The Best Sugar-Free Carrot Cake for a Nourishing Holiday Dessert

Carrot cake is the perfect holiday recipe, one of my favs to prepare for Christmas dessert! Filled with warming, classically fall/winter spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove—this recipe is the perfect dessert to make to impress a crowd. 

The holiday season is a time for love and grounding, and of course, the star ingredient here, the carrot, a root vegetable, is naturally grounding and deliciously flavorsome.

I've yet to find one person who doesn't love a good carrot cake, but the real beauty here is that this cake contains no sugar or gluten, making it the gift that keeps on giving, as you and your guests will actually feel wholesome and nourished after eating it (instead of exhausted in a sugar coma 🥴).

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

• 200g almond meal (2 cups)

• 1 tbsp pure monk fruit powder

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon, ground

• 2 tsp mixed spice

• 1 tsp ginger, ground

• 5 eggs

• 200g butter, room temperature

• 3 medium carrots, grated (about 280-300g)

• 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped, plus extra for serving

Frosting:

• 60g cacao butter

• 1⁄2 cup coconut oil

• 1⁄2 cup coconut butter

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 20 drops liquid stevia

METHOD

Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

• Line a 20cm baking tin with parchment paper.

• In a medium bowl combine almond meal, monk fruit, baking powder, and spices.

• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, then stir in the butter. Gently fold in the grated carrot, followed by the almond meal mixture. Stir in the walnuts.

• Spread the mixture into the lined baking tin and place it in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 

• Leave to cool in the tin before turning out.

Frosting:

• Melt the cacao butter, coconut oil, and coconut butter either in the microwave or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Transfer to a new bowl to cool down slightly.

• Stir in the lemon juice and stevia. The mixture will look like it’s separating; this is normal.

• Place in the fridge for 30 minutes, no longer. 

• Remove from the fridge and stir; it will combine better now and will have a soft frosting-like texture.

• Spread the frosting on the cake and top with crushed walnuts. 

• Store at room temperature.

HELPFUL TIPS

The filling is very temperature sensitive—it may take a little timing, patience, and taking in and out of the fridge to get it to the right consistency. If it’s too hot, it will be liquidy, too cold, and it will be rock hard.

If your coconut butter is very oily, instead of adding the 1⁄2 cup of coconut oil, simply use coconut butter instead (making the entire frosting recipe have 1 cup of coconut butter).

Serves: 12–16

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes