This gluten free carrot cake is the best! Moist, fluffy and deliciously spiced! It’s so easy to make from scratch with wholesome, clean eating ingredients. The perfect healthy treat for Easter, Mother’s Day or an ordinary weekday!
I’m not trying to brag, but I am telling you, this gluten-free carrot cake is the BEST – I feel the same way about my carrot cake oatmeal muffins, but I’ll save that for another day!
Up until today, my banana bread has always been my favorite (although it’s not gluten-free), but we now have competition, my friends, because this recipe is just that good.
It’s moist. It’s fluffy. And you would never know that it’s free of grains and refined sugars.
What Flour Should You Use
The secret to gluten and grain free baking is all about the flour.
I have discovered that the combination of almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour, creates a moist and delicious base for breads and cakes.
I have tried to avoid this truth by making baked goods with just one of these three flours, and while sometimes this works out, the taste and texture that can be achieved by using a combination of all three is unbeatable.
How To Make Gluten Free Carrot Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with coconut oil.
- Grate carrots using the large holes on a box grater.
- Toss almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and all spice together.
- Combine eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.
- Transfer batter to greased pan and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Cool and add the icing (if using). Enjoy!
Tips
- This cake can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and it will still be wonderful!
- You can grate the carrots in a food processor with the grated blade, or you can use a hand grater.
- Feel free to make this cake without the nuts and raisins, if you’re not a fan of one or both.
- Wait until the cake cools completely before adding the icing. Once it is frosted, I recommend storing the carrot cake in the fridge for optimal freshness.
- If you’re not into frostings or if you don’t have the ingredients on hand, try the cake as-is without any frosting at all. Or, sift a little bit of powdered sugar on top.
You will love this incredibly moist and easy gluten free carrot cake recipe with ultra-creamy cream cheese frosting. It’s simple to make from scratch with wholesome ingredients and tastes incredible! Perfect for any celebratory occasions or an ordinary weekday!
More Gluten Free Baked Goodies
- Blueberry Lemon Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chunky Monkey Muffins
Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below. And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FaceBook for more healthy food inspiration!
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon all spice
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
For the icing
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease an 8x8" baking dish with coconut oil, butter, or cooking spray.
- Grate carrots using the large holes on a box grater, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and all spice. Gently toss everything together.
- In a separate bowl combine eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until all of the ingredients are just incorporated.
- Stir in raisins, carrots and walnuts.
- Transfer batter to greased pan and pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Cool completely.
For the icing
- Combine yogurt, cream cheese and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl and mix well with a hand mixer. Be sure to get out all the lumps and bumps, mixing until you have a smooth creamy icing.
- Spoon over the top of the cooled carrot cake and spread into an even layer.
- Serve and enjoy!
Comments
Naomi Davidson says
I have a question.Noticed you use maple syrup in alot of your recipes as a sweetener.I was just wondering why you chose this sweetner.
Samudra Præstholm says
Hello Dani
Today I am making your Carrot cake. Hope it’ll be delicious
Dani says
Hi Samudra! I hope you enjoy it.
Thuvaraka says
Hello Dani
I love carrots but I never tried carrot cake before I have eaten my favourite unhealthy chocolate cake even my birthaday. I will try this gluten free carrot cake. Can you make the Gluten Free Chocolate Cake,please?
Dani says
Enjoy the recipe! I’ll have to experiment with making a chocolate version:)
Kim Hefley says
How do I figured out how much Bob’s flour blend to use instead of three separate flours?
Dani says
That’s a good question Kim and I sadly don’t know the answer. Not so sure it would be an even swap. I would have to experiment a bit to know for sure.
Y Miller says
You are not playing ! This is the best GF Carrot cake ! Made it and ate it in two days LOL. Only difference… made frosting w daiya cream cheese / powdered sugar / vanilla extract.
Thanks !!
Dani says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it as much as we do! And that icing sounds fab!!
Dee dee says
What do you suggest to replace tapioca flour? I react to it like I do wheat.
Dani says
Hi Dee Dee! I haven’t tried any of these myself, but my research says that common substitutes are cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot, and rice flour. Would love to hear how it goes if you give one of these a try.
Gitanjali Singhal says
What could I use instead of maple syrup? Could I use just brown sugar instead?
Could cornstarch replace tapioca flour?
Dani says
I would recommend another liquid sweetener so you don’t have to adjust any other measurements. Honey would be a great alternative. Ans yes, cornstarch SHOULD work – although I haven’t tried it myself yet.
Andreea Galceava says
I used Agave syrup and it turned out great.
Dani Spies says
Glad to know the agave worked. Thanks for sharing this helpful tip.
Hannah says
I may try this for Easter! Thanks! Will have to figure out a dairy free option for myself.
I wonder if doubling the recipe would yield a 9×13 inch cake?
Christina says
Wow, I’m amazed by how good this was! I’ll definitely be making it again and again.
Dani says
Happy to hear that, Christina!
HAN says
Also, in the video, when 1 c carrots are added, the top left corner reads something about TB. Thanks for a delish recipe!
Dani says
I know, that was a typo! Sorry for the confusion + so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Petra says
Could you put the nutrition values as always? That means a lot to us 🙂
Dani says
Sure! That would work for sure.
Amber says
Hi! This looks so good! Of I wanted to use granulated sugar instead of maple syrup what substitutions would I have to make? Would 1/3 cup of sugar be sweet enough and then would I add 1/3 cup of a liquid like milk? Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Sandy says
Love your gluten free recipes! But would appreciate an eggless option. Can I substitute eggs with chia seed egg? If so, in what proportion? Tnx.
Dani says
Hi Sandy! If you want to try to sub in chia eggs, you would use 1 tablespoon chia + 3 tablespoon of water per egg. I’d love to hear how it goes, if you decide to give it a try.
Margie says
Looks yummy! I don’t use tapioca flour so what could I use as a substitute? Thanks!
Dani says
You can use cornstarch or arrowroot in its place.
Sabrina says
This is so good. The best carrot cake I’ve made. No substitutions needed!
Dani says
I feel the same way and am so glad you enjoyed it Sabrina!
Holly says
Can I give 5 stars here? Seriously the best carrot cake ever. I’m not even gluten free but I love this recipe because the carrot cake is super moist. I’ve made it twice but I use honey instead of maple syrup because I didnt have any. Thanks for the recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Dani,
If I use honey in this dish o you have to reduce the temperature since honey causes things to brown faster and do you need to reduce the liquid?
Kathy
Dani says
Hi Kathy. You can swap out any liquid sweetener; honey, brown rice syrup, agave, all 1:1 ratio. It is not necessary to reduce the temperature.
SHELLEY NOLDEN says
This looks so good! Trying this tonight. Loved your coconut pancakes and chia pudding and love how you do your videos. You give lots of great info. Thanks.
Dani says
Hi Shelley. Thank you so much. I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
nicole says
can I replace Greek yogurt for firm plain yogurt? because in Argentina there’s no Greek yogurt available. or which one can I use?
Dani says
I have not tried this myself but I think it will work. Greek yogurt is thicker than plain yogurt, so you MAY need less liquid. Overall, I think it will be fine. Would love to hear how it goes if you decide to try.
Nannar says
Hi Dani, Love your recipes!! I made this carrot cake with a non-gluten free recipe you had posted on your site using white whole wheat flour. I can’t find the recipe anymore. Can you repost the alternative recipe? Thank you!!
Ana says
I made this recipe and my family loved. I love all your recipes. However, I have a question. If I wanted to add a taste of rum how much liquor should I add and when? Will I add it to the mix or after is baked?
Thank you
Dani says
Hi Ana, That is such a great question. Maybe you can add some rum to the frosting? That would be an easy and delicious way to get some rum flavor in there.
Pauline says
Hi Dani
How much would the nutrients list change if I removed the raisins?
Thank you, I love your recipes! I just made the gf chocolate chip cookies last night! A family favorite here!!
Dani says
I don’t have exact numbers for you Pauline, but generally it would lower the carbs and sugars just a bit.
claudia says
This was excellent! I used 1-1/2 C almond flour since I didn’t have the others. I also left our the greek yougurt on the icing since I was out it worked perfectly.
Thank you, love your videos and your recipes, you’re so cute!
Teresita says
Thanks! amazing recipe, I really liked it!! just one question are the 229calories per piece? so the whole cake is about 2k calories right?
Dani says
That’s correct, Teresita! And I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Yana MIteva says
Hi, Dannie. Can i replace almond flour with whole weed flour?
Madelon Niman says
I made these today but used gluten free flour instead of the other flours and I swapped out the raisins and walnuts ( nut allergy) with crushed pineapple ;
Made them in muffins tins and baked for 20 minutes .
Very good result !!!
Peg says
I love drained, crushed pineapple in my carrot cake. Can you recommend a recipe adjustment for the added moisture/texture if I add it to the batter? (I love your recipes because they are a great healthy and interesting balance of flours, etc. Just what I have been searching for!!!
Dani Spies says
I am not sure about this, Peg! I will need to experiment a bit and can you let you know once I have tested the pineapple.
richard coplin says
Can I sub. raw honey for the maple syrup in the cake and the frosting? Love your recipes Miss Spies.
Dani Spies says
That should work just fine!
Maureen says
This looks delicious and being gluten intolerant I’m eager to Ty it! However, I’m highly allergic to coconut (though nut other nuts). What flour can I swap for the coconut flour, and what oil (or butter?) for the coconut oil?
Dani Spies says
Butter would definitely work. As for the flours, I would need to experiment a bit because coconut flour is not an even swap with most other flours!
Margaret says
Dani, I want to make this for Easter. My question is, can I add drained, crushed pineapple to it without making it mushy? Do I need to adjust my dry ingredients? Thanks in advance.
Dani Spies says
That’s a great question and I really can’t answer with confidence because I am uncertain. I would love to test this out! If you decide to test it, I would love to hear how it goes.
Adobe says
Can I ask how you measure your flour ingredients. Do you spoon and level, or dip and scoop or weigh them. Really would like to make this carrot cake, but want to be consistent with how you measure your flour ingredients. I find I have the best luck with recipes where weights are given for the types of flours used. Thank you.
Dani Spies says
I usually spoon and level when measuring my flour!