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This Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf is perfect for spring! It’s naturally sweetened, spiced with a dash of cinnamon, moist, and tender, and topped with a light and sweet maple glaze.
Easy Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe
It’s no surprise to anyone that I love carrot cake—as demonstrated by my Carrot Cake Baked Oats, Healthy Carrot Zucchini Bars, Healthy Carrot Muffins, Gluten-Free Carrot Sheet Cake, and Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Cookies.
This Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf is a new favorite carrot cake-inspired recipe. It’s made using a gluten-free and paleo-friendly blend of almond and coconut flour, so moist, naturally sweetened with honey and applesauce, and topped with a simple and sweet maple glaze.
This delicious and healthy carrot cake recipe is loaded with carrots and optional add-ins like raisins, nuts, or chocolate. It’s a sweet treat that everyone will love!
Bonus: it’s made in just one bowl for easy cleanup!
Is Carrot Cake Healthier than Chocolate Cake?
This carrot cake definitely is better for you than a regular chocolate cake. Not only does it have carrots in it, which are packed with nutrients, it’s also naturally sweetened, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly. Nothing unhealthy here!
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs: Binds everything together so the loaf can hold its shape.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce is a great way to add moisture and a little natural sweetness to the bread.
- Honey: Our other natural sweetener of choice.
- Oil: Use avocado or melted coconut oil to add moisture to the bread. Avocado oil will have a more neutral flavor while coconut oil will have a subtle coconut flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor depth and warmth.
- Flour: We’re using a blend of almond flour and coconut flour to give the loaf its structure and keep it gluten-free.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: We’re using both leavening agents to make sure we get a light and fluffy texture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a touch of sweet spice.
- Salt: A pinch of fine sea salt cuts the sweetness and enhances the flavors in the bread.
- Carrots: You’ll need about 2 medium carrots, grated so they incorporate well into the batter.
- Optional Glaze: If you want, you can whip up a simple glaze using organic powdered sugar, maple syrup, almond milk, and optional maple extract for a little extra maple flavor.
Optional Add-Ins
- Raisins: Turns out, carrots and raisins are a delicious combination. A handful of raisins adds some extra sweetness and a delicious chewy bite.
- Chocolate Chips: You can’t go wrong with a scoop of mini chocolate chips.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans adds the perfect crunch in each bite.
How to Make Healthy Carrot Cake
This delicious carrot cake loaf takes just 10 minutes to prep!
- Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, honey, oil, and vanilla. Add in flours, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined, then fold in carrots and other add-ins if using.
- Bake and cool: Pour the batter into a parchment-lined loaf pan, smooth over the top, then bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Add the glaze: In a bowl, whisk together all of the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over the top of the cooled loaf, then slice and serve.
Is Butter or Oil Better for Carrot Cake?
While that depends on the recipe, I definitely recommend oil in this recipe. It keeps the gluten free carrot cake even more moist than butter does, so the texture stays deliciously tender longer!
How Do You Keep a Gluten-Free Cake Moist?
There are a couple things we’re doing to make sure our gluten-free carrot cake stays nice and moist!
- Adding moisture to the batter: We’re adding plenty of moisture to the batter using applesauce and oil. The carrots add moisture too!
- Baking just the right amount: Take the loaf out the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Over-baking can cause it to dry out pretty quick.
- Storing in an airtight container: If you have leftovers, make sure they are stored either in an airtight ziplock bag or container at room temperature. This preserves the moist texture the best.
Tips and Notes
- Line the loaf pan. I recommend lining the loaf pan with a parchment paper sling. This makes it so much easier to lift the loaf out after its done baking.
- Don’t swap the flours. I don’t recommend using any flours in place of the almond and coconut flour. This recipe is designed for those specific flours and the amount of moisture they absorb. Other ones won’t work the same.
- Check for doneness. After 45 minutes, stick a toothpick into the center of a loaf. If it comes out clean, then it’s ready to go.
- Cool before glazing. Make sure the carrot cake is completely cooled before you add any glaze. If it’s too warm, it will become runny and melt off.
- If you want to skip the glaze, it’s delicious without it too. You could also try the glaze we use on our cinnamon roll overnight French toast bake.
How to Store
Leftover healthy carrot cake will last in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge because it is more likely to dry out.
For longer storage, you can wrap the loaf tightly and store it in the freezer (without the glaze) for 2-3 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply thaw it at room temperature!
More Carrot Recipes You’ll Love
- Honey Glazed Carrots
- Healthy Carrot Muffins (Gluten-Free and Nut-Free)
- Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies (With Maple Glaze)
- Carrot Cake Baked Oats
- Healthy Carrot Zucchini Bars
Watch the Video Here:
Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup cup honey
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups 200 grams almond flour
- 2 tablespoons 15 grams coconut flour
- 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup grated carrots from about 2 medium carrots
Optional Add-ins:
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans chopped
- Glaze:
- ½ cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons almond milk
- ½ teaspoon maple extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 8″x5″ loaf pan with a parchment paper sling.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, honey, oil, and vanilla until combined. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk until fully combined.
- Fold in carrots and any optional add-in’s.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool the loaf cool completely.
- To make the optional glaze: Whisk all ingredients together. If the glaze is too thick you can add a tablespoon more almond milk at a time until it has reached the desired consistency.
Notes
- Looking for a glaze made without refined sugar? Check out the glaze used in this recipe.
Do you take it straight out of the bread pan or wait until it has cooled? It worked well, lovely texture but mine sank in the middle. Do you have any tips?
First paleo recipe that I tried out today. Was very easy to make and it came out perfect. Very pleased!! 🙂
Just baked this…delicious!
Made 12 muffins. Added only Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. Thanks, Lexi, for another yummy and easy recipe.
Amazing recipe! I am so happy with the way it came out and my kids loved it as well, thank you!
Just wanted to say it that I’ve just made this cake and it’s delicious.
Lexi
I am allergic to coconut is there a substitute I can replace the flour for? I seen the comment where you said add more apple sauce to replace the oil.
My batter turned out really crumbly and never really melded together it kinda just baked in to dry crumbles… any ideas?
Did you make any changes to the recipe Josie?
how many servings is this carrot loaf? I was going to track it on weight watchers…I’m excited to make it! Thanks…
I just wanted to confirm that you are using a standard loaf pan (9×5) as opposed to a smaller pan (7.5×3.5-ish) that I have seen used in a lot of paleo/GF bread recipes… thanks!
Either one!
Do you think I could sub half a ripe banana for the honey? I’m on a no sugar challenge for Lent but I am dying for a baked good!
I have no idea since I haven’t tried that in this recipe. Let us know if you do and have success!
Thankyou for this wonderful carrot cake recipe! Tastes great! It took about 45minutes to cook in my oven. I added raisins & chopped pecans to mixture & it gave it a great texture!
This bread was fantastic!! definitely making it again
This bread was fantastic!! definitely making it again
Holy moly this is a deliciously moist and great tasting loaf! So I gave it another shot, no substitutions. Followed it to a T and will make again. Thank you.
Coming back to report that my family LOVES this recipe! My husband – who rarely requests anything in particular – has asked me to make this again! I’m making two loaves to attempt to make it through a few days! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi I was just wondering what size pan you made this in, a 9 inch or 8? I am making it today:)
i just attempted this. I subsituted coconut flour for the almond flour. And my batter is not wet at all. It’s grainy .. Help please! Lol. Is there any way to salvage this mess I have made
You cannot sub coconut flour for almond flour. It’s a totally different flour that requires much more liquid. Will not make the same recipe!
Tastes amazing but is taking a lot linger than 25 minutes. Going on 45 minutes now.
Tried it, new to Paleo and I think it didnt really go well. I didnt have almond flour so I used almond miel (or acctualy I just used a blender to refine some almond slices). I also grinded the carrots into a full mash. Ended up with a dry “too almondy” loaf. Wondering if it was because of the “self made almond miel or the too fine carrot mash? Would love to try the receipe again but what to do different? Did you just grind the carrots how ruffly? Ps. Sorry for my bad english :/
Hi Merit – I’ll try to answer your question if possible… The carrots should be grated on a grater and when baked into the cake so you will see flecks of thin carrot in the bread. It almost sounds like you didn’t have enough moisture in your batter – I would of thought the carrot mash would of helped w that. Almond flour – try to see if you can find an actual package of almond flour to make it easier on your self. Loom in the health food area of your grocery store or possibly look for a natural health store. If they don’t have it see if they will order some in for you.
your English was just fine and easily understood. 🙂
Sorry – its Meri (spell check changed your name)
I’m wondering if you need to adjust baking time & liquids for your altitude? Maybe that would help w the dryness?
This look delicious!! Can this be made into muffins? Just reduce the cooking time?
Yes, I think some readers have said they’ve made it into muffins!