This gluten-free Carrot Cake is a family favorite. It’s a healthy dessert for cookouts, picnics, and graduation parties. Made with almond flour, this cake is high in protein and good fat, so you won’t be left with a high-carb hangover after eating it.
I went on a gluten-free diet in 1998, when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I went on a grain-free diet in 2001, and haven’t looked back. My digestion really improved when I gave up typical gluten-free flours like rice flour, that are high in carbohydrates. I’m so glad that I made the switch to paleo baking way back when!
If you are on a nut-free diet, try my incredible Nut-Free Carrot Cake.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup agave nectar or honey
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil or palm shortening
- 3 cups carrots, grated
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, agave, and oil
- Stir carrots, raisins, and walnuts into wet ingredients
- Stir wet ingredients into dry
- Transfer batter into 2 well greased 9 inch springform pan
- Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes
- Cool cake for 3 hours, then remove from pan
- Serve
In other news, my spring has been filled with baseball. As I mentioned, I am coaching my son’s little league team and it is quite a hoot. We won again yesterday, though more importantly, the boys are playing as a team and have great spirit. It is somewhat amazing to see how focused 9 year olds can be and how supportive they are of each other. This coaching deal has been a real treat for me.
We like to smother this Carrot Cake with any of the healthy frosting recipes below for an incredible show stopping dessert:
David says
Hi, I would really suggest to just add a note in your recipe to new readers that Celtic Sea Salt is not like regular salt and not to swap them out with equal amounts. I made this with regular sea salt and it turned out tragically inedible (tragic for me because I am low-income and this very expensive cake went in the garbage). Even 1.5 tsp of regular salt rendered it so salty that’s all you could taste.
Sonia says
I would like to make this for my kids for their school lunches, but because of nut allergies, what else could I substitute almond flour?
Karen Bowlden says
Just enjoyed a slice of your carrot cake! Instead of the luscious cream cheese frosting, we topped it with fresh whipped cream. OMG, I can’t tell you how much I am enjoying trying your almond flour recipes! As a diabetic, it’s been awful, trying to keep my glucose levels down, but when baking with sugar and flour, it’s impossible…until I discovered YOU AND YOUR RECIPES. Because of you, I’ve been really learning all about the gluten free and Paleo way to cook. I’m not gluten intolerant, but when almond flour doesn’t spike my blood glucose like wheat flour does, I’m so ready to throw out the flour. I substituted the agave nectar with Splenda and added an 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, slightly drained. WOW, you couldn’t tell it was Splenda! I mean no disrespect to your recipes, but they have enabled me to slightly tweak them to be diabetic friendly. Just want you to know how your website has changed my life, in the kitchen! My husband also thanks you, because I am baking again!
Candida Girl says
I made the Carrot Cake last night for my husband’s birthday. It was a HIT! I am on a detox Candida diet and cannot have ANY SWEETENERS, except for Stevia. I modified this recipe slightly in order to remove the Agave Nectar.
No agave nectar, use 1/2 cup coconut oil instead of the grapeseed oil, and a little milk/cream to make up for the moisture loss. I used currants instead of raisins (easier to pick out). I used slightly more of the spices to make it a savor dish rather than a sweet.
I used Elana’s Cream Cheese frosting recipe without the agave nectar and added a bit of vanilla!
Everyone loved it! even the kids. AND even those who eat lots of sugar!
Thanks Elana for another Terrific recipe.
Mrsneo says
Thank you Elana. We used this recipe for cupcakes and it has now become our favorite desert.
Tracey says
Thank You Elana for giving back my joy in the Kitchen!!!! I grew up loving to bake. I gradually stopped baking & eating baked goodies due to feeling rotten afterwards. The last 2 years, I have transitioned my kitchen to stainless steel baking pans ( no nonstick), no chemicals, unprocessed all natural ingredients, no sugar, lots of superfoods, smoothies & vacuum packing and now have my health back at age 52. You are the icing on the cake so to speak. I have all the stuff and now you have opened a new door for me and my family to be able to make awesome baked goods. Your chocolate chip cookies are delicious & my mom who is a toll house Chocolate chip cookieaholic – loves them. It was my fiance’s birthday yesterday and he wanted carrot cake with coconut & pineapple added. I found your recipe in your cook book- Squeezed out the juice of ½ cup of pineapple, substituted ¾ Cup Coconut Flakes for ½ Cup of Almond Flour. Cooked 20 minutes longer and WOW!!!…. It was wonderful last night and even better today. Made a whip cream sauce with homemade Brandy Vanilla…..Ooooh la la…. Thank You with all of my being – I am having such fun in the kitchen again creating guilt free desserts knowing it is all good for us……
Maryanne says
Wondering if anyone has substituted butter (or even coconut oil?) for the grapeseed oil? I have everything else ready to go, but no grapeseed oil in my pantry.
Also, I think I’m going to try to sneak a bit of shredded, unsweetened coconut into the cake. I LOVE coconut.
Maryanne says
So, I just took this out of my oven. I took a bite (nobody will be able to tell once it’s frosted and sliced), and it’s great. Here are the substitutions I made:
3/4 teaspoon salt (since I used salted butter – that’s all I had)
1/3 cup honey (I didn’t have agave)
5 Tbsp salted Kerrygold butter (I didn’t have grapeseed oil)
1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (because I love coconut)
If I used unsalted butter, I’d use the amount of salt in the original recipe.
I also have a batch of Elana’s Cream Cheese Frosting in my fridge, just waiting to top the cake. I can’t wait to eat this – I’m plotting ways to hide this from my husband and son!
Tup says
Funny, I was just getting on to comment that I had tried the recipe last night and didn’t have enough carrots so added shredded coconut. It turned out great! Chewier, I’m sure, but like you I adore coconut. I also made a couple of other substitutions (I decided to start baking at 10pm, and carrot cake is a long-pined-after treat, so I made due with what I had on hand!): I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, and hazelnut flour instead of almond. Yes, Bob’s Redmill–however the hazelnut does seem to be lighter and “fluffier” than the grainy almond meal…probably not ideal, but still turned out scrumptious. I can’t wait to try the recipe as written!
T says
Can honey be used in place of the agave?
Esther Anders says
Hi. I just wanted to post. We use to make this recipe with un-blanched almond flour, because it was 1/3 of the price, and we were using bulk amounts (25lb boxes). But finally the company got in blanched almond flour, so we bought a box and I tell you it was worth the extra!! This cake came out so moist and delicious! I love carrot cake, it’s always something I love eating, but we don’t make cakes often because well that’s allot of dessert sitting around tempting me…and the kids. We love all your recipes, and so looking forward to trying out more with the blanched almond flour. Thank you!
Erin says
My husband adores carrot cake! This will make a wonderful birthday cake for him :)