This healthy Carrot Cake Loaf is filled with warm spices and grated carrots and is an extremely moist and flavorful treat. This easy loaf cake recipe is gluten-free, low carb, paleo and keto-friendly is the perfect way to enjoy a healthy breakfast that feels like a dessert!
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Updated February 2022
Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf Recipe
Theres’s something about spring that just screams carrot cake. My family is crazy about all things carrot cake and if you’re looking for another way to enjoy carrot cake without having to make an entire cake, stop what you’re doing right now and make this amazing carrot cake loaf.
It’s packed with all the classic carrot cake spices to give it the richest flavor, and you can also add in nuts or raisins if you’d like. Either way, this carrot cake bread will be supremely moist and delicious. Topped with a smooth and velvety dairy-free cream cheese frosting that ties it all together. And not only is this recipe dairy free, it’s also gluten free, paleo, and it can be made keto with a few simple substitutions. This loaf cake will add sweetness into your life despite any dietary restrictions.
What is a Carrot Cake Loaf?
The main difference between this recipe and a traditional carrot cake is the density. This loaf cake is more substantial than a regular carrot cake, making it the perfect breakfast option to fuel you for the day. I also find loaf cakes to be less messy than regular cakes for this reason. It’s easier to cut, store and serve!
Recipe Ingredients
This carrot cake loaf is easily customizeable, so you can make it with your favorite add-ins and substitutions. If you want a nice crunch, throw in some nuts! And if you want to make it even more healthy, go ahead and use sugar free maple syrup.
Loaf Ingredients
- Eggs
- Coconut sugar or golden monk fruit sweetener
- Pure maple syrup or Lakanto sugar free maple syrup (OR you can also try swapping with honey, brown rice syrup OR agave)
- Melted & cooled coconut oil, or neutral flavored oil
- Vanilla extract
- Superfine blanched almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Cloves
- Fine sea salt
- Finely grated carrots
Optional Add-Ins
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Organic no sugar-added raisins: we like Sunnyfruitofficial
Frosting Ingredients
- Dairy-free cream cheese, or regular if you’re not dairy-free
- Refined coconut oil
- Maple syrup or Lakanto sugar free maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
To add a final finishing touch, you can garnish this loaf cake with chopped pecans, walnuts or another nut of your choice. This adds a bit of crunch that goes well with the moist and tender carrot cake.
How to Make this Carrot Cake Loaf
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, beat eggs with coconut sugar until smooth. Add maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla, mixing until it’s all combined.
- Sift in dry Ingredients: Before you add dry ingredients, place a mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in your almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Stir until it’s well combined with no lumps.
- Add Carrots: Stir in your grated carrots and nuts or raisins, if you choose to use them. Then, transfer the batter to your lined loaf pan.
- Bake your Loaf Cake: in preheated oven for 38-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and let your loaf cool completely before frosting.
- Make the Frosting: Beat together all the ingredients for the frosting and use an offset spatula to spread it over the cooled loaf. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired, then serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This loaf cake will go great with your morning cup of tea or coffee. You can serve it alone or with a smear of butter, nut butter or if you want to pair it with something savory, try my low-carb Air Fryer Bacon or these 4-ingredient Ham Egg Cups! And if you don’t want to cook anything, you could always enjoy it with a simple fruit salad.
How to Store this Loaf Cake
This loaf cake keeps well, so it’s a great dish to make ahead of time and grab when you’re in a rush. Place the loaf cake into an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want it to last longer, you can keep it in the freezer for 2-3 months and you’ll want to thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving it. The best thing about this loaf is that it still tastes amazing after sitting in storage!
More carrot recipes you might like:
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cookies
Healthy Carrot Cake Granola
Warm spices and grated carrots make this Carrot Cake Loaf an extremely moist and flavorful treat. This easy loaf cake recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a healthy breakfast that feels like a dessert!
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or golden monk fruit sweetener
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or Lakanto sugar free maple syrup (you can also try swapping with honey, brown rice syrup OR agave)
- 1/3 cup melted and cooled coconut oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup finely grated carrots
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
- organic raisins, no sugar added optional
- 8 oz softened dairy-free cream cheese can use regular if not dairy-free
- 3 tbsp softened refined coconut oil can use butter if not dairy-free
- 3-4 tbsp maple syrup or Lakanto sugar free maple syrup
- 2/3 tsp vanilla extract
- chopped pecans or walnuts for garnish
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 8x4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs with coconut sugar until smooth. Add maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla & mix until combined.
Place a large mesh sieve over bowl and sift in almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, spices & salt. Stir until well combined with no lumps.
Stir in carrots & nuts/raisins, if using.Transfer batter to loaf pan.
Bake for 38-45 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven & cool completely before frosting.
Beat together all the ingredients for frosting and use an offset spatula to spread over cooled loaf. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.
*Nutritional info includes the frosting
Gigi -
This was delicious! My son even enjoyed it. Will definitely be keeping this recipe to Make again. Thank you for this recipe.
Lilly -
Absolutely yummy! I skip the frosting to reduce the calories but still satisfied my picky sweet tooth. Thank you for the recipe 🙂