When I posted a keto cream cheese frosting recipe, and mentioned that I had plans to use it more, I got so many recipe requests — and many readers asked for the exact recipe I was planning: Almond flour keto carrot cake! With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how to make sugar-free carrot cake. It makes such a wonderful spring dessert after a main dish like glazed keto ham! Whether it’s still cold where you live or already starting to warm up, save or bookmark this low carb keto carrot cake recipe. It’s good enough to share with the whole family, even if they aren’t low carb or on the keto diet. Try it for Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, or any birthday coming up!
Is Carrot Cake Keto?
No, traditional carrot cake is made with flour and sugar and fruit and frosting… definitely not keto! Luckily, you can make a lower carb version. This low carb keto sugar-free carrot cake is made with keto alternatives like monk fruit, allulose, almond flour, and other swaps so that we can have our cake and eat it too.
Ingredients For Almond Flour Carrot Cake
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for sugar-free carrot cake with almond flour, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – All the sweetness of sugar, without all the carbs — plus, it keeps this cake soft and moist. You could also use another granulated sugar substitute, like erythritol or allulose, but check my sweetener conversion chart.Butter – I prefer to use grass fed butter for best flavor and nutrition, but feel free to use your preferred type. It provides the best flavor, and creaming the butter with sweetener creates air pockets. You can still do this with coconut oil for dairy-free cake, but I like the result best with butter.
Blackstrap Molasses – I used a tiny bit of blackstrap molasses in this low carb low sugar carrot cake. It’s there for flavor, not sweetness, and does not add a significant amount of carbs per serving. But, if this is problematic, feel free to skip it.
Vanilla Extract – Use high quality vanilla for best flavor.Pineapple Extract – Pineapple flavor without the sugar and carbs! This tastes like the real thing and is a must.Eggs – Use whole, large eggs. Flax eggs may work as a substitute, but I haven’t tried it.Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – The best almond flour! It’s super-fine so it tastes and acts more like all-purpose flour. Coconut flour won’t work here, as the cake will get too dry, and almond meal won’t create the same consistency.Baking Powder – This helps the cake rise to be tall and fluffy. Don’t confuse this with baking soda, which is not the same.Cinnamon – For the perfect amount of spice. You can also add a dash of nutmeg if you like.Sea Salt – Balances out the sweetness.Shredded Carrots – You can’t make low carb carrot cake without some carrots! Grate them fresh — pre-shredded ones will be too dry for this cake. Carrots are not keto friendly on their own, but are fine to use in recipes like this one where the amount per serving will be very small.Chopped Pecans – Pecans are the traditional nut for carrot cake, but you could also use walnuts… or really any keto nuts you like.Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting – You’ll need two full batches of this frosting mix for layering and topping. The version I make is dairy-based, but you can easily swap it with any frosting you like.
How To Make Sugar-Free Carrot Cake
This section shows how to make almond flour carrot cake, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
Store: If you’re not ready to serve your sugar-free carrot cake right away, gently cover it and refrigerate it. It’s best within a day or two, but may last up to a week.Freeze: Wrap cake tightly with plastic wrap and store in freezer for 2-3 months.Serve: Enjoy keto low carb carrot cake right away for best flavor.
More Low Carb Cake Recipes
If you like this sugar-free carrot cake recipe, you might also like some of these other cake recipes: Pineapple extract is optional because it might be a little harder to find, but if you can get it, it’s so good! I included it because many traditional carrot cake recipes include crushed pineapple, and this was a great way to get the same flavor without the carbs. Make sure the carrots are just loosely packed when measuring, don’t cram them into the measuring cup or you’ll end up with too much. You don’t really need to drain them, but if they are very wet and oozing water, give them a squeeze first. Otherwise, it will be difficult to spread. You can always thin it out with a little heavy cream if needed. You can find that version in my Easy Keto Cookbook. Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it! Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 of entire recipe
