This carrot cake was a special request recipe, as I needed to bring a dessert to a family event. It is sugar free and mostly fruit sweetened. This carrot cake uses a coconut flour base and a dozen eggs, so it is quite protein dense and fairly nutritious for a dessert.
My kids actually enjoy this for breakfast, and I don’t mind giving it to them occasionally since it has so much protein.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe
A healthy carrot cake made with coconut flour and a lot of eggs for extra protein. Filling and delicious!
Ingredients
For cake:
- ½ cup raisins (or dates)
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ cup water (warm)
- 12 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (or applesauce)
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 2 TBSP cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cloves
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup coconut oil (or butter, melted)
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- 2 cups carrots (grated)
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup honey (optional)
For Icing:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup honey (or stevia taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the raisins or dates, coconut milk, and warm water and blend until smooth. This will create a sweet liquid base for the batter.
- Add eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth.
- Add pumpkin puree or applesauce and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a large bowl.
- Add coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix until well incorporated.
- Add melted coconut oil or butter and mix well.
- By hand, stir in crushed pineapple, grated carrot, shredded coconut, and honey if using. You can also wait and drizzle honey on top after baking.
- Add extra coconut milk or pineapple juice if needed to thin. It should be spreadable, not pourable.
- Spread batter in prepared pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 60-90 minutes, until middle is set and no longer soft. Coconut flour takes a while to bake, so be patient. You might also need to reduce heat and cook longer, depending on your oven.
- When done baking, remove and let cool.
For icing:
- Whisk together ingredients for icing and spread over cake just before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Make into muffins for a fun hand-held treat, just reduce cooking time accordingly!
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 30.5gProtein: 8.6gFat: 27.8gSaturated Fat: 20.6gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 271mgFiber: 8.5gSugar: 15.3g
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What’s your favorite cake? Have you made a healthy version yet?
Love your site and what you do for all of us. You’re soo appreciated in my life.
Just 2 corrections I happened to really notice.
11. let cool.
12. mix icing ingredients
Thanks for the catch. It’s corrected now 🙂
Katie,
Firstly, I love your site and what you do here. It’s been a tremendous help to me since I discovered I have PCOS, am Insulin Resistant, and am allergic to wheat. Thru your published research, links and interviews I’ve also found I’m in Adrenal Fatigue. Thank you for all you do for us!
Secondly, I’d love to make this recipe, but I’m allergic to pineapple. Not like my digestive upset wheat allergy, but a send-me-to-the-hospital-if-it-gets-anywhere-near-my-food/plate/mouth/prep-surface/etc. allergy. What could I use to replace the pineapple called for in this recipe? Or could I just leave it out?
Thanks again for all you do!!! Your site is a treasure, and so are you!!! (Don’t know what is do [or eat] without you and your site!)
I want to make this recipe into muffins or cupcakes as I am a single person. Does anyone know if they are freezable?
I a wondering if there is any way to substitute the pineapple or just remove it?
I can’t find an answer to this in the comments-I would also need to omit the pineapple because my son has an allergy. I’m sure it must be replaced with something for moistness? Suggestions?
This cake is fabulous and so moist. The frosting is amazing.
This looks wonderful! Can I make these into muffins? If so, is there anything you would change in the recipe or oven temperature changes? My son is highly allergic to almonds so this recipe is great that it only uses coconut flour????
While I love eggs! Have you ever tried reducing the number of eggs in this recipe to reduce the cost/amount of eggs needed? Just curious…..
What kind of coconut milk is this using? Canned or carton?
Homemade is best! Here’s the recipe: https://wellnessmama.com/2447/homemade-coconut-milk/. If you can’t do that, carton is better than canned… they line those cans with BPA!
I love carrot cake, I recently went less/no grain. I made this today for Mother’s Day, I loved it. Thanks for the recipe. I love your site. Thanks so much.
The best carrot cake I have ever had! Friends and family agree….I had to make it twice this week! I used organic grade b maple syrup instead of honey though…love it! Thanks!