The Healthiest Carrot Cake You’ve Never Tasted
This healthful carrot cake is unlike any other you’ve ever had. It’s crafted using flour derived from almonds and coconuts and organically sweetened with maple syrup. It’s loaded with wholesome ingredients like coconut, raisins, and pecans and adorned with a delectable, dairy-free cream cheese frosting! You won’t like carrot cakes again after trying this paleo-friendly, gluten-free version.
All of my recipes that have a carrot cake flavour may be found in one comprehensive post.
Most of you know that I adore making special occasion cakes from scratch. Some of my favourites include my strawberry shortcake cake, my peanut butter banana cake, my tahini chocolate chip cake, my paleo chocolate cake, and many more.
Making a gluten-free, paleo-friendly carrot cake seemed like a no-brainer, so I set out to create the ideal dessert for spring and Easter. To make it healthier, I used grain-free, nutrient-dense flours, natural, unrefined sugars, and a few more secret ingredients that nevertheless kept it moist and flavorful, just like the classic carrot cake.
You will never taste a healthier carrot cake than this one.
Ingredients for a delicious and nutritious gluten-free carrot cake
There are a few unusual ingredients needed for this healthy carrot cake, but believe me when I tell you, it will be the most delicious carrot cake you’ve ever had. This is all that is required:
Flour made from blanched almonds: the best variety is a quality variety. The almond flour should be packed like brown sugar.
For gluten-free recipes that call for flour that can soak up liquids while also adding fibre and nutrients, try coconut flour. The coconut flour doesn’t need to be packed, though.
The texture of this cake would not be complete without finely shredded unsweetened coconut. Please don’t omit the shredded coconut; it is essential for texture, and I couldn’t have prepared it without it.
Spices: cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg are essential components of any carrot cake.
Vanilla extract is a must-have.
This recipe uses four eggs to aid with texture and consistency. I have included some notes below for anyone interested in incorporating vegan options.
Wow, pure maple syrup. Words fail me. The syrup enhances the recipe with its delightful flavour and generous moisture.
Although there is only a small amount of tahini, it is essential to the dish. Although cashew or almond butter would work just as well, nothing beats tahini for its incredible flavour and distinctively drippy texture. Do as I say and bake the cake anyway!
Coconut oil: Melted butter is an alternative to coconut oil that you can use if you like.
Any non-dairy milk will do in place of almond milk.
The recipe calls for three cups of grated carrots. I prefer to use a small or medium grate while making carrot cakes.
Adding chopped pecans or walnuts and raisins is one of my favourite mix-ins!
Recipe for Paleo Carrot Cake
You can easily make this carrot cake dairy-free and paleo-friendly by using dairy-free cream cheese and paleo-friendly powdered sugar. Another option is to use icing from Simple Mills.
Can I make this cake vegan?
While I haven’t experimented with vegan versions of this nutritious carrot cake, you might try substituting four tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 12 tablespoons of water to make it vegan. If it works, please let me know in the comments!
Could I use regular flour instead?
If you use all-purpose flour or any other type of flour in this recipe, the texture and consistency of the carrot cake will be altered. I would advise against it.
A platform for a gluten-free carrot cake
Helpful hints for whipping up this gluten-free carrot cake
Apply medium-sized shredded carrots. Grate the carrots by hand or use the grate blade on your food processor.
Encase the almond flour. Almond flour should be packed in the same way as brown sugar, but coconut flour should not be packed.
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding them to the recipe; otherwise, the coconut oil will cause the batter to thicken. You want the coconut oil to be melted, not melting hot, but around the temperature of room temperature.
Get a jump start on making it. Even if made 1–2 days in advance, the cake will retain all of its deliciousness.
spatula for serving, removing a slice of nutritious carrot cake from its display cake
Tips for making stunning icing
Healthy carrot cake icing is a breeze when you follow these two techniques, even if frosting an entire cake might seem like an impossible task:
Allow the frosting to cool completely. Be careful to wait until the cakes cool entirely before icing them, as instructed. I suggest putting frosted carrot cakes in the fridge to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
Execute a crumb coat. First, frost the layers as usual. Then, use a very thin layer of frosting to coat the outside of the cake. Chill it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before finishing the frosting. This will create a crumb coat. That way, instead of your primary layer of icing, the crumbs will attach to this one.
Tips for preserving and thawing this nutritious carrot cake
The ability to prepare this nutritious carrot cake recipe up to two or three days in advance is one of its greatest advantages. You can store it after frosting the cake, but making the cakes ahead of time and storing them in the fridge makes assembly much easier.
For storage, keep the cake covered in the fridge for no more than five days.
This carrot cake, adorned or unadorned, can be frozen for up to two months. The best results will be achieved by freezing it unfrosted in separate layers. Before putting the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag, wrap each layer separately with plastic wrap and then with aluminium foil. A simple overnight defrost in the fridge will do the trick. Then, bring the cake to room temperature before cutting into it.
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