This Paleo Carrot Cake is easy to make and such a great spring or Easter treat! It has a great texture and flavor. Plus, it has a dairy-free cream cheese frosting that really makes this cake amazing!
Why You Will Love This Paleo Carrot Cake
First, it is a Paleo recipe. That means this cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, and grain-free. Also, I include a nut-free option for those who need it!
Second, the flavor and texture is spot on. When I first started eating Paleo, I tried a lot of sad dense or dry Paleo desserts. This is moist, light, and flavorful.
Third, it’s such a fun festive dessert. We can’t let an Easter go by without a carrot cake. This allergen-friendly cake keeps that tradition rolling without the gluten or dairy.
Fourth, my Paleo Carrot Cake is kid-approved! My boys are tough critics when it comes to taste testing. But all of them LOVED this cake, even those who really don’t love carrots.
Finally, it freezes great! Feel free to make a batch (or double batch) and stick it in the freezer in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Ingredients to Make Paleo Carrot Cake
- Almond flour – Almond flour helps give this cake bulk as well as a tenderness with it’s healthy fats. I prefer “super-fine” almond flour to get the best texture. I like this one from Blue Diamond I can get at Sam’s Club or Amazon. See substitutions below for nut-free option!
- Tapioca flour – Tapioca flour gives this cake a nice texture. Yes, you can substitute arrowroot, but tapioca will give it the best texture. Learn more about how Paleo flours behave and substitutions here. I get mine from the bulk bins at Winco. You can also find it easily on Amazon here.
- Coconut sugar – I get my coconut sugar most affordably from the bulk bins at Winco. When I buy it online, here (1.5 pounds) or here (5lbs, cheaper but in bulk) are the one I get from Amazon. I don’t recommend using just all maple syrup or all coconut sugar to sweeten this cake – you will not get the ideal flavor and density.
- Baking powder
- Salt – regular table salt
- Maple syrup – 100% pure maple syrup. You can sub honey if needed, but I prefer the results of maple syrup. I don’t recommend using just all maple syrup or all coconut sugar to sweeten this cake – you will not get the ideal flavor and density.
- Oil – Extra light tasting olive oil or avocado oil.
- Eggs – See substitution section for questions on making this egg-free.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon, from the spice aisle.
- Shredded carrots – I shred mine most easily in the food processor. I like a fine shred, if you have that on your food processor. With a medium shred on my food processor, I used the regular blade to cut it up a little finer, as the shreds were long and big. You can totally shred your carrots by hand with a box grater…it will just take a little while!
- Dairy-free Cream Cheese Frosting – You can make this from scratch (see recipe) or a store bought variety like this one from Miss Jones Bakes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
- Add the oil, eggs, and maple syrup and stir well by hand until combined. Then, stir in the shredded carrots.
- Spread evenly the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top firm to the touch.
- Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and cool in freezer for 1 hour. This is optional, but will not only help the cake cool more quickly but also stay more moist.
- Once cake is completely cooled, frost and serve.
- Cake can be stored in the fridge for a week and in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
- NUT-FREE: For a nut-free option, instead of the almond flour + tapioca flour, use only 2 cups cassava flour. Make sure to fluff the cassava flour with a fork before measuring and spoon into a measuring cup. This will help prevent using too much cassava flour, which will make the cake really dense.
- You can use granulated monk fruit sugar or other granulated sugar of choice instead of the coconut sugar.
- You can use honey instead of maple syrup, but I preferred the result of the maple syrup.
- EGG-FREE: Due to the complex nature of baking without gluten, I do not have an egg-free modification for this cake. Please drop a comment if you find one! Otherwise, I recommend you check out my friend Jean’s egg-free gluten-free carrot cake here.
Paleo Carrot Cake
A gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free option with an amazing texture and frosting.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 slices
Calories 451 kcal
1/2x1x2x3x
- 3 cups almond flour*
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup extra light tasting olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 large eggs*
- 3 cups shredded fresh carrots
- Dairy-free cream cheese frosting recipe below or store-bought
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
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Add the oil, eggs, and maple syrup and stir well by hand until combined. Then, stir in the shredded carrots.
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Spread evenly the cake batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top firm to the touch.
-
Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and cool in freezer for 1 hour. This is optional, but will not only help the cake cool more quickly but also stay more moist.
-
Once cake is completely cooled, frost and serve.
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Cake can be stored in the fridge for a week and in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
NOTE: Cake makes a 9×9 pan or a single 9″ circle round. If you want a double-layer cake, double the recipe.
SUBSTITUTIONS: See the blog post above if you need any substitutions to this recipe.
Nutritional information is based on the cake only. Add frosting of choice nutritional information to that.
Calories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 10gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 223mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 7189IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 2mg
Keyword dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, kid-friendly, paleo
Dairy-free Cream Cheese Frosting
An EASY delicious frosting that is dairy-free with Paleo and Keto options!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 1/4-cup servings
Calories 133 kcal
1/2x1x2x3x
- 4 oz dairy-free cream cheese Kite Hill and Violife (nut-free) are my favorites
- 1/2 cup soft vegan butter recommended for best flavor, but can use ghee
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 /12 – 5 cups powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit sugar (for Paleo or Keto)
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Make frosting by beating together cream cheese, ghee or vegan butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually add in powdered sugar until it reaches spreading consistency.
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If frosting is too dry or thick, add 1-2 tablespoons dairy-free milk. If it’s too thin, add another 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
Calories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 2gSodium: 187mgPotassium: 40mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.02mg
Keyword budget-friendly, dairy-free, dessert, easy, egg-free, gluten-free, keto, kid-friendly, nut-free, paleo