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I made my first carrot cake a few Thanksgivings ago because it’s a favorite for two of my favorite people: my husband and mother! This cake was super moist and delicious, but it had more than 74g of net carbs per slice, which is the equivalent of like 4 days of carbs for most keto and low-carb folks (yikes)!
For my husband’s birthday, I made some swaps and changes to the original recipe to create the best low carb, carrot cake! Being honest, this cake was super moist and delicious and tasted very close to the original. An added bonus of this low carb carrot cake remake was that it only had about 7g of net carbs per slice – a real win! I’m sharing this recipe for all of the carrot cake lovers that are searching for grain-free, no-sugar-added, and low carb carrot cake alternatives.
This recipe makes a double layer, 9-in cake with enough frosting for decorations.
I had so much fun making this cake and tried to do a bit of decorating! Using green and orange food coloring, I attempted to make his cake look like I’ve seen in the store! I’m keeping one of the pictures here even though I’ve updated this post since because it makes me smile!
My attempt at decorating this cake for my husband’s birthday
What is included in this low carb carrot cake?
This cake includes almond flour and erythritol as substitutes for sugar and white flour. Sugar and white flour are two of the quickest ways to add carbs to a dessert recipe. It also includes carrots, pineapples, and raisins, which some might argue are foods to avoid on keto. While I agree and aim to limit the number of carrots, pineapples, and raisins that I eat, this recipe focuses on reducing carbs to have the best low carb and keto-friendly replacement for carrot cake.
How many servings are in this cake?
This is a double-layer, 9-inch cake with the ability to serve between 16-30 slices. I was able to get 20 slices from this cake by cutting it into quarters, then cutting 5 slices into each section. If you want to get 28-30 slices, then you’ll have to cut this cake into smaller square-like sections.
The nutrition facts are for 20 slices.
Is this almond flour cake keto-friendly?
Yes! Cuts Carbs & Sugar
Yes. This cake cuts carbs and sugar by using almond flour and erythritol (keto-friendly substitutes). It also has 8g net carbs a slice. Since keto is a metabolic state and not a food, then this cake is keto.
Remember, this is a treat!
With that said, this cake is a treat and should be enjoyed in moderation. Personally, I make this cake twice a year – my husband’s birthday and Thanksgiving.
What about the carrots, pineapple & raisins?
I modified an existing recipe that I love to make a low carb, grain-free version of carrot cake that was better for me. The changes included using No Sugar Added, unprocessed fruits. You can choose to omit pineapple & raisins if you choose.
Do you have to make Keto Carrot Cake in the oven?
No! In fact, one recipe that I’ve been meaning to try out is this Keto Instant Pot Carrot Cake. This cake a bit smaller than the one I’m sharing. But, would be a perfect option, if you are not making a cake (as I was) to celebrate a birthday.
Want more keto & low carb dessert recipes? Try these:
Maple Pecan Keto Cinnamon Rolls
Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bites
Easy Keto Cheesecake Brownies
Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 2 scoops Collagen Peptides (Unflavored) or 1 tsp Xanthum Gum
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup MCT Oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol (Besti)
Filling Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup raisins no sugar added
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed pineapples (in juice) no sugar added
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1.5 cups Powdered Monk Fruit Erythritol (Besti)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
Tools I Used
- 2 9-inch 360 Cookware Stainless Steel Round Cake Pans 20% off + Free Shipping w/ DRDAVINAHS
- Grate and Prep Mixing Bowls
- 9-inch Round Parchment Paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk wet ingredients together in a large bowl (enough for the whole batter). Set aside.
- Mix the filling ingredients. Set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in with a spatula.
- Fold in the filling ingredients.
- Divide the batter into 9in cake pans. Slam the cake pans to level the batter.
- Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick or fork comes out clean (30-40 minutes). Allow to cool for 30 minutes (at least) before frosting.
- Mix all of the frosting ingredients in a stand-mixer (~3 minutes)
- Frost and design the cakes as you please.
Gemma says
Would I be able to use coconut oil instead of MTC?
Davinah says
Hi Gemma,
Absolutely! Just melt it first.
Thanks,
Davinah
Stacy says
Can the uneaten portion of this cake be frozen?
Davinah says
Absolutely! You can freeze the slices and simply take them out as you’d like to eat them.
Barbara says
Sugar means sugar alcohols right? From swerve?
Also how many servings?
Davinah says
Hi Barbara,
This recipe does not include added sugar so the sugar that you see in the nutrition facts is an estimate of the natural sugar that is included in things like carrots, raisins, and the pineapple.
This recipe has 16 servings since it’s a double layer 9-inch cake.
Thanks for asking,
Davinah