After a crazy month of December this past year, my family changed our holiday plans at the last minute, bought plane tickets to fly to Arizona, and spent Christmas with my grandparents. Since my parents always host the holidays at their home in California, seeing cacti all decked out in festive twinkling lights was quite a treat!
To keep things simple, we decided to skip almost all presents and focus on spending time together. We didn’t even decorate a tree while in Arizona! However, I drew the line at stockings—everyone deserves to at least open something on Christmas morning!—so I volunteered to put those together. Everyone in our family has a huge {chocoholic} sweet tooth, so there were lots of smiles and empty wrappers by midday on Christmas… I stuffed at least ten different types in those stockings!
Although we usually cook a Thanksgiving-style feast for our Christmas dinner, Mom voted for a low-key meal instead and bought ham, honey mustard and chutneys as toppings, potato salad (as requested by Grandma… when she gets a craving, there’s no stopping her!), ambrosia salad (again, Grandma’s request!), a baguette, and pecan pie for dessert.
After spending the afternoon listening to Grandpa’s stories about his childhood growing up on their Colorado farm and coloring in these fun coloring books, we settled into the comfy couches and chairs with plates of food balanced on our laps to watch the original “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” After she cut everyone else a piece of the pecan pie, my mom quietly handed me a big slice of carrot cake from the grocery store bakery as a special surprise dessert instead. She knew I had been craving it all week, and I slowly savored every single bite of that colossal piece!
Because calories don’t count on Christmas, right??
While I really enjoyed that layered carrot cake on Christmas, I had one main problem with it… Like many store-bought carrot cakes, it was really lacking in veggies and tasted more like a spice cake with a few itty bitty, almost imperceptible orange flecks sprinkled in here and there. Don’t get me wrong—I love cinnamon and cozy spices—but I want my carrot cakes to taste like carrots!
So when we returned home after the holidays, I started working on developing a better carrot cake recipe in my kitchen. After lots of testing, I finally have the perfect one: this Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake! It’s full of those classic cozy spices we all know and love, and it’s finished with sweet cream cheese frosting. But unlike those bakery-style cakes, this one contains a lot fewer calories—and it’s almost healthy enough for breakfast!
It has carrots… And no butter, refined flour, or sugar… And lots of protein… So that should basically count. Right??
The veggies truly star in this carrot cake show! (I’m suddenly having flashbacks to my childhood with dancing cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots in “Veggie Tales…” Please tell me I’m not the only one who watched those movies!) For the best flavor and texture, you’ll use a full 2 ½ cups of freshly grated carrots. Don’t substitute the pre-shredded kind you can buy at the grocery store! Those are thicker and drier, and they won’t soften enough while baking.
Because grating all of those carrots can be tedious (and dangerous—I have a brand new scar on my pinky from battling my box grater!), I have a special tip for you… Use a food processor with the grater attachment instead! It makes the process go a hundred times faster, which means you’re that much closer to eating cake!
Many traditional carrot cake recipes depend on anywhere from half to a full cup of butter or oil to make them moist or tender, but… There aren’t exactly enough hours in the day to exercise and burn off all of those calories! Instead, this lighter recipe of mine uses my favorite ingredient in healthier baking: Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt provides the same moisture and extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked goods a protein boost, too!
To keep this cake clean eating friendly, you’ll skip the refined sugar and sweeten this cake with two different ingredients: pure maple syrup and liquid stevia. Be sure to buy the good stuff when it comes to maple syrup! It’s sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, generally near the oats at the grocery store, but I’ve also bought it online.
As for the stevia, it’s a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener and is very concentrated. A little goes a long way—you’ll only need slightly more than 1 teaspoon to sweeten both layers of cake! I typically buy this brand because it has a lovely sweet flavor and no strange aftertastes, and you can find it in many health-oriented grocery stores. However, I buy mine online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found! (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Once the cake has cooled, it’s time for the cream cheese frosting. You just can’t have carrot cake without it! A bakery once tried to sell me a slice with plain vanilla buttercream instead, and I nearly walked out of the store… No thank you!
For this healthier version, you’ll skip the butter and powdered sugar. It’s made with protein-packed Greek yogurt and Greek yogurt cream cheese! I found my Greek yogurt cream cheese at Safeway (their own Lucerne brand), and many Walmart stores sell this brand. And it’s sweetened with that same liquid stevia you used in the cake, so it’s completely sugar-free!
Time to eat! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy carrot cake!
| The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 ¼ tsp liquid stevia
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- 2 ½ cups (265g) freshly grated carrots (about 4-5 medium, peeled first!)
- for the frosting
- 1 cup (240g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 (8oz) block Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened
- 1 ¼ tsp liquid stevia
- To prepare the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut two 9”-round circles out of wax paper to fit inside two 9”-round cake pans. Lightly coat the two 9”-round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Gently press one wax paper circle into the bottom of each cake pan, and lightly coat the wax paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Mix in the maple syrup and stevia. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake at 350°F for 24-28 minutes, or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting, peeling off the wax paper, and transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- To prepare the frosting, add the Greek yogurt, Greek yogurt cream cheese, and stevia to a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- To assemble the cake, spread a generous dollop of frosting on top of one of the cake layers. Place the second layer on top. Frost the tops and sides.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
Honey or agave may be substituted in place of the pure maple syrup. I do not recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup; your cake will collapse and turn out really dense if you do so.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Neufchâtel (⅓-less fat) cream cheese may be substituted for the Greek yogurt cream cheese. Regular cream cheese and brick-style fat-free cream cheese will also work. Regardless of which cream cheese you use, for the smoothest frosting texture, just make sure it's well softened first!
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ¾ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
LIQUID STEVIA IN CAKE BATTER NOTE: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia! It's one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine. I buy my liquid stevia online here because that's the cheapest price I've found. If you prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the carrot cake batter, you may replace it with an additional ½ cup (120mL) of pure maple syrup AND reduce the milk to ¼ cup (60mL) to compensate for the added liquid volume. Alternatively, substitute ½ cup (96g) of coconut sugar or brown sugar AND reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL) to compensate for the added volume.
LIQUID STEVIA IN FROSTING NOTE: For sweeter frosting, add an additional ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of liquid stevia. I do not recommend substituting other liquid sweeteners (ie pure maple syrup, honey, agave, etc) for the liquid stevia in the frosting. These sweeteners will make the frosting too liquidy, and it won’t stay put once spread onto the cake. For frosting that does not require liquid stevia, use this cream cheese frosting recipe of mine instead.
IMPORTANT CARROT NOTE: Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots. They are too thick and dry, and they won’t soften while the cake bakes.
OTHER MIX-INS: You may add raisins, chopped walnuts, or shredded coconut to the cake if you prefer. However, I do not recommend adding diced or crushed pineapple. The extra liquid in the fruit and juices will cause the cake to collapse while cooling and make it extremely dense.
9X13" CAKE PAN:I haven't yet tried baking this cake in a 9x13" pan, but some readers have said it works! They recommend baking the 9x13" pan at 350°F for 26-32 minutes, or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. (As soon as I test it myself, I'll share my experience here too!)
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar, higher protein}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
Hi! I decided to try this recipe because my father is diabetic and it seemed like a good option, since he loves carrot cake. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t care for it. This is not to say that the recipe is bad. It just wasn’t sweet enough for me, and I’m really nitpicky about my fruit and vegetable based cakes. I was sorry to find that I didn’t care for it: it smelled wonderful and baked very nicely. I didn’t find it bad, though. Just not sweet enough for me. 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Jen! It’s true that this carrot cake isn’t as sweet as the ones that come from traditional bakeries. If you’d like to make it sweeter, you can replace some of the milk with an equal amount of maple syrup. 🙂
Hi Amy,
I made this cake for my cooking class at the local youth centre. Everyone loved it and they couldn’t tell that is was much healthier version!
I omitted the stevia and increased the maple syrup to 1/2 cup. The cake itself wasn’t that sweet (great for me since I don’t like sweet things) so I added granulated sugar to the frosting and the youth gobbled it up. Win win!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the cake Renee! (Did you see the Note about increasing the maple syrup in the bake by an additional ½ cup, for a total of ¾ cup? Just wanted to make sure! 🙂 )
Hi Amy!
I’m planning on baking this for Easter and was just wondering if I could substitute the egg whites for whole eggs. If so, how many whole eggs should I use and how should I adjust the other ingredients? Thank you!
Yes, you can use 3 whole eggs! Just reduce the butter/coconut oil to ½ tablespoon to compensate. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake! And happy Easter!
Hi Amy. In regards to the walnuts, what amount do you recommend in grams? Also what would the rough weight of the egg whites be? Thanks for the help.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Brad! I recommend using regular egg whites that you’ve cracked from the shell, rather than liquid/carton egg whites. As for the walnuts, I’d suggest no more than ½ cup (56g) of finely chopped walnuts. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this carrot cake!
Hi Amy, What would be the substitution for vanilla creme stevia instead of the maple syrup?
Hi Sylvie! I actually answered that exact question posted by another reader a few comments ahead of yours (from Nikki). That’s why I directed you to this recipe — I knew there would already be an answer waiting for you! 🙂 Like I told Nikki, I’d recommend increasing the vanilla creme stevia to 2 full teaspoons and increasing the milk to 1 full cup to compensate for the missing liquid from the maple syrup. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake!
OMG Oups! So sorry! I didn’t read the other comments. Thank you for replying!
You’re welcome Sylvie! 🙂
It’s expected to get the ingredients but should be worth.
Thank you for your kind recipe 🙂
My pleasure Rachel! 🙂
Amy- I cannot wait to try this recipe! I went out to eat with some girlfriends earlier this week and they ordered this monsterous slice of carrot cake to share… I was tempted, but full… so I did not partake… but it has been on my mind ever since lol… I love your recipes, and every one I have tried has been a hit! Thank you so much! Please keep them coming!
You’re so sweet Brooke — that means the world to me! I’m truly honored!! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake! You have much more self-restraint than me… I definitely would’ve caved and eaten a few bites of that restaurant carrot cake! 😉
Absolutely love how the recipe is so comprehensive, recently stumbled upon your blog and it’s become my new obsession. Already made a few recipes and I’m in love. It’s almost like you know what I am thinking as I wonder if I can add extra maple syrup instead of the stevia and lo and behold, it’s in the notes! I really appreciate that consideration and the holistic, user-friendly approach to cleaner, healthy baking. Also, LOOOVVVEEE how the ingredients are mainly things around the house as opposed to scientific terms you sometimes find when it comes to healthy recipes that cost a fortune. Basically, I love your recipes, love the personal touch in the blogs and will definitely be devouring much of this guilt free pleasure.
Much Love
You’re so sweet Joumana — your kind comment just made my day!! I’m truly honored that you’ve become obsessed with my recipes. That’s the best compliment in the world! 🙂 I’m so excited to hear what you try next!
How many equal powdered sweetener or stevia powder sweetener can I substitute for the maple syrup and vanilla cream stevia. Because my husband wants it sugarfree for him to eat cakes, haha, I want to bake this for his birthday. Can you help me pls, because I am searching for a sugarfree carrot cake and I cam across to you blog. We are healthy eating person, that’s why I want to try your recipes one by one. Thank you
I’ve never been on a page with so many ads before!! Like after every picture?? What a pain!! The cake looks delicious, but the ads were so distracting!!!!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Liz! The ads are what allow my recipes to be free for anyone to use. Without the ads, I’d have to shut down my entire blog… And I’d much rather continue to create new recipes for people to try! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this carrot cake!