Healthy Carrot Cake

Name: Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ cup whole wheat flour; ½ cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ cup unsweetened applesauce; 1 egg (lightly beaten); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ cup crushed pineapple; ¾ cup carrots (finely grated shredded or blended); 8 ounces cream cheese ((room temperature)); ¼ cup salted butter ((softened)); 3-4 cups powdered sugar*; ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

By Laura

Posted Mar 01, 2020, Updated Apr 23, 2024

5 from 32 votes

52 Comments

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This healthy carrot cake is a lighter version of a classic spring dessert. It is easy to make, lower in sugar & has no butter or oil!

a slice of healthy carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and pecans

Carrot cake is one of my favorite, non-chocolate, dessert recipes – and this healthy carrot cake is just as delicious as it’s classic counterpart but lightened up.

This healthy carrot cake is a tried and true recipe that I have been making for years, and is a delicious spring dessert.

It’s a lightened-up version of everyones favorite! It has a fraction of the sugar and calories but doesn’t sacrifice an ounce of taste or texture. The moistness and sweetness come from replacing butter, oil and most of the sugar with applesauce and pineapple!

Also, try this classic carrot cake recipe or these carrot cake cupcakes!

healthy carrot cake with pineapple on a cake plate frosting with cream cheese frosting roses and sprinkled with pecans

Healthy Carrot Pineapple Cake: Substitutions

As always, here are a few potential substitutions you can make to ensure this recipe complies with your dietary needs!

overhead photo of the labeled ingredients in this healthy carrot cake recipe

Flour: This recipe calls for 1 cup of flour total. You can use 1 cup of all-purpose flour (and no whole wheat flour) or substitute the regular flour for all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Granulated Sugar: I recommend using raw, organic sugar. However, if you’d like a refined sugar-free option you may substitute coconut sugar.
Crushed Pineapple: I use canned crushed pineapple in this recipe, but you absolutely may use fresh pineapple and toss it in your blender to achieved that crushed texture.
Cream cheese: If you are avoiding dairy simply choose a dairy-free cream cheese or omit the frosting all together.

slice of healthy pineapple carrot cake on a plate with a fork

How to Make Healthy Carrot Cake:

Let’s walk through making this carrot cake step-by-step, to ensure your success! First, I have a note about the size of this carrot cake recipe:

Note on Pan size/Doubling

This recipe calls for two, 6″ round pans. This yields enough cake to feed our family of 8 three times! However, you can double the recipe and bake in two, 9″ round cake pans.

Begin this recipe by mixing together the dry ingredients. This ensures that they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

two photos showing how to make pineapple carrot cake - combining dry ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients and stir until they are completely combined.

Next, add the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).

two photos showing how to make pineapple carrot cake - adding sugar and dry ingredients

Then gently fold the finely grated carrots into the batter. If you process or blend them to make them undetectable, add them with the wet ingredients above.

A tip for Picky eaters

If you have picky eaters, (i.e. anyone who will not touch a cake if they see a fleck of carrot or pineapple in there) then I recommend putting the carrots and pineapple in a food processor or blender process/blend until smooth before folding them into the batter.

two photos showing how to make pineapple carrot cake - adding carrots to batter

Bake & Cool

Line two cake pans and grease or butter the sides/bottom. I trace the cake pans on parchment paper, draw handles and cut them out for easy removal (see the photo below).

two photos showing how to line cake pans with parchment paper

Next, evenly distribute the batter between the two cake pans. Then bake them in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Healthy Carrot Cake batter in two cake pans before baking

Then, let the carrot cakes cool in the pan for about 30-60 minutes before using the handles to lift the cakes out of the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. I often put cakes in the freezer before frosting to reduce crumbs.

two Healthy Carrot Cake rounds on a wire cooling rack

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

What’s carrot cake without cream cheese frosting? It’s my all-time favorite (used on these cinnamon rolls), and I could seriously eat it by the spoonful. Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature before making the frosting. Also, if you want a thicker frosting (like if you plan on piping it on, as it is in these photos), use more powder sugar until it reaches your desired consistency!

overhead photo showing how to make cream cheese frosting with a hand held mixer

Frost the Healthy Carrot Cake

Use some of the frosting to place between the two layers, and then decorate the carrot cake however with pineapple you’d like! I chose to use a Wilton 1M tip and make a rosette pattern for these photos, but I often just spread it on!

two photos showing how to make healthy carrot cake - frosting the cake rounds

Cake Decorating Tools

I use the following tools to decorate this pineapple carrot cake:

Piping bags – I have both reusable and disposable piping bags and use them all the time.
Piping tips and couplers – I recommend a great starter tip and coupler set. However the Wilton 1M tip and large coupler are my favorite – and can be used in so many ways.

Chill and Serve

To ensure the frosting hardens a bit and the cake is chilled, transfer the decorated cake to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight!

front view of a Healthy Carrot Cake frosting with cream cheese roses topped with pecans

Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe FAQS

Can you freeze carrot cake?

YES! I froze the entire cake for two weeks before shooting and eating it! Here is how to freeze it:
Transfer frosted cake to the freezer, uncovered.
Freeze for 6 hours, or until the frosting has hardened and won’t stick to plastic wrap.
Wrap the entire cake with plastic wrap thoroughly.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

How do you store carrot cake?

Store the entire cake in the refrigerator loosely covered with plastic wrap or in a cake storage container, or freeze as directed above.

Do you have to refrigeratore carrot cake?

Yes, because the frosting is made with cream cheese I suggest storing this cake in the refrigerator and serving slightly cold.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can double the cake recipe and bake it in two, round 9″ cake pans instead of 6″ pans.

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Healthy Carrot Cake

Healthy Carrot Pineapple Cake: Substitutions

How to Make Healthy Carrot Cake:

Note on Pan size/Doubling