Healthy Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

You can leave your mixing bowls in the cupboard for this healthy, gluten free carrot cake recipe! The batter gets whizzed up right in the Vitamix or food processor, and the result is seriously amazing. [Step-by-step VIDEO below!]

Ingredients

The cake is made with almond flour and shredded unsweetened coconut, which give it a seriously tender texture (and make it gluten free and paleo friendly). 

Why this recipe is great

A few other simple ingredients add flavor to this gluten free carrot cake recipe and lighten it up:

• Unsweetened applesauce lends moisture, allowing us to cut back on the oil.
• The cake contains more carrots than most carrot cakes, which provide natural sweetness and contribute more moisture.
• Finally, a mix of warming spices, including cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and ginger, as well as maple syrup, give the cake an incredible flavor. 
• This carrot cake is made without grains or sugar, meaning it's also paleo without the frosting!

How to make a healthy gluten free carrot cake:

This is the easiest carrot cake you'll ever make. You can put your mixing bowls away, as the batter gets made right in a high speed blender or food processor (no shredding of carrots required!)

• Pulse carrots in a Vitamix or food processor until finely chopped. Transfer the carrots to a bowl.
• In the same blender or food processor (no need to wash it!), add eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, milk, coconut oil (or vegetable oil), spices, salt and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
• Add almond flour, unsweetened dried coconut and baking powder. Pulse until just incorporated.
• Add the shopped carrots, raisins and chopped nuts (if using). Pulse a few times to combine, then stir with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a cake pan, and bake!

Maple cream cheese frosting 

This Maple Cream Cheese Frosting might just be my favorite frosting (tied with this chocolate whipped cream frosting!). It’s made with just room temperature cream cheese and maple syrup, and it provides the perfect creamy counterpart to the spiced carrot cake. I go for a high ratio of frosting-to-cake, because we love the frosting so much.

Gluten free carrot cake tips and ingredient swaps:

• You’ll need a Vitamix blender or food processor to make this gluten free carrot cake recipe.
• This cake gets baked in an 8-inch square pan. I prefer a metal pan, which allows for even browning (and sharp corners!), but you could use a glass dish—just start checking for doneness about 5 minutes early.
• I always suggest using an inexpensive kitchen scale when baking, not only because it's more accurate, but also because it's much easier (no messing with measuring cups!).
• Be sure to let the cake cool completely before slicing. Since the texture is very moist, the cake can benefit from refrigerating (and it gets even better with time!).
• I prefer to use dried currants in this cake since they distribute evenly in the batter, but raisins work great as well.
• You can use honey instead of maple syrup in the cake batter.
• Frost the cake with this Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.
• For a dairy free cake, simply omit the frosting, or serve the cake with a dollop of non-dairy coconut whipped cream instead.

*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!

FAQs

Other gluten free recipes you might like:

• Healthy Almond Coconut Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
• Healthy Gingerbread Cake
• Black Bean Brownies
• Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Blondies
• Healthy Apple Crisp
• Paleo Strawberry Shortcakes
• Apple Skillet Cobbler

What's for dinner? Try these easy main courses:

• The Best Homemade (easy!) Veggie Burgers
• Coconut Sriracha Shrimp & Grits
• Chipotle Chicken Tacos
• Healthy Sloppy Joes
• Turkey Spinach Meatballs
• Mexican White Bean & Chicken Soup

Watch the video!

I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @fromscratchfast so that I can share your creations!

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (Grain Free, Sugar Free)

You can leave your mixing bowls in the cupboard for this healthy, gluten free carrot cake! The batter gets whizzed up right in the Vitamix or food processor, and the result is seriously amazing. It’s an ultra moist cake, and nobody will know it’s naturally sweetened. The cake is taken over-the-top with this Maple Cream Cheese Frosting. Be sure to take the cream cheese out of the fridge before making the cake, as it needs to soften before making the frosting. Check out the notes for a dairy-free option! If you prefer to make cupcakes, divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups, and bake for 30 minutes.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Cooling Time35 mins

Total Time1 hr 40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy carrot cake recipe, Gluten free carrot cake recipe, healthy carrot cake recipe

Servings: 1 8-inch cake (or 12 cupcakes)

Author: Nicki Sizemore

Ingredients

• Cooking spray or oil, for pan
• ⅓ cup currants OR ½ cup raisins
• 3 medium carrots (7-8oz /220g), peeled, trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup milk or nut milk
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly (or you can use butter or a neutral vegetable oil)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (165g) almond flour
• ½ cup (42g) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup (38g) chopped walnuts or pecans, plus more for garnish (optional)
• Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe link in header)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan with coconut oil or cooking spray. Line the pan crosswise with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (this will make it easy to pull the cake out of the baking pan later, but you can skip this step and simply serve the cake in the pan).
• Put the currants (or raisins) in a small bowl and cover them with warm water. Let sit.
• Put the carrots in the Vitamix or food processor.  If using a Vitamix, turn the machine on and gradually increase the speed to medium (Variable 6 or 7), stirring with the tamper.  Blend until the carrots are very finely chopped but not pureed (it will only take a few seconds)—the carrots should look a bit bigger than rice. If using a food processor, pulse until very finely chopped. Scrape the sides and give the carrots one more pulse to make sure they're evenly chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
• Put the container back on the base (no need to wash it—it’s ok if there are still some carrots around the edges and bottom), and add the eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
• Add the almond flour, shredded coconut and baking powder. Blend on low (Variable 2 or 3) or pulse (if using a food processor) until incorporated.
• Drain the currants (or raisins), and add them to the batter along with the chopped carrots and nuts (if using). Blend on low (Variable 1), stirring with the tamper, or pulse if using a food processor, until just incorporated (don't over-mix). Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides and stir to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Run a thin knife along the sides of the pan then carefully use the parchment handles to transfer the cake to a rack (if you prefer, you can skip this step and serve the cake straight from the pan). Let the cake cool completely.
• Spread the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting evenly over the top of the cake. If you’d like, sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped nuts. Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes, or until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

Do Ahead: The frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The unfrosted cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months. 

Tips:

• You’ll need a Vitamix blender or food processor to make this gluten free carrot cake recipe.
• This cake gets baked in an 8-inch square pan. I prefer a metal pan, which allows for even browning (and sharp corners!), but you could use a glass dish—just start checking for doneness about 5 minutes early.
• I always suggest using an inexpensive kitchen scale when baking, not only because it's more accurate, but also because it's much easier (no messing with measuring cups!).
• Be sure to let the cake cool completely before slicing. Since the texture is very moist, the cake can benefit from refrigerating (and it gets even better with time!).
• I prefer to use dried currants in this cake since they distribute evenly in the batter, but raisins work great as well.
• You can use honey instead of maple syrup in the cake batter.
• Top the cake with this Maple Cream Cheese Frosting!
• For a dairy free cake, simply omit the frosting, or serve the cake with a dollop of non-dairy coconut whipped cream instead.