Paleo Carrot Cake
This paleo carrot cake is moist, fluffy and delicious, packed with warming spices and a dairy free cream cheese frosting! A healthier carrot cake made using almond flour and has all of those classic carrot cake flavors without the gluten, grain, or dairy! It’s the perfect spring dessert for any occasion.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is easy to make.
- This paleo carrot cake is incredibly moist and fluffy.
- You’ll get a serving of vegetables in when eating it.
- It has all of the classic carrot cake flavors.
- It is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and paleo.
- The dairy free cream cheese frosting is thick and creamy.
- Carrots add amazing texture and health benefits.
- It is a cake that truly everyone will love!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Almond flour. 1.5 cups of blanched almond flour. This gluten and grain free flour is the base of this paleo carrot cake.
- Baking soda. You will need 1 tsp of baking soda. This acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake to rise.
- Warming seasonings. A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried ginger add the classic carrot cake flavor.
- Eggs. 4 organic eggs are needed. I haven’t tested with flax eggs so I’m unsure how it would turn out with them.
- Pumpkin. 1 cup of canned pumpkin, not pumpkin puree, makes this cake so moist! You can find pumpkin in the baking section of the grocery store year round.
- Maple Syrup. You will need 1/2 cup of maple syrup to naturally sweeten the cake.
- Coconut oil. 1/2 cup of coconut oil is used. Coconut oil is a great alternative to butter.
- Almond butter. 1/4 cup of creamy almond butter, look for one with 2 ingredients and is runny. You can also use peanut butter.
- Vanilla. 2 tsp of vanilla are used to add flavor to the cake. It will also be used for the frosting.
- Carrots. 2 cups of finely grated carrots. These add so many incredible health benefits and are a main component of the carrot cake.
- Walnuts. 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts. These add great texture in flavor to the cake. You can also use chopped pecans.
- Raisins. 2/3 cup of organic raisins. You can leave these out if you aren’t a fan of raisins.
- Dairy free cream cheese. In order to keep this dairy free and paleo, we will use a dairy free cream cheese for the frosting. I love Kitehill or Miyokos. Another option is Green Valley Lactose free. You can use regular cream cheese if dairy isn’t an issue.
- Powdered sugar. 1 cup of paleo powdered sugar. If you aren’t paleo you can use regular powdered sugar.
- Butter. Melted, grass-fed butter is used in the frosting. It is considered okay in moderation for paleo. You can also use grass-fed ghee.
How to Make Paleo Carrot Cake
Step 1
Preheat oven and prep pan. Preheat oven to 350F and grease 8×8 inch glass pan.
Step 2
Mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Step 3
Mix together wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter. Add in pumpkin and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Step 4
Combine all ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir well. Then stir in carrots, raisins, and walnuts and then divide the batter between the two pans.
Step 5
Bake the paleo carrot cake. Bake for 34-36 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover halfway through with aluminum foil if getting dark. Let completely cool before frosting.
Step 6
Make the frosting. While the cake is baking, prepare frosting. Using a hand mixer, blend together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until creamy. Chill in fridge.
Step 7
Frost the cake. Once the paleo carrot cake has completely cooled, frost with the dairy free cream cheese frosting.
Step 8
Serve & enjoy! Once the cake is frosted, cut into slices and enjoy! Top with cinnamon for a little extra oomph.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you let the cake fully cool completely before icing. If you don’t wait the frosting will start to melt and won’t spread as easily.
- This cake is best with cream cheese frosting. To keep the frosting paleo and dairy free use a dairy free cream cheese like Kitehill or Miyokos.
- When making the paleo carrot cake squeeze out all moisture from grated carrots. To do this, place grated carrots on paper towels. Wring out all liquid. Then, add grated carrots to cake batter.
- To test doneness, insert toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, remove cake from oven.
- Make sure to grease the pan or line with parchment paper to easily remove the cake.
- Use room temp ingredients: be sure to let the eggs come to room temperature before using them in the recipe, otherwise the coconut oil will coagulate the batter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this paleo carrot cake into muffins?
Yes absolutely! Just bake in muffin tin and leave off the frosting. If you want cupcakes bake in a muffin tin and add the frosting.
Can I make this cake vegan?
I haven’t tried making this healthy carrot cake vegan, but if you want to try you can use 4 flax eggs (4 tablespoons flaxseed meal + 12 tablespoons water). Let me know in the comments how it works out!
How do I store this cake?
Store the leftover carrot cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
What else can I add in?
Some great add ins for this paleo carrot cake would be shredded coconut and diced pineapple.
You May Also Like
- Macadamia Nut Brownies
- Bone Broth Hot Chocolate
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes
- Dark Chocolate Tahini No Bake Bites
- Flourless Peanut Butter Pumpkin Muffins
Paleo Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp dried ginger
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
- ⅔ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅔ cup raisins
Frosting
- 2 8 oz packages dairy free cream cheese
- 1-1½ cup paleo powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease 8×8 inch glass pan (and had some extra to make into cupcakes! You can also use two 8 inch circle pans for a double layer cake)
- In a small bowl, mix almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with maple syrup, coconut oil, almond butter. Add in pumpkin and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir well.
- Stir in carrots, raisins, and walnuts and then divide the batter between the two pans.
- Bake for 34-38 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cover halfway through with aluminum foil if getting dark.
- While baking, prepare frosting. Using a hand mixer, blend together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until creamy. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Let cakes cool completely before frosting, the icing will melt into the cakes if not completely cool. You can frost it however you want and there will be enough if you want to cover the entire cake in frosting.
Notes
- Make sure you let the cake fully cool completely before icing. If you don’t wait the frosting will start to melt and won’t spread as easily.
- This cake is best with cream cheese frosting. To keep the frosting paleo and dairy free use a dairy free cream cheese like Kitehill or Miyokos.
- When making the paleo carrot cake squeeze out all moisture from grated carrots. To do this, place grated carrots on paper towels. Wring out all liquid. Then, add grated carrots to cake batter.
- To test doneness, insert toothpick into the cake. If it comes out clean, remove cake from oven.
- Make sure to grease the pan or line with parchment paper to easily remove the cake.
- Use room temp ingredients: be sure to let the eggs come to room temperature before using them in the recipe, otherwise the coconut oil will coagulate the batter.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp or in the fridge for 4-5 days.
I tried this recipe when I needed a gluten- and dairy-free version of carrot cake. It’s now become my go-to carrot cake! There’s no reason to go with traditional recipes loaded with oil and sugar. This recipe has the rich flavors you want with a carrot cake without the unhealthy baggage. It makes it easy (and guilt-free) to have another piece!
Thank you for your sweet comment! I’m so happy you love this carrot cake as much as I do!