet: Add maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix with a rubber spatula. Fold in carrots and raisins.
- Bake: Spoon batter into baking dish (it will be very thick, this is normal). Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
- Cool: Make frosting (per the linked recipe) and set aside. Let cake cool completely before spreading frosting over cake. Top with pecans, slice and serve! Unfrosted cake can be stored at room temp for up to 2 days. Frosted cake should be refrigerated after 2 hours.
Notes
This cake is a lightly sweet cake, more like a "snack cake" than a sweet dessert cake. If you'd like a sweeter cake, increase maple syrup to ½ cup.
About Alexis Joseph
Oh HEY there! I'm Alexis Joseph, food writer, blogger, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), new mama, and co-founder of local restaurant group, Alchemy. I use my passion for cooking and wellness as fuel to help others ignite a more freeing and happy relationship with food. Learn more about Alexis!
Reader Interactions
Tess says
OMG! This is amazing! I added the crushed pineapple, walnuts, raisins, and a small bit of shredded coconut. I will make this again and again. Really tastes like normal carrot cake. The icing is fantastic too! I have made multiple "healthier" carrot cakes and none of them were as good as this one!
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Alexis Joseph says
YAYYYY! You made my day, Tess! This is the best. Thanks so much for your sweet review!
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Brian says
Solid base recipe, though difficult to advertise as "Healthy" with the butter, whole eggs, and especially the very large amount of almonds- this will make you load on the pounds pretty quickly. Great alternative to standard white-flour cakes, but not so much for those looking watch what they eat.
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Alexis Joseph says
Hey Brian, thanks for your feedback. This cake has healthy fats, protein (6g in a slice), and fiber from the almond flour and a third of the sugar and butter you'd find in a traditional cake. While it's surely not a kale salad, the goal for this cake was to offer a delicious, moist, healthier alternative to classic cakes. I'd love to know your feedback on the taste if you make it!
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Kim says
Is there a substitute for the ground flaxseed?
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Alexis Joseph says
I have only made this as written, sorry Kim! I am pretty sure replacing it with more almond flour would work just fine. Let me know if you try it!
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Mary says
This look good and will make it this week.
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Alexis Joseph says
Let me know if you try it, Mary!
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Naomi Scott says
Great to have a recipe for a cake that is not too sweet thank you
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Alexis Joseph says
I hope you love it, Naomi! Let me know if you make it 🙂
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Cath Low says
Can I substitute with 2 cups whole wheat flour or unbleached all purpose flour? Happily, no problems with gluten.
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Alexis Joseph says
Hey Cath! Nope, the recipe will not work with wheat flour--almond flour is super moist and high in healthy fats versus wheat flour has no fat; so the recipe would need totally reworked with regular flour. I too have zero problems with gluten, almond flour is just amazingly moist and satiating in baking! It stays moist for so long thanks to the almond flour (vs regular flour dries out pretty quickly).
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Mackenzie says
This was SUBLIME! How have I not made your cream cheese frosting before? I was eating it with a spoon. Thank you for making such an easy recipe!
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Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thank you Mackenzie!
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Natalie Tan says
Hi Alexis, thanks so much for sharing your recipe. The frosting instruction was not mentioned. May i know how much cream cheese, yogurt, honey n vanilla to mix? Thank you.
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Alexis Joseph says
Hey Natalie! The frosting is linked in the recipe card, just click that the full recipe is there!
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Val says
This cake is INCREDIBLE!!! Literally comes together in a few minutes and then you have a BOMB carrot cake in less than 40 mins!! No complicated steps or random ingredients… and with the cream cheese icing it’s HEAVEN! Our new go-to carrot cake recipe, no contest.
I used the add-in suggestions of crushed pineapple and coconut (in addition to the raisins and walnuts) for a fully loaded carrot cake and OMG… cake of our dreams! My mom was in town and carrot cake is her absolute fave - we made her day with this!
We opted to add the healthy cream cheese icing and it was truly like a 12/10 carrot cake that tasted like a classic OG carrot cake but that didn’t leave a ‘heavy’ kinda feeling after having a slice,… or two lol. Wild that this recipe has only 1/3 cup of maple syrup compared to how much is in other cakes, and the same goes for the icing! The flavor is so on point though, you definitely don’t miss the extra sugar.
#1 tip - make as written and don’t change a thing ☺️Reply
Alexis Joseph says
Yessss! Thank you, Val! The crushed pineapple addition is so divine. All the add ins please! Truly wild how almond flour cakes don't require much sugar. You're the best, I can't thank you enough for your thoughtful comment!
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