Keto Carrot Cake is richly spiced with a moist crumb, just the right amount of carrot, and a luscious cream cheese frosting to top it off.
It’s the cutest thing; my grandma went keto about a year ago (her doctor recommended it for medical reasons). After that, every time I head up to Buffalo to visit family, she tells me that she’s dying for Keto Carrot Cake. Well, on my next trip to Buffalo I won’t be going empty-handed. Grandma, this one is for you (xoxo!).
With rich spices, just the right amount of carrot, a moist crumb, and velvety cream cheese frosting, this cake will be the hit of all your spring gatherings!
The Best Keto Carrot Cake Recipe
Keto Carrot Cake Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Golden
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Blackstrap molasses
- Stevia glycerite
- Almond flour
- Golden flaxseed meal
- Tapioca flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Allspice
- Salt
- Carrot
I based this recipe on my Low Carb Keto Vanilla Almond Yellow Butter Cake recipe, but made several tweaks to get the perfect carrot cake flavor.
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Swerve Confectioners
- Stevia glycerite
- Vanilla bean paste
- Pure vanilla extract
- Pure almond extract
- Heavy whipping cream
I used my basic recipe for Vanilla Bean Low Carb Cheesecake Frosting, but I reduced it by half, which was the perfect amount for frosting this cake.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
In my Keto Carrot Cake I use a blend of almond flour, golden flaxseed meal, and tapioca flour. Generally, in gluten free baking, I like to use a blend of gluten free flours to avoid an overly dense and/or dry baked good.
This is because some gluten free flours are quite dense (such as almond flour), and some gluten free flours absorb a lot of water (such as coconut flour). Using two or three different kinds of gluten free flour along with eggs and leavener help yield a lighter, fluffier, more cake-like result.
How Do I Make My Gluten Free Carrot Cake More Moist?
Baking in general is very much a science, and gluten free baking is even more so. You need to find the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients.
Because most gluten free flours are heavy and dense, it’s important to not only find the right ratio of ingredients, but also to simultaneously include components that will help lighten the crumb.
In my recipes, I’m careful to test them with a blend of different wet and dry ingredients to come up with the best result that is as close to “real cake” (aka regular cake make with wheat flour) as I can get it.
If you follow this recipe, the resulting Keto Carrot Cake is moist and delicious!
Best Ever Sugar Free Carrot Cake
This recipe for Keto Carrot Cake isn’t sugar free because I use a tiny bit of blackstrap molasses for depth of flavor. Additionally, molasses helps reduce the cooling effect that the sweetener erythritol (which is in Lakanto, along with monkfruit) can have.
If you’re looking for the Best Ever Sugar Free Carrot Cake recipe, simply omit the blackstrap molasses from this recipe and add 1 ½ tablespoons keto brown sugar instead.
Carbs in Carrot Cake
Most regular desserts are pretty carb-heavy because of their high sugar and wheat flour content. Let’s compare nutrition information for regular carrot cake with cream cheese frosting with my Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Regular Carrot Cake Carbs
According to the USDA Food Database, 1 (102g) serving of regular carrot cake with cream cheese frosting has the following nutrition information:
- 370kcals
- 3g protein
- 20g fat
- 45g total carbohydrates
- 1g fiber
- 44g net carbs
Keto Carrot Cake Carbs
Here is the nutritional information for 1 serving of my Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 253 kcals
- 4g protein
- 23g fat
- 7g total carbohydrates
- 1g fiber
- 6g net carbs
More Healthy Carrot Cake Recipes to Try
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic and #healthysweeteats on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Keto Carrot Cake
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 tablespoons Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener Golden
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons blackstrap molasses
- ¼ teaspoon stevia glycerite
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium carrot grated
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Swerve Confectioners
- 5 drops stevia glycerite
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Cream together the butter and Lakanto, and then beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla, molasses, and stevia glycerite. Whisk together the almond flour, flaxseed meal, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking powder, allspice, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the carrot. The batter will be very thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat in the Swerve Confectioners, stevia glycerite, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated. Lastly, beat in the cream until smooth.
- Once the cake is cooled, spread the frosting on top and let it set before slicing.
Helpful Tips
- Net Carbs: 6g per serving
- To reduce the carbs even more, omit the blackstrap molasses and add 1 ½ tablespoons keto brown sugar instead.
Nutrition
Natalie
I love carrot cake! This one looks so delicious and the texture seems heavenly!
Alisha Ross
You guys crack me up with the cupcake testing! I want to come be a tester! The vanilla specks always make things seem more fancy and I think the fact that you can smell the vanilla makes the flavor really shine. Sounds like a delicious evening!