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:
Camila says
Hi Elana,
This recipe looks amazing and I would like to make this cake for my birthday, but I am allergic to almonds and eggs. I know it’s not recommended to substitute coconut flour for almond flour in the same measurement as they are very different. Is it possible to use coconut flour or another GF flour instead? Also, could I use an egg replacer? I typically use the Ener-G one and have pretty good results although I’ve never used it for cakes.
Thanks you so much! I hope to be able to use this recipe.
elana says
Kathleen -Thanks for another great comment and for sharing your carrot cake story. Sorry to hear about your dad and thanks for the added bit of information about celiac and lymphatic cancer.
xo Elana
Kathleen in MT says
Dear Elana, I just made your carrot cake with your cream cheese frosting for my daughter’s 15th birthday tonight. It was really delicious! I had to use “almond meal” bought at the grocery store rather than the almond flour you recommend because my daughter baked a bunch of banana bread yesterday and used it all up, so it didn’t rise really well, but still was very tasty. Everyone agrees they like your cream cheese frosting better than the sugary version, it is so light and creamy and not overly sweet. You asked what memories carrot cake brings back. My father was diagnosed with celiac several years before I was diagnosed. He got a really horrible gluten free cookbook, an old one from the 50s by some lady named Hulda, that was about the only thing available when he was diagnosed. He put up with crumbly dry baked goods and mostly just ate rice cakes. When I was diagnosed (only a few months after my sweet 15yo daughter was born) I would not eat that stuff and looked for some good gluten free cookbooks. I fortunately found Betty Hagman’s books, and next time my dad came to visit, I made him a REAL carrot cake just as good as any wheat based cake. He was so thrilled! After that, just about any time we visited, I would make him carrot cake, because it was his favorite. He passed away 7 years ago, just 2 weeks before my youngest child was born. He died from lymphatic cancer that is prevelant among celiacs who do not watch their diets (he was never as careful as he should have been). I miss him so much! So I always think of him when eating carrot cake.
elana says
Chrissy-
Thanks for your feedback! You are very welcome.
Elana
Chrissy says
I just love your site! I was so excited to find all of the delightful foods:-) Your recipes have changed the way we look at “our diet”. You have brought the joy of cooking and eating back into our home. I made this cake right away, and it tastes even more wonderful than it looks in the picture! My children and husband ate it all right out of the oven! Just had to say thanks…
elana says
Laura- Thanks for stopping by; I checked out your blog and really like it.
Elana
Laura @ Hungry and Frozen says
This cake looks incredible. I’m sure the almonds would taste amazing with the carrots. I’m not on a restricted diet but like to dabble in gluten-free when I can. Cool blog :)
elana says
Jeanne –
Thanks for your comment and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Yes, I too have not really been big on carrot cake though have gotten really into it with this recipe…I am so glad that you liked it and that it worked out well for your bday.
Per your comment about the restrictive diet, yes, there is so much that we CAN eat and I think we are all realizing that as we connect and comment over here. Comments such as yours inspire me and make me thankful.
I am not very familiar with “threads.” Even though I have this website I am a middle aged techno-phobe. I would think if you wanted to start a thread it would be good to do so on the most recent post where there is a lot of traffic and just put out there whatever you wish to say and invite people to chat with you about it…
Thanks again for your sweet comment and congratulations on growing younger!
Elana
Jeanne says
Hi!
I have a quick minute to finally respond to the carrot cake recipe post..It was my birthday (May 20th) and I flew with my 10 yr old daughter to NY to be with my family and go to a party for a much loved 80 year old friend of the family. It was such a great thing for me to connect with folks from my past, (the 80 yr old has known me since I was 2!) and I wanted to do something special. Your carrot cake photo inspired me! I don’t even go for carrot cake that much, never have! BUT!!! I am now a believer in carrot cake. I made such an outstanding cake that I had to covet the last piece (in the nick of time, too) in order to get enough of it! And everyone raved about it even after! My second one is now baking in the oven for my daughter’s 4th grade teacher, end of the year, picnic party tomorrow! I love the coconut frosting with it, although I have to decide, my daughter wants a glaze instead. Hard call…do I make something I can eat or go with the requests….ahh, either way, I thank you again for the recipes that have helped me through a life changing “restrictive” diet. Unbelievable amounts of happiness through your good food ideas.
there, that ought to do for a while- I shared!
I have made simple bread and sesame crackers which give me great pleasure since I thought I’d never be eating those things on a grain-free diet. Over the last few months a lot of healing has happened and I am enjoying good health once again!! (after a long struggle with vague digestive trouble, failure to thrive, general malaise, I am getting younger at 48)
So, I do go on and probably could say more on the right thread? I don’t know about threads enough to start one or go to one directly related to my “issues”.. any advice?
Hope you’re enjoying good weather, it sounds intensely bad in the midwest, hopefully Colorado is peaceful.
Jeanne
elana says
Courtney -You win “cutest comment” award for that one :-) xo Elana
sara kay -You will find the answer to this question and many other common questions in my FAQ’s, though feel free to leave questions in the comments section any time and I will assist you. Thanks for stopping by!