Coconut Flour Carrot Cake

When I set out to create a healthy carrot cake, I figured coconut flour would be a great choice, since many carrot cakes already include coconut. It’s one of the rare times when people expect to taste a hint of coconut, along with tender carrots and plenty of spice.

But this ratio of ingredients wasn’t easy to land on. I think I tested this cake over 10 times before I felt like it was delicious enough to share. Luckily, I love taste-testing carrot cake.

I mention this because people are always surprised by how little coconut flour a recipe requires and how many eggs it calls for. These are not typos! If you’re nervous about it, I’d recommend making half the batch and baking these as 6 cupcakes. They bake quickly, so you’ll have an easily portioned treat to taste-test before committing to a full cake.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“This is the best recipe for carrot cake, hands down! I’ve made this recipe twice, but into cupcakes rather than the cake, and I received so many compliments! Thank you for sharing such an incredibly decadent and delicious recipe using coconut flour and maple syrup as the sweetener – IT WAS PERFECT!!!” – Colleen

How to Make Carrot Cake with Coconut Flour

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a cake pan. You can use one 8-inch pan or two 6-inch pans for a two-layer cake. Lightly grease the pan with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom to guarantee easy removal.

In a large bowl, add the coconut flour, maple syrup, eggs, coconut oil, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, and lemon juice. (The acid reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise.)

Note: To properly measure coconut flour, dip the measuring cup into the bag of flour, then use the back of a knife to level-off the top. Don’t use a heaping measure, as it will result in a dry cake.

Step 2:

Once the batter looks smooth, with no clumps, fold in the shredded carrots, pineapple, and raisins. (The pineapple and raisins are optional, FYI. Carrot cake is easy to customize!)

You can also add chopped walnuts or pecans, if you like. Keep in mind that if any of your ingredients are cold from the fridge, like the eggs or shredded carrots, the batter might thicken from the chill. Coconut oil thickens when cold, but don’t worry, it will still bake just fine in the oven.

Step 3:

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s) and smooth it out evenly. Bake at 350ºF until the center feels firm to the touch, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan. Then you can transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Frosting & Serving Tips

As soon as the cake is fully cool, you can add your favorite frosting on top, if you like.

In these photos, I used my Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, which is dairy-free and made with white sweet potatoes. If you don’t need a dairy-free option, try my Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting, which is made with cream cheese and no powdered sugar.

Alternatively, you can drizzle this cake with my Maple Pecan Glaze or Cashew Frosting, or simply dust it with a little powdered sugar, if you like.

Coconut Flour Carrot Cake (Gluten-Free!)

4.37 from 49 votes

If you love carrot cake as much as I do, but you need a gluten-free or grain-free recipe, you're going to love this coconut flour carrot cake. It has the classic flavor you love and is naturally sweetened with maple syrup. It took me several tries to get this cake "just right," so I don't recommend making substitutions on your first try. Coconut flour is super tricky to work with, so experiment at your own risk!

prep10 mins cook40 mins total50 mins

Servings:12

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup maple syrup (for a less sweet cake, you can use 3/4 cup)
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 8 eggs , at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 carrots)
• ⅓ cup diced pineapple (optional)
• ¼ cup raisins (optional)

Frosting Options:

• Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
• Maple Pecan Glaze
• Cashew Frosting

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and generously grease an 8-inch pan or two 6-inch pans. (Tip: Add a square of parchment paper on the bottom for easier removal later.)
• To prepare the cake, combine the coconut flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, lemon juice and baking soda, and whisk well to create a uniform batter. If any of your ingredients are cold the mixture will be thicker than traditional cake batter, but don't worry, it will still bake just fine! Once the batter is uniform, stir in the shredded carrots, pineapple, and raisins (if using them).
• Pour the batter into your prepared pan(s) and bake at 350ºF until the center is firm, about 40 to 45 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. For best shelf-life, store the cake covered in the fridge for up to one week.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 slices. This is automatically calculated using an online ingredient database, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee. 

Egg Note: I have tried reducing the number of eggs in this recipe by replacing 1 egg with 1/4 cup mashed banana. The result is a slightly drier cake that doesn’t hold together as well. You can get away with this swap if you need to reduce the recipe by 1 egg, but I don’t recommend reducing it by much more, or the cake won’t hold together.

Sweetener Note: You can also reduce the maple syrup to 3/4 cup if you want a less-sweet cake. I assume honey would work similarly, if that’s what you have on hand. (In fact, for honey I wouldn’t use more than 3/4 cup because the flavor is stronger than maple syrup.)

Bundt Cake: If you want to bake this in a bundt pan, it takes about 50-60 minutes. I find it difficult to guarantee removal from these pans, so I prefer to use the other shapes and put a piece of parchment down to prevent sticking. 

Cupcakes: This recipe should make 12 cupcakes, if you prefer individual portions. In my experience, coconut flour cupcakes need to bake for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 3737IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, paleo

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• Coconut Flour Pancakes
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• Coconut Flour Cookies
• Banana Bread with Coconut Flour

If you try this carrot cake recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.

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