Best Healthy Low Sugar Carrot Cake

Why you'll love this recipe

• This low sugar carrot cake recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly and sweetened with natural sweetener. It's made with an almond flour and coconut flour mixture, keeping it free from refined white flour, all purpose flour, or whole wheat flours like whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour.
• The carrot cake batter is made dairy free by swapping greek yogurt for creamy tahini, maintaining a moist cake.
• This super moist healthy carrot cake recipe has melt-in-your-mouth texture from the finely grated carrots and a decadent tasting vegan frosting made from soaked cashews. Favorite dessert perfect for Easter, a Spring occasion like mother's day, birthday cake or any time of year you want delicious cake!
• With rich beta-carotene from the carrots, protein and dietary fiber from the almond and coconut flour, this gluten-free carrot cake will become your favorite healthy go-to cake recipe.

• Eggs: help with structure and moisture, especially important when using coconut flour. I have not tested this recipe with flax eggs to make it a vegan carrot cake.
• Pure maple syrup: adds natural sweetness and a nice maple flavor. You can substitute with honey in this carrot cake recipe. This cake has no refined sugar and only half a cup of natural sweetener makes this a great low-sugar carrot cake.
• Tahini: adds moisture, making this best healthy carrot cake creamy and rich tasting. Any creamy seed or nut butter will do, but tahini works really well in this recipe.
• Coconut oil and almond milk: adds moisture and keeps this healthy carrot cake recipe dairy free. Use any nut or seed milk.
• Shredded carrots: are the star of the show. I grate them on a box grater which is the perfect size and texture for the best carrot cake. Avoid using pre-shredded carrots as their texture is too coarse and don't taste as good.
• Almond flour and coconut flour: works well together giving the cake a moist and tender crumb. Make sure to choose almond flour and not almond meal which is much coarser.
• Unsweetened shredded coconut: adds a little texture. Make sure not to use desiccated coconut as it lacks moisture and may have a dryer mouth-feel in the cake.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger: give this favorite cake recipe the warm spices expected in this gluten-free carrot cake. Feel free to use a larger amount of cinnamon or only a little bit if you prefer.
• Chopped nuts: make a great add-in. I used pecans but you can also substitute in walnuts, sliced almonds, pistachios, or any nuts you like.
• Raw cashews and full-fat coconut milk: make a great base for a vegan cream cheese frosting. Make sure to soak the cashews up to 24 hours (the longer the better) to get a really smooth consistency when blended.

See recipe card for all ingredients and quantities.

Expert tips and variations

• Line pans - make sure to line pans with parchment paper or the cake may stick. Trace the outline of the pan with a pencil on the parchment and cut out three circles. I also like to use parchment strips to line the sides of the pans. Don't forget to grease the edges of the pan. Secure in place with a smear of coconut oil and a thin smear of coconut oil or olive oil where the parchment meets the batter.
• Freshly grated carrot - fresh grated carrot is best for uniform texture. I like to grate my carrots on the medium holes of a box grater. They grate nice and thinly and almost melt into the carrot cake. Pre-grated carrot is often thicker and course and will be noticeable in the finished cake.
• Use a kitchen scale - precisely measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale if you can. It's much more accurate when baking, especially with gluten-free ingredients. And, you'll have less dishes to clean.
• Try grated zucchini - try replacing half the carrots with grated zucchini or combine other spices such as allspice, cloves or pumpkin spice. You can top the cake with simple ingredients like chopped nuts, grated carrots, coconut flakes or a scrape of orange zest.