After spending my entire three-week Winter Break sinking my teeth into every single dessert I saw—sugar cookies, hazelnut cake, raspberry truffles, and more—I decided to skip all sweets as my New Year’s Resolution during my sophomore year of college. Yes, I now bake and blog as a living… And I enjoy a small treat once, twice, or sometimes three times a day. But that holiday season, my sweet tooth completely spiraled out of control!
That year, I originally challenged myself to shoot for just one quarter—10 weeks, plus another week of finals—without dessert. After those three months passed, resisting treats basically became second nature, so I decided to continue and see if I could go the entire year without a single dessert.
For the record… Dark chocolate does NOT count as dessert. Just like your 8 glasses of water, a small square or two is a daily necessity!
The weekend my birthday rolled around in late June, I had to leave town for a few days. When I returned, I opened my apartment door and found bright purple and yellow crêpe paper strung all around the living room and hanging from the ceiling fan. Matching balloons came flying around the corner, closely followed by my two roommates shouting, “Happy birthday!!”
They handed me tissue paper-filled gift bags and brought out a large homemade sheet cake on our biggest cutting board from the kitchen. “We know you aren’t eating dessert,” the girls explained. “But we still wanted you to be able to make a birthday wish and blow out candles!” After setting down the cake on the coffee table, the three of us knelt down on the carpet with a packet of matches, carefully avoiding the temperamental smoke detector, and began my little birthday celebration.
Since they knew I wouldn’t sneak even a teensy tiny bite, the ladies elected against my preferred fudgy chocolate cake and baked their favorite flavor instead: carrot cake. They followed the directions for a boxed spice cake mix and simply added freshly grated carrots, but they happily finished it off in my honor over the next few days. Now whenever I eat carrot cake, I think of those girls!
My lightened Classic Clean-Eating Carrot Cake is much healthier but still just as easy as their doctored box mix version! Saturated with spices and topped with a generous layer of sweet vanilla ricotta frosting, each large square elicits memories of big church potlucks or decadent Easter feasts, grandma’s famous baking or special family dinners. This simple recipe will immediately win you over, convincing you that carrots are your favorite vegetable and cake is the best way to eat them!
Because I turned to melted coconut oil instead of creaming butter and sugar, there’s absolutely no need for a mixer. Just grab your favorite sturdy spoon or fork and stir! I know, I know… You probably think I’m crazy, adding coconut oil to a classic carrot cake recipe. But I promise you can’t taste the coconut! Its flavor is completely masked by maple syrup and plenty of spices. You’ll use both cinnamon and nutmeg; the latter adds a subtle depth and really helps the cinnamon’s warmth shine.
Like many of my other cake and cupcake recipes, this low-fat one only requires 1 tablespoon of oil. Instead, the majority of the cake’s tender texture comes from Greek yogurt. As a true powerhouse in healthier baking, it contributes lots of moisture while lowering the fat and calories. Bonus: Greek yogurt adds a little extra protein too!
Now for the star of the show… The carrots! Pack in as many as you can: the more the merrier. I mixed in a whopping 2 cups, but if you accidentally measure a little more, go ahead and add in the extra too. Make sure you use freshly grated carrots. Avoid the pre-shredded ones available in the produce section because those are dry and crunchy. Freshly grated carrots contain more moisture and natural juices, which they release as the cake bakes and make it unbelievably moist. Because of that, be sure to spray the pan really well to prevent the cake’s bottom from sticking!
Tip: Grate the carrots using a food processor with a grater attachment to speed up the process!
The frosting is laughably easy to make. Just mix the 4 ingredients together in a bowl with a fork! Do NOT use an electric or stand mixer because those would over-beat the frosting, resulting it a thin runny texture. Unlike cream cheese, ricotta has less of a “cheesy” taste, so this frosting actually tastes more like vanilla than cheese as written. Feel free to adjust the vanilla extract according to your tastes.
Ricotta also contains a grainier texture than cream cheese, so right after mixing the ingredients together, the frosting feels rather grainy on the tongue. As it rests, the graininess gradually fades. I found it best to frost the cake at least 1-2 hours before slicing and serving to really reduce that grainy texture.
Pure veggie dessert bliss.
Loaded with soft carrots and warm spices, this skinny Classic Carrot Cake carries all of the comforting flavors your childhood favorite but none of the guilt of typical oil-laden recipes. Its supremely moist texture draws you back bite after bite… I should know—I ate three slices the day I photographed this cake! One as an after-lunch dessert, another as post-dinner treat, and the third as an I’m-still-hungry-and-craving-something-sweet-as-a-midnight-snack just before bedtime.
Yup, it’s that addictive! Even the Easter Bunny would agree. ♥
| Healthy Classic Carrot Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 1 ½ cups (180g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (about 3 medium, peeled first!)
- for the frosting
- 8 oz (227g) nonfat ricotta cheese
- 3 tbsp (45g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp (30mL) agave
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup and Greek yogurt, thoroughly mixing until no large clumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, stirring just until incorporated, beginning and ending with the flour. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts and the milk in 2 equal parts.) Fold in the carrots.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 28-31 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool completely to room temperature before frosting.
- To prepare the frosting, stir together the ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, agave, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread on top of the cooled cake. Let the frosting set for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the regular whole wheat flour.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup in the cake batter.
Pure maple syrup or honey may be substituted for the agave in the frosting.
As written, the frosting tastes more like vanilla than cheese, so adjust the amount of vanilla to suit your tastes.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Could you substitute with almond flour ?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sue! I typically don’t recommend that substitution in my cake recipes, including this carrot cake. This is because gluten is the protein in wheat-based flours that helps baked goods rise and maintain their shape while cooling. Almond flour lacks that, so when you substitute it for wheat-based flours in my recipes that rise (like cupcakes, cakes, muffins, quick breads, etc!), your baked goods will often turn out denser and may collapse while cooling. Does that make sense?
However, if you don’t mind that texture difference with almond flour (where your carrot cake will collapse and turn out denser), the flavors will still remain the same. Since almond flour is less absorbent than wheat-based flours, I’d also recommend an additional 2-4 tablespoons so the batter is the correct consistency. (It should be fairly thick!) 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making this carrot cake!
Made this cake for my Gran’s 80th and it was a big hit. Thanks for the recipe, it really is amazing and so light. It’s great to be able to have a piece of cake without that heavy, sluggish feeling after.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this carrot cake, Raine! I think you may have left a comment on Instagram too, if my memory is correct… Was that you? If so, I’m so incredibly touched that you’d take the time to let me know both places! ♡ Happy belated birthday to your gran as well!
Can I add raisins and crushed pineapple? If so what amount would you recommend?
Yes, I think that should work! I’d recommend 3-4 tablespoons of hydrated raisins (more on that in a moment!) and no more than ¼ cup of diced pineapple that has been thoroughly drained. It’s important to drain as much excess liquid from the pineapple as possible to prevent the cake from collapsing!
For the raisins, I highly recommend hydrating them before adding them to the batter because it makes them supremely plump and juicy. To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for at least 10 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before folding them into the batter.
I’d love to hear what you think of this carrot cake if you try making it, Nicole!
Hi Amy!
can i substitute the maple syrup with brown sugar here?
also can you give any replacements for greek yogurt??
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Rafia! Yes, you can substitute ½ cup of brown sugar + an extra ¼ cup of milk (to compensate for the missing liquid volume!) in place of the ½ cup of pure maple syrup. In the cake batter, the best substitutes for the Greek yogurt would be plain (non-Greek!) yogurt or non-dairy yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based). I haven’t tried substitutes for the Greek yogurt in the frosting, so I’m not personally sure how they’d work out there.
I’d love to hear what you think of this carrot cake if you end up making it!
Hi, how many calories is this per slice please?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Laura! The full nutrition information (including calories per slice!) is included directly underneath the recipe box. I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of this carrot cake if you try making it!
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing. I’m about to try it out but noticed I don’t have ricotta I have cottage cheese. Would that work?
Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Trista! I haven’t tried cottage cheese as a substitute, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. My biggest concern is that cottage cheese is fairly lumpy compared to ricotta, so you might not get the same smooth consistency in your frosting.
I’d love to hear what you think of this carrot cake if you end up making it!
Thank you, Amy, for sharing this wonderful recipe! I’m in the midst of it now for my grandsons 1 year “smash cake”:). The frosting is a wonderful surprise! Perfectly light with just the right sweetness. Should the frosting be refrigerated until frosting? And the cake once frosted?
Thank you again!
Oh my goodness — I’m truly honored, Carol!! It means the world to me that you’d make my recipe to celebrate such a special occasion. Happy first birthday to your grandson! 🙂
I’m so glad you like the frosting! Yes, if you’ve made the frosting ahead of time, then I’d recommend covering the bowl and refrigerating it until you’re ready to frost the cooled cake. If you’re going to serve the cake within 1-2 hours of frosting it, then it should be okay to leave it out. Otherwise, refrigerating it would be a good idea. I really like using cake carriers (mine isn’t sold in stores anymore, but it’s similar to this one!) to store cakes in the refrigerator. From my experience, they seem to help preserve both the cake’s and frosting’s textures. 🙂
I hope you and your family have a wonderful time celebrating your grandson’s first birthday!
Hi! How would I go about doubling or even tripling this recipe please? Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Tisha! This other carrot cake recipe of mine is baked in a 9×13″ pan. Perhaps that might be a better option for you? 🙂
I haven’t tried doubling this recipe to make in a 9×13″ pan, so I can’t personally guarantee the results of that. However, if you’d like to double it and bake it in two 9″-square pans, that will work!
I’d love to hear what you think if you end up making either carrot cake recipe!
Hi there! Would using full fat Greek yogurt and milk effect the recipe? I don’t typically use non fat but looking forward to trying this recipe for Easter!
It means so much that you’d consider making this as part of your Easter celebration, Caroline! Both full fat Greek yogurt and milk should work as substitutes in the cake batter. I haven’t tried using full fat Greek yogurt in the frosting, so I can’t personally vouch for that substitution… But I have a feeling it should be okay. (I’ve found that full fat Greek yogurt can sometimes be a bit thinner in consistency, depending on the brand, so that’s my main hesitation!)
I’d love to hear what you think of this carrot cake if you do end up making it! 🙂