I’m partnering with Bob’s Red Mill® to bring you today’s recipe! I absolutely love all of their products, especially their flours, and use them every day. Bob’s Red Mill products are so perfect for baking!
Two years ago, on the day before Easter, I bought a spur-of-the-moment plane ticket to fly down to San Diego to join my parents at my grandma’s house. When I arrived that evening, we sat on the comfy sofas in the living room, catching up and making plans for the following day, which resulted in waking up bright and early to…
Tour open houses! Definitely not our typical Easter Sunday routine, but because I had found a few gorgeous little places while searching online, we drove around the city with our sweet realtor to check out each of them, including a condo right in the middle of downtown with floor to ceiling windows lining every room and an adorable two-story house in grandma’s neighborhood with a stunning and spacious white kitchen.
While walking around the various homes, everyone kept looking at me, asking what I thought and if I could see myself living in each one. They knew how indecisive I can be, which doesn’t exactly work well with the fast-paced housing market in Southern California!
That afternoon, back at grandma’s house, we gathered on the couches again. As we recapped the day, I mulled over each place in my head… And then completely surprised everyone, including myself, when I blurted out the one I wanted to make an offer on within just a few minutes!
We called our wonderful realtor, and she kindly offered to contact the seller and start all of the paperwork. Once we emailed her a few key documents, we all started laughing and smiling. I was moving to Southern California!
To celebrate, Mom and I ran out to the store to buy a carrot cake, one of my two favorite cake flavors. (Chocolate is the other!) However…
With all of the excitement of the day, we completely forgot about it being Easter Sunday—the day where people love serving carrot cake for dessert. Every store was sold out!
Just before we turned in defeat to go, we walked past the tables with other treats (besides cake!) in the supermarket’s bakery section, and I spotted a tray of gluten-free miniature carrot cake cupcakes. We decided to give them a shot for our celebratory dessert, along with the apple pie Grandma had bought earlier, and carried them over to the cashier.
Back at Grandma’s once again, we each tried a mini cupcake… But they were rather plain with very few spices and only a few specks of bright orange carrots. They tasted like doctored up vanilla cupcakes, not like true carrot cake!
Yet this Healthy Carrot Bundt Cake would’ve totally satisfied my cravings! It’s supremely moist, exactly the way I love my carrot cake’s texture to be, and it has a lovely balance of mouthwatering sweetness and cozy spices… Along with tons of juicy carrots in every bite!
And unlike those store-bought treats, this healthy recipe contains no artificial ingredients, refined flour or sugar and only 135 calories in each slice!
I’m already counting down the days until Easter… I’m definitely planning on baking it yet again!
So let’s go over how to make this healthy carrot bundt cake!
You’ll actually start with Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour! It’s one of my all-time favorite pantry staples. It has a really fine texture, very similar to cake flour, but it has the same health benefits (like extra fiber!) of regular whole wheat flour. This makes it absolutely perfect for healthier baking, especially when you want a really moist and tender texture like in this healthy carrot bundt cake!
Tip: I also love Bob’s Red Mill® Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and it works so well for a gluten-free healthy carrot bundt cake option!
Next, you’ll whisk in baking powder, baking soda, and lots of spices. Those include cinnamon (this kind is my favorite!), allspice, and nutmeg. While cinnamon is the most classic spice for carrot cake, I found the allspice and nutmeg added a greater depth and richness to the flavor. It’s definitely worth adding all three!
In another bowl, you’ll add a small amount of melted butter—just 1 tablespoon! That teensy amount really helps keep your healthy carrot bundt cake low calorie and low fat. (And because it’s melted, you don’t actually need to use a mixer for this recipe. Just a whisk and fork!) But it still tastes just as moist as those other traditional recipes because of…
Greek yogurt! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know how much I love baking with it. Greek yogurt adds the same moisture to your cake batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it also adds a nice protein boost to your healthy carrot bundt cake!
As for another protein source? You’ll use 4 egg whites in your cake batter! The protein in the egg whites actually helps your healthy carrot bundt cake maintain its shape while it’s in the oven, as well as while it’s cooling on your counter. (A fun and nerdy baking fact!)
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your healthy carrot bundt cake with two other ingredients: liquid stevia and erythritol. Both of these are plant-based, no-calorie sweeteners that contain nothing refined or artificial (aka they’re clean eating friendly!). I actually buy them online: here for the liquid stevia and here for the erythritol.
I always try to use as few ingredients as possible in order to keep my recipes simple for you. However, when I tried using just the liquid stevia, this cake didn’t taste sweet enough… It has a flavor similar to muffins or a breakfast quick bread, rather than a deliciously sweet dessert.
Yet when I added the erythritol as a second sweetener, that all magically changed! This healthy carrot bundt cake definitely tasted just as sweet as ones I’ve bought from bakeries, so I promise it’s worth using both!
Nerd Alert!
There’s one slightly unpredictable secret ingredient in this cake, which is plain white vinegar. I know, it sounds a little strange! But the vinegar (an acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base) to create air bubbles. Those air bubbles help your cake rise in the oven, and they also give your healthy carrot bundt cake a supremely moist texture.
Even though it may make the batter smell a little funky, I promise you can’t taste the vinegar in your fully baked cake—its flavor completely bakes off!
Nerd Alert #2!
You’ve now reached a key step of this recipe! It’s called alternating additions. That simply means you alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk to your main mixing bowl.
By alternating between those two, and gently stirring just until the ingredients are incorporated (do this by hand—no mixers please!), it prevents long gluten strands from forming. Long gluten strands lead to a tough or gummy texture. Not good! But if you alternate your additions, and you use a gentle hand with stirring, your healthy carrot bundt cake will turn out incredibly moist and tender.
Yet of course… You can’t make carrot cake without the carrots! You need freshly grated carrots for this recipe. Do not substitute store-bought shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots)! Those are thicker and drier than freshly grated carrots, so they don’t soften properly while baking. I promise it’s worth the extra effort of freshly grating your own!
Tip: If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, that makes the process go by much faster!
Almost time to bake! Before you add your cake batter to the pan, make sure you generously coat your bundt pan with cooking spray. Compared to the smooth edges of round or rectangular cake pans, bundt pans have lots more nooks and crannies. If you don’t spray all of those nooks and crannies really well with cooking spray, your bundt cake might stick to the pan… So be thorough, and your healthy carrot bundt cake should slide right out!
Tip: If you own cooking spray with flour, that’s even better to use!
One last thing! Just about everyone I know loves their carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting… So this healthy carrot bundt cake includes a simple cream cheese drizzle! Just mix together a little softened light cream cheese, more liquid stevia, and a hint of milk.
Once your healthy carrot bundt cake is fully cool, transfer that cream cheese mixture to a zip-topped bag, snip off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle it all over the your healthy carrot bundt cake!
Then carve yourself a well-deserved slice! (Or two, I’m not judging!) ???? 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 bundt cake!
| Healthy Carrot Bundt Cake | | Print |
- for the cake
- 3 ½ cups (420g) Bob’s Red Mill® Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (measured like this—and see the Notes below for a gluten-free option!)
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground allspice
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15mL) vanilla extract
- 5 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- 6 tbsp (54g) confectioners’ style erythritol
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) white vinegar
- 1 cup + 6 tbsp (330mL) nonfat milk
- 3 cups (315g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first!)
- for the drizzle
- 3 tbsp (42g) well softened light cream cheese (see Notes)
- 4 ½ tsp nonfat milk
- ⅜ tsp liquid stevia, or adjusted to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and generously coat a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or nonstick cooking spray with flour.
- To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the erythritol. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the vinegar and 1 cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 70-80 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled to room temperature and just before serving, prepare the drizzle. Mix together the softened cream cheese, milk, and stevia in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped plastic bag, cut off a tiny piece of one corner, and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Bob’s Red Mill® Ivory Whole Wheat Flour or All-Purpose Flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat pastry flour. Their Regular Whole Wheat Flour may be substituted in a pinch, although the cake may have a slight wheat-y flavor.
It’s extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture, instead of having it turn out moist and tender!
The cake requires 4 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it online here.) However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) granulated sugar and reduce the milk to 1 cup (240mL), but the cake will no longer be clean-eating friendly. You may substitute 2 ¼ cups (432g) coconut sugar and reduce the milk to 1 cup (240mL) to keep the cake clean eating friendly. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well. Do not substitute honey, maple syrup, or agave because the cake batter will be much too liquidy with any of those.
Coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar may be substituted in place of the confectioners’ style erythritol. Granulated sucralose (Splenda) will also work in place of the confectioners’ style erythritol, if you prefer a different no-calorie granulated sweetener.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and give it a better texture. You can’t taste it in the finished cake—I promise!
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in a dense or tough cake. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
Make sure you coat your bundt pan really well with cooking spray! (This is the bundt pan that I use!) With so many nooks and crannies, compared to traditional round or rectangular cake pans, the batter has more chances to stick to the sides, so a generous coating of cooking spray will ensure your bundt cake slides right out of the pan.
Neufchâtel cream cheese, Greek yogurt cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese will all work in the drizzle. Regular full-fat cream cheese will also work. Whatever you’re using, just make sure it’s well softened first!
If you prefer not to use liquid stevia in the drizzle, then substitute 3 tablespoons of confectioners’ style erythritol or powdered sugar, and reduce the milk to 1-2 teaspoons (or adjust the amount to get your desired consistency).
For more drizzle, double the drizzle.
If you have a 6-cup bundt pan, you can make a half-recipe and bake at 350°F for 60-70 minutes instead.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill®. As always, all text, opinions, photographs, and recipe are my own. To find Bob’s Red Mill® products at a store near you, use their handy store locator here!
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡ Healthier Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♡ Healthy Small Batch Carrot Sheet Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Pound Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookie Cake
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy carrot cake recipes!
What happens if I add pecans, or pineapple or raisins? Would I have to make adjustments?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Phyllis! If you add pecans and raisins, you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments. The pineapple is a bit trickier because it adds moisture to the batter, which can affect the baking time (and the texture — if there’s too much moisture, the cake can collapse while cooling!). I think if you diced the pineapple and used no more than ½ cup, then drained it thoroughly before adding, that would probably be best. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try making this cake!
Thank you! I will try it within the next few weeks to see if it will be on the Easter lunch menu.
It’s my pleasure Phyllis! Always happy to help! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
I made your carrot cake quick bread today for the first time and it was fantastic! I can’t wait to try out this recipe next! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed my carrot cake quick bread Casey! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this cake too!
Bummer, saw this on my FB feed under Bob’s Red Mill—and silly me assumed it was vegan—but, no joy.
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes Carla! It should be possible to veganize this recipe. Substitute your favorite non-dairy yogurt and milk, and use coconut oil instead of butter. For the egg whites, my favorite replacement is Ener-G. (My brother is actually allergic to eggs, so I have a lot of experience with this particular sub!) Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of coconut oil or Earth Balance for each egg yolk, although that doesn’t apply to this particular recipe!). I can’t wait to hear what you think of this bundt cake if you decide to try it!
Hello Amy!
I’m digging your recipe. But, there is one thing I cannot have that is apart of your recipe, the yogurt. Is there something I can substitute for the yogurt? Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Missy! The best substitute would be a dairy-free yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based yogurt). 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this cake if you try making it!