The Spunky Coconut

Gluten-Free ❤ Dairy-Free ❤ Paleo

You are here: Home / Cake & Cupcakes / Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

By

gluten-free carrot cake

I can’t get enough carrot cake lately. I’ve been making my friend Elana’s gluten free carrot cake, and I’ve been making my own. Can one ever have enough carrot cake? If I had to choose just one kind of cake, and I could never eat another kind again, it would have to be carrot cake. We like to eat this one all by itself, or with a little coconut cream on top (see my coconut cream tutorial).

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

5 room temperature eggs (cold eggs will harden the coconut oil)
3 cups shredded carrots (I shred them in the food processor)
1/2 cup coconut milk (here’s my favorite brand)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or honey (I like half of each)
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/2 teaspoon vanilla stevia extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 350F
  2. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, shredded carrots, coconut milk, applesauce (or honey), coconutoil, stevia, and salt.
  3. Add the coconut flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. Mix with an electric mixer.
  4. Fold in the walnuts and raisins.
  5. Pour into 9-inch springform pan, lined with unbleached parchment paper on the bottom only.
  6. Pack it down into the pan with a rubber spatula, and smooth out the top. It looks too dry and thick, but it comes out light and fluffy 🙂
  7. Bake at 350F degrees for about 1 hour.
  8. Let it cool completely in the pan, then go around the edges (the walls first, and then along the bottom of the pan) with a knife to release it.
  9. Note: I like to slide it onto my cake plate (rather than try to pick it up), since it’s kind of big and awkward. I think if you refrigerate it first it would be easier to transfer.

For mini cupcakes fill cups all the way, and cook for about 30 minutes. Makes about 50.

♥, Kelly

Share this:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly, the first time I’ve posted here, but have been enjoying you and your recipes for quite some time. Everytime I try one I seem to like it even better the one before! Have to agree with you about carrot cake, is there even any other kind? LOL

    Lynne

  2. This looks delish, Kelly! I am so excited about this because I think it is the first carrot cake recipe I have seen that did not use sugar or brown sugar. I think I’ll have to make it this weekend!

    Do you think cupcakes would work? Either that or I will have to cut it up in pieces and freeze. Maybe I’ll try both ways! What a delightful way to get some veggies 🙂

  3. Looks delicious!
    I don’t use much stevia, but I have some liquid stevia.
    Does this recipe use LIQUID stevia? And does stevia get old? It’s been in my fridge for a year I think.
    : )
    Noel

  5. Lynne, Thanks for saying hello 🙂 I’m so glad you like the recipes and the blog!

    Jean, Thanks! I don’t know if cupcakes would work. It’s hard to tell how much it rises. Not much I think.

    Noel, Thank you! I use vanilla liquid stevia. I don’t know how long it lasts though. I usually run out every 2 or 3 months.

    Alta, Hope you like this one also 🙂

  6. Kelly, I used to enjoy Elana’s carrot cake and many other almond flour goodies. However, allergy testing showed that I was reacting strongly to almonds, so I had to discontinue all my almond flour baking. I’ve used coconut flour as well, but my allergy test also showed a reaction to eggs (more so to the whites), though it was a fairly mild reaction, so the recommendation was to limit my egg intake rather than having to eliminate completely. The yolks in particular are less of a concern. So…as you know, coconut flour recipes use LOTS of eggs, and I’ve been wondering if there is another alternative that can be used in coconut flour recipes. Trouble is, I think the whites are probably what makes the coconut four rise – so it’s probably not as easy as just replacing the liquid or using only yolks and leaving out the whites, right? Just wondering if you’ve experimented with this and might have any recommendations. It’s hard to make grain-free treats without almond flour and eggs!! Actually, I haven’t been making any at all. 🙁 I suppose some other nut flours could be used instead of almond flour, so that fewer eggs would be required (compared to coc flour)…but I was so used to just going by the recipe for almond flour treats!!

  7. I adore carrot cake and have been trying to make a good grain free. I’m so glad to see you have posted one. All your recipes are the best, and I’m sure this one will be exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you!

  8. Kelly, I made this cake today because the grandkids were coming over. Everybody absolutely loved it and there isn’t a crumb left! Great recipe. Thanks!

  9. I’m with you on carrot cake! I love it so much, and I’m loving how you can make this one just fruit sweetened if you use only applesauce. Recently I have discovered some blood sugar issues so I will keep this in mind when craving some sweet cake 🙂

  10. Wow – come to mama! I love carrot cake and love how naturally sweetened this is! After many months of lurking on your site I am busting out a comment and adding you to my permanent blogroll so I can share the Spunky Coconut love!

    (Btw as a Caribbean girl – I’m from the Cayman Islands – I am in LOVE with your blog name!)

  11. Wow! That looks delicious! I think I’m going to be making a carrot cake for Easter 🙂
    I just stumbled on your blog over the weekend. I think it’s great!
    I nominated your site for the Kreative Blogger Award and the Sunshine Award!
    ~Rebecca

  12. Hi Kelly (great name!). I was wondering what icing you used on this cake? I’m trying to cut dairy and haven’t really figured out what to do about icings yet. Especially since carrot cake is usually paired with cream cheese frosting.

  13. Kelly, Do you think it would be possible to substitute xanthan gum for the arrowroot? Only because the arrowroot is very high carb. Thanks.

  14. You just made my day! I’ve been craving carrot cake for a full year now! And have yet to find a gluten free healthier version. I’m so excited to make this! Thank you!!
    Alison

  16. This recipe delivers as promised (moist, fluffy, not flat). I used half real eggs and half “chia” eggs (1 Tbs ground chia seed to 3 Tbs hot water), subbed the tapioca starch for potato starch, grapeseed oil instead of coconut oil, and used all honey instead of half applesauce/half honey. It’s sweet enough that we like it without frosting. I have made it twice and the second time was a double batch. Can you say AH-MAZ-ING?!

    • Hi Jen! Very interested in how you substituted egg for chia. Do you use that per egg? Great idea!

  17. Hmm…I don’t think 325 degrees at 45 mins. really made my food processed carrots cook all the way through. Did anyone else need to bake much longer than 45 mins?

  20. This carrot cake is WONDERFUL!! Even my picky husband said it was good! I actually have eaten this for breakfast and lunch (should I admit that?) I added some chopped dried unsweetened pineapple to the batter because I love that combo and it turned out great! Thanks for another great recipe Kelly

  21. Looks great! I eat low oxalate, so I’ll have to substitute shredded butternut squash for the carrots, but this usually works for “carrot” recipes.

    To Tara: try cooking with pumkin seed flower, chestnut flour, or sunflower seed flour. They all act very similar to the other nut/seed flours and one might not cause you problems. I have a yummy Sunbutter Paleo Quickbread posted on my blog which might work for you (http://lowoxalateinfo.com/sunflower-spice-paleo-quick-bread/).

  22. I just made it as specified, and it is fabulous — I love it!
    I don’t think it needs icing, but I am wondering what is shown in the photo.
    My food processor grated carrots looked a little large, so after I grated them I also pulsed them with the “s” blade a little bit so that they would cook well, and they did.
    Yum!!!

  23. This was amazing and so easy!! Thank you for sharing. Also, for all those looking for an icing recipe, I used the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from Rhiannon Lawrence’s “Eat Free” Cookbook.

    Cream: 4 oz cream cheese and 2 Tbs room temp butter (I used Smart Balance)

    Mix in: 3 Tbs. agave nectar and 1/4 tsp vanilla.
    Refrigerate to allow icing to thicken.

    This is just a little more icing than you will need for a half recipe of the carrot cake. So you can double or triple the recipe as needed. I hope this helps!

    Ashley

  25. Hi Kelly! I love your recipes and I have had nothing but success until this carrot cake mix 🙁 I went for the cupcake method and for some reason the batter didn’t cook through in the middle. I had to keep them in the oven for an extra hour just to solidify them. Any thoughts on what went wrong? I followed the recipe exactly.

    • I had the same problem. I made normal sized cupcakes and they were in the oven well over an hour and still didn’t cook through. I used the all honey option, and left out the walnuts and raisins, but should that make too much of a difference? Like the commenter above I’ve had success with your recipes until now.

  26. MC,

    Thanks! And sorry to hear that! Were they miniature? I haven’t made regular cupcakes with this batter, so I don’t know how long they would take to cook. The mini ones take a really long time – half an hour! I want to try them again at 350 and see how that works.

  27. Ooooh, been looking for a healthier way to make carrot cake and so excited to try this one! Question: is the coconut milk the thick, full-fat stuff from a can, or the thin milk-like stuff from the 1/2 gallon carton?

  28. Hi Kelly, What is the white frosting in your picture? I’m guessing cashew, syrup, stevia, …

  31. wondering if almond milk could be used instead of coconut milk? what do you think? thanks so much for all your posts…love them.

  32. Perfect! The only change I made was using pineapple instead of applesauce and I didn’t use any sweetener. Thank you for this recipe.