This deliciously soft and moist frosted carrot cake is the only keto carrot cake recipe you will ever need.
Classic keto carrot cake
I’ve been getting a ton of reader requests to come up with an easy and secretly keto carrot cake recipe that is perfect for Easter or any time you crave carrot cake.
If you try today’s ultimate flourless two layer carrot cake, topped with a thick and creamy homemade cream cheese frosting, hopefully you will agree with everyone who’s tried it so far:
This recipe was absolutely worth the wait!
Also be sure to try these Keto Cookies
Sugar free carrot cake ingredients
What sweetener to use?
For the cake in the photos, I used Lakanto Classic Monkfruit.
If you are serious about wanting your keto baked goods to turn out well, I highly recommend using this as your sugar replacement, because it’s measured the same way as sugar and will give you very similar results in most recipes, without sacrificing any of the delicious taste or texture.
The zero calorie sweetener contains no net carbs, no artificial flavorings, and no sucralose or maltodextrin, with a zero rating on the glycemic index. It can work with ketogenic, low carb, diabetic, candida, paleo, vegan, low sugar, non-GMO, and all-natural diets.
What flour to use?
The recipe calls for finely ground almond flour, which isn’t really flour at all. It’s simply almonds that have been blended into a flour-like consistency.
For a cake made with regular flour, try this Vegan Carrot Cake.
I have not tried the keto recipe below with any flour other than almond and do not recommend subbing coconut flour unless you want to experiment by playing around with the other ingredients. (Coconut flour cannot usually be substituted 1-for-1 in a recipe calling for almond flour, because it soaks up liquid like a sponge.)
Keto cream cheese frosting
Feel free to frost the carrot cake with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting or with melted coconut butter. I used the following homemade frosting recipe:
- 8 oz cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
- 4 oz butter or vegan butter
- 2 cups powdered monkfruit (or powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Beat all ingredients until smooth, slowly adding a little milk of choice as needed.
Keto carrot cake cupcakes
If you want to make cupcakes instead of cake, simply halve the recipe below and bake in a lined muffin tin, or two mini muffin tins, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
It will take 10 minutes for mini carrot cake muffins or 15 minutes for regular ones. I prefer the mini ones because they have a lighter fluffy texture… and you can eat more of them!
For nut-free cupcakes, try these Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Keto carrot cake recipe video
Above, watch the stp by step recipe video
Keto Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups fine almond flour (a nut free version is linked above)
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener (I recommend Lakanto Monkfruit)
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 4 large eggs or flax eggs
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- optional 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, handful crushed walnuts, pinch cinnamon, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease two 8-inch pans and line with parchment. Stir all ingredients very well, then spread into the pans. (Watch the step-by-step recipe video above.) I've found that pressing down with a second sheet of parchment helps to get the batter evenly into the pans. Bake 20 minutes on the oven center rack. Make sure to let cool completely so the cakes don't break when you go around the sides with a knife and then pop out. Frost with your favorite icing or with the cream cheese frosting recipe I've included above. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Keto Cake Ideas
I know two people who adore carrot cake, but who do not eat because of its horrible high sugar content, so I made this for them. I only used confectioner’s sugar in the icing, and only 3/4 cup because that’s a horrifying amount of sugar for me since I am diabetic. I used almonds instead of walnuts because I didn’t have any, and I forgot to put vanilla in the batter. 🙃
It worked out beautifully, and it holds its shape wonderfully.
As a T1 diabetic, I use a mixture of allulose and bocha sweet. Both are natural sweeteners and no aftertaste. Allulose as been proven to actually lower your blood sugar. 🙂
Has anyone used coconut flour instead of almond flour in this recipe? Wondering if coconut flour would work.
Everyone in my family – even the ones who do not follow a Keto diet loved this cake.
My daughter who does follow Keto told me later that SWERVE has an icing sugar that I could have used to make the Cream Cheese Icing and that would have made the cake even better .
Hi Katie,
I give it a 5 star rating because it looks so yummy. I have no cake pans, so I’m wondering if it could be baked in a 9″13″ pan? If so, what would be the baking time?
Thank you
We don’t see why not! But we haven’t tried and so don’t know what the bake time would be. If you try it, be sure to report back! As for your other question, we also have never tried freezing the frosting and think you could as long as you didn’t mind if it wasn’t quite as creamy.
Katie,
I forgot to include another question in my last comment. The cream cheese frosting looks yummy. I was wondering if the frosting is freezer friendly?
Thank you
Made this a couple days ago and it was amazing! Used a little less sweetener in the frosting as that is how we like our treats. Definitely will make it again! Thanks for the recipe!
It is yummy. But I think I am over baking it. I used half recipe on two 6″ inch pans. Also, tried it on a single pan. I followed the rules on how to adjust time and temperature if the batter is deeper or shallower. How do you check the batter? If it bounces back, or if a skewer at the center comes out clean.
Hi! We’d go with the skewer or toothpick method 🙂
How long do these type of cakes keep fresh? And are they better in the fridge? I have to make in advance for an event. Or better to freeze etc? Thank you!
Hi, yes better to fridge because of the perishable ingredients. The cake should keep around 4 days. You can definitely freeze slices 🙂
Could crushed pineapple be added?
Hi Katie
Just checking on one of the ingredients. Was surprised to see what I read as 2 ‘tbsp’ (tablespoons?) of baking powder’. Is that correct as it seems quite a lot and when I licked the spoon, thought I could detect a baking powder aftertaste. Cheers, L
Hi, did you by chance use baking soda instead of baking powder? The recipe is correct and baking powder does not really have a flavor, but baking soda definitely does!
This is the first keto carrot cake I’ve ever tried making myself and it was just as good as real carrot cake! Didn’t need any frosting either.
I made the mini cupcakes – delicious! I and am curious what the nutrition breakdown is, specifically for calories, carbs, protein, fiber? How many minis make a regular size cupcake? 2 or 3?
Hi! We have not figured out nutrition facts for cupcakes BUT Katie is going to publish a keto carrot cake cupcake recipe hopefully next week and that one will have nutrition facts. So we will have them soon 🙂
Thanks much! Looking forward to the new post.