This easy Paleo Honey Cake recipe is fan-favorite made with healthy low-carb almond flour. I love turning classic desserts into wholesome gluten-free versions that everyone can eat.
What is Honey Cake?
Honey Cake, a traditional Jewish dessert eaten during Rosh Hashanah, is referred to as Lebkuchen in Yiddish. I love serving it at our High Holiday table whether for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur break fast. We’ve been breaking our fast with warming, comforting foods since my Ayurvedic training in the early 1990’s. This lightly sweetened Jewish dessert, spiced with cinnamon fits that bill perfectly.
What is Rosh Hashanah?
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and the start of the High Holidays for Jews. Traditionally, we eat honey during this time as the ritual sets the tone for a sweet year to come. The custom of dipping apples in honey at the Rosh Hashanah meal has been one of the boys’ favorite since they were very little!
SCD Paleo Honey Cake
Most honey cake recipes include coffee. I left it out of this one to simplify the recipe and make it even easier. My husband, who has no dietary restrictions, loves this cake! As you can see from the photo above, a large piece has been devoured. One of our friends said this was the best honey cake she had ever eaten, gluten-free or not!
Paleo Honey Cake
Ingredients
- 2½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup palm shortening
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves
- In a separate bowl, combine honey, shortening, and eggs
- Mix wet ingredients into dry, then stir in raisins
- Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes
- Remove from oven and cool for 1 hour
- Serve
Gluten-Free Rosh Hashanah Dessert Recipes
Here are some additional paleo dessert recipes for you!
Your Favorite Rosh Hashanah Recipes?
What are your favorite recipes for Rosh Hashanah? Are they family traditions that have been passed down from your Bubby? Or are they new dishes that you’ve adopted to create your own tradition?
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This recipe is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published it in 2012.
Lucy Frankel says
My son has juts developed an egg allergy. Can this cake made without eggs?
Elana says
Lucy, I haven’t tried that so not sure. Here’s a link to my Egg-Free Recipes page for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/diets/egg-free/
And this book has an amazing egg-free chocolate cupcake recipe:
https://amzn.to/1XWy2n7
Enjoy!
Elana
Galliesallie says
My subs:
coconut oil and ghee for palm oil
chopped dates for raisins
baked in 8×8″ square glass pan 31 minutes my oven
This is incredible! The texture is fabulous and it is very delicious.
Thank you for this Elana.
Elana says
Galliesallie, thanks for letting me know this cake is incredible!
Suzanne says
Hi GallieSallie,
Did you use the same amounts of oil as in the original recipe? I’d like to switch the flour as well to coconut and/or almond flour and add more eggs.
Chuck says
Hi Elana, I was going to try making your honey cake recipe when I noticed that you use almond flour. Almonds are high in inflammatory lectins so doesn’t that make the flour high in lectins as well!
Chuck
Elana says
Chuck, thanks for your comment! There are a bunch of paleo foods that are high in lectins, that’s why I don’t eat them every day and rotate foods to keep my diet full of healthy variety :-)
Cris says
Do I have to use a spring form pan? Can I use mini loaf pan if grease and flour? Want to make smaller servings for Christmas eve tea. Thank you.
Elana says
Cris, I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do experiment I hope you’ll stop back by and let us know how it turned out :-)
Linda Kosha says
This honey cake is delicious. I was looking for a cake to serve for brunch and so glad this one turned out so well. Thanks Elana.
Elana says
Linda, I’m so happy to hear this cake turned out great!
Heather says
I am excited to try this! I’ve been looking for alternative recipes – Thanks for sharing!
Elana says
Thanks Heather!
Pat Alexander says
I just love this cake! I added grated organic carrots, raisins and chopped walnuts to mine. It tastes just like Carrot Cake!
Elana says
Pat, I’m so happy to hear you love this cake!
Randi says
This looks delicious. I have used my mother’s recipe in the past by just substituting gluten free flour. But I like the idea of this paleo version. I may need to add the coffee tho!
Elana says
Randi, thanks so much!
Stacey Lederberg says
I love this…I have made it every year for the last 4 years, but now my daughter can’t have honey! :(
Any thoughts on what to sub? No agave either.
Stacey Lederberg says
Shana Tovah to you and your family! :)
Elana says
Thanks Stacey! You too :-)
Elana says
Stacey, thanks for your comment. I haven’t made this cake without sweetener so not sure how that would go. Here’s a link to my Keto Diet Recipes page for you, everything there is sugar-free:
https://elanaspantry.com/diets/keto/
Enjoy!
Elana
Yana Katri says
Stacey,
Apple sauce is a good alternative to using honey. Monk sugar is great too. Hope that helps.
Yana.
Alisa says
I’m using sugar free maple syrup!
Jill says
Honeytree imitation honey worked really well in the version I made last night. I am diabetic, so I used this and left out the raisins. So delicious! The only caveat is that the imitation honey is liquid multitool. Eating too much at one time can cause gastric distress!
Jill says
Maltitol, not multitool. :/
Elana says
Jill, that darn auto-correct can be so silly!
Elana says
Thanks Jill!
Marjorie Wax says
And Happy Healthy New Year to you- Shana Tova!
Elana says
Happy New Year Marjorie!
Marjorie Wax says
We love this recipe – my 2 daughters and I are each making it at our respective homes and sharing with our communities. Was wondering what you thought about adding chocolate chips…..
Elana says
Marjorie, I haven’t tried that :-)
Sarah says
Have made this every year for the last 3 years and it’s SOOO good. And easy. Thank you, Elana!!!
Elana says
Sarah, thanks for letting me know this is so good! Happy New Year :-)