This deliciously soft and moist frosted carrot cake is the only keto carrot cake recipe you will ever need.
I’ve been getting a ton of reader requests to come up with an easy and secretly keto carrot cake recipe that’s perfect for Easter or any time you’re craving 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’re 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.
*The monkfruit sweetener is 15% off this week only if you use the discount code katie15.
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
Above, watch the keto carrot cake recipe video
Keto Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 4 cups fine almond flour (a nut-free version is linked above)
- 1/2 cup granulated sweetener – we used and recommend Lakanto Classic Monkfruit for best results
- 1 cup shredded carrot, packed
- 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
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
More Keto Cake Ideas
Colleen says
WOW that carrot cake looks just like regular flour and sugar carrot cake! My parents are watching their carb intake (not 100 percent keto but we are trying to eat as keto friendly as possible). This is going to be perfect for Easter. I’ve already put all the ingredients on my shopping list 🙂
Karen says
I made it last night. VERY moist and everyone loved it! My teenage son had seconds 😂
Katy says
I am absolutely making this for Easter dessert. Thank you so much for all the keto recipes!
Nina says
Love this! What a perfect springtime cake.
Patricia says
I do have to be egg free, but that is a lot of flax egg! Have you tried it that way in using flax egg? just concerned about the rise without real eggs.
Eva V. says
I’ve made her chocolate keto cake recipe with flax eggs and it works well. It’s a double layer, so it doesn’t really need to rise much and it still looks good in the end!
Eva V. says
I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this cake! I’ve made your chocolate keto cake twice and both times even the non low carb folks loved it. Please keep the sugar free recipes coming, they are very much appreciated!
Sharon says
I’m going to buy the monkfruit on Amazon because I don’t want to have to buy $75 worth of sugar to get free shipping. Is there a way to use your discount on Amazon if I buy from the same company?
Julia says
I saw the granulated one at wegmans yesterday after seeing Katie’s post, so I just bought it there, along with everything else needed for the recipe. Going to make this today! I’ll comment again after I do😄🥳
Sheriff Saani says
Waiting for your comment…….
Margaret says
Just purchased on amazon. TY for this suggestion!
Sherri says
Costco has a huge bag cheaper than anywhere that I’ve seen. They also have a large bag of ultra fine blanched almond flour cheaper also
H. says
Sugar free carrot cake never looked so good! I’m trying to follow a keto diet and am going to make this for me and my MIL (who is also on the diet) so that we can all enjoy the same Easter dessert together this year with the rest of the family.
We love your recipes (especially the keto muffins). As others have said, thank you so much for providing these recipes. Now if you could come up with some keto cinnamon rolls 😉
Jennifer Mason says
Thank you!!!!!!!! I was one of the ones asking for this!
Caroline says
This carrot cake turned out SO well. I used fine blanched almond flour, the sweetener you recommended, and a frosting recipe from a different blog.
The cake was so moist and soft you would never know there isn’t real flour in there. One of my favorite keto desserts I’ve tried so far!
Jennifer says
What frosting recipe did you use ?
Butter says
It looks amazing! May I ask, what is the difference between using erythritol and monk fruit? I noticed Katie recommended erythritol in previous recipes, but this one calls for monk fruit! Thanks in advance ^_^
CCK Media Team says
We had just never tried the monk fruit blend before, which is why her previous recipes called for plain erythritol. The Lakanto blend has less of a cooling taste, and monk fruit is not a sugar alcohol.
Butter says
Thanks for the reply! I was worried about the cooling taste since it was a bit strong the last time I tried monk fruit sweetener. Is it still very noticeable after baking?
Lisa says
The monk fruit sweeteners still have erithritol in it as an ingredient, just less of it; therefore you get less of that weird cooling taste than a straight erithritrol sweeteber.
Elyse says
We had an early Easter celebration this past weekend because our family was able to all be together for the first time in close to a year.
My sister made this flourless carrot cake for dessert because we have a diabetic in the family as well as many of us who are interested in keto or low sugar recipes for health reasons.
It came out perfectly and was a wonderful way to celebrate being together and better times to come. Thank you for this wonderful recipe from my whole family.
Alyssa says
Is it supposed to read 2 teaspoons baking powder? 2 Tablespoons seems like a lot.
Mo says
We used the full 2 tbsp, and it worked out fine.
Kayla says
This carrot cake was exactly as described. I’m new to a keto diet so I bought the exact sugars you used and followed the instructions to a T to make sure mine turned out like yours.
I am a very happy customer!
Kyna says
Did not like this. The cake tasted just like a keto cornbread I made a few weeks ago. Really wanted to like this but, don’t recommend if you want more of a real carrot cake taste.
Mo says
Cake should not be overly sweet. That’s why you add the frosting so it tastes less like a muffin and more like a dessert. We did add frosting and it tasted almost identical to regular carrot cake, just with a little bit of a different texture.
Mo says
We followed the recipe and this was delicious. Thank you!!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it 🙂
Anne says
What if you use Swerve instead of Lakanto? How to the measurements convert? Thanks.
Lisa says
Same measurements, swerve just has more erithritol, therefore more of that weird cooling taste.
Sarah says
This cake is moist! I would add less salt next time I make it and I highly recommend using the suggested sugar or just regular sugar if you can spare the carbs . This was very easy to make and delicious despite the salty taste.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making it! Definitely feel free to cut back on the salt to taste, as it is only there for flavor so the amount can be changed as desired 🙂
Kady says
This keto carrot cake is AMAZING! I had non-keto eaters turning down store bought carrot cake to eat this version instead! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ve made it 5 times in past two months (by request!) and it’s gone within 2 days!
CCK Media Team says
Thank YOU so much for making it 🙂
Ally says
How would you make this cake more fluffy?
Alana says
My g’ma used to make the best Carrot Cake and I’ve been wanting to make one but because it’s so unhealthy I just thought I’d never have carrot cake again. Then I saw this Keto Carrot Cake recipe from Katie. I made it last night and oh my goodness it came out perfect!! Now I can enjoy carrot cake again without all the junk and guilt but still feel like I’m eating my g’ma’s carrot cake! Thank you @ChocolateCoveredKatie
Ellie North says
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.
Cj says
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. 🙂
Marilyn says
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 .
Cheri says
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
CCK Media Team says
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.
Cheri says
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
Jean J says
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!
Joey Agbayani says
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.
CCK Media Team says
Hi! We’d go with the skewer or toothpick method 🙂
Sally says
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!
CCK Media Team says
Hi, yes better to fridge because of the perishable ingredients. The cake should keep around 4 days. You can definitely freeze slices 🙂
Alena says
Could crushed pineapple be added?
Lenore Howard says
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
CCK Media Team says
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!
Diana says
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.
ChefK says
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?
CCK Media Team says
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 🙂
ChefK says
Thanks much! Looking forward to the new post.
Tracey says
What are the nutrition counts on this recipe? In particular, the carbs? I know carrots have a higher carb count then a lot of other vegetables. Also, the sugar substitutes still have carbs in them. Just wondering what we’re looking at per slice. My husband used to love carrot cake, before starting keto. Would love to make this for him. But he will not eat it if the carb count is too high.
CCK Media Team says
Hi! Full nutrition facts are linked at the bottom of the recipe box under the ingredients/instructions 🙂
Dana says
I made this dessert for Easter to have a low sugar option on the table. IT WAS AMAZING! I was suprised how moist it was and how well the cake rised. I’ve made almond flour cakes before, but this one was the best! I only had one cup (actually a bit less) of the swerve powerdered sugar (sugar free subsitute) but it was still sweet enough. I will definitely star this recipe and make again. (I even hid the last piece for me to eat!!)
Maria says
Loved this keto carrot cake, it was moist and delicious. Loved the frosting too.
Sophia Robinson says
It came out good I wish I did 1 cup instead of 2 cups of sugar for the icing.
Sandra says
This is the best carrot cake recipe I’ve ever tried. My husband (not on a keto diet) loved it too!
Irene Collini says
how long to bake for if you make them into mini cupcakes or just regular cupcakes