Healthy Carrot Cake
Posted Mar 01, 2020, Updated Apr 23, 2024
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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!
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 Pineapple Cake: Substitutions
As always, here are a few potential substitutions you can make to ensure this recipe complies with your dietary needs!
- 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.
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.
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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
Healthy Carrot Cake Recipe FAQS
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.
Store the entire cake in the refrigerator loosely covered with plastic wrap or in a cake storage container, or freeze as directed above.
Yes, because the frosting is made with cream cheese I suggest storing this cake in the refrigerator and serving slightly cold.
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 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake:
- 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
Frosting:
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two 6” round cake pans, or one 9×9” square pan with parchment paper and grease. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together egg and apple sauce.
- Add vanilla, sugar and crushed pineapple. Stir until combined.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet and gently mix with a spatula until completely combined.
- Stir in carrots until evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
- Bake in 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.
- Let sit in pan for 5-10 minutes. Use parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on a rack until completely cool.
- While cake is cooling, make the frosting:
- Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy. (you may need to add more powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency if you want to pipe it onto a cake).
- Spread on cake!
Video
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I make this in 2 8×8 round pans? That’s all I have. If so, what would the baking time be? Thanks!!
Looks so yummy! Just what I have been looking with crushed pineapple added. Due to anaphylactic allergy, do you think I could replace the egg with “no egg” or a flax egg & a bit of baking powder? We are also gluten free.
Yes absolutely.
If I don’t want to use applesauce, how much oil should I use instead?
An equal amount!
is it possible to use maple syrup instead of sugar or cut down the sugar a little? thank you!
this was so tasty! i subbed the flour for gluten free measure for measure because my grandma has celiac disease and it turned out perfectly. it tastes exactly like a “normal” carrot cake!
Thank you so much Olivia!
Made this cake and it’s amazing! Moist, delicious, and really hits the spot for my sweet tooth. I used all whole wheat flour and added extra shredded carrot and pineapple (added a little extra flour to make up for the extra moisture). I only used 2.5 cups powdered sugar in the frosting and it’s perfect! I’ll definitely be making it again! Thank you for a healthier recipe!
This is a fantastic recipe. However, I’ve been making it as muffins. I freeze them and then reheat and eat them with honey walnut cream cheese for an easy delicious breakfast. As soon as I eat up 1 batch, I have to make another. I love that it is healthy and delicious. I also love that it is not a huge recipe.
How long do you bake the muffins for?
This recipe is the best, I make it all the time! Was wondering if I could substitute oat flour for plain flour therefore using 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 oat? Thanks:)
Lovely! You must tell me – how did you apply the top ring of nuts without them spilling down the sides? Very impressive!
Very carefully with my hands, then used tweezers to remove some rogue nuts! LOL!
What changes if I want to bake in a 9×13 pan?