• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

gathered nutrition

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch + Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
  • Wellness
    • Skincare and Beauty
  • Favorites
    • Discount Codes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Chicago Restaurants
  • Contact

Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

April 10, 2020 by Mia Zarlengo 34 Comments

The BEST gluten free carrot cake. It’s moist, fluffy, and so delicious. With the easiest greek yogurt cream cheese frosting.

This carrot cake is soft, fluffy, and moist. You would never know it’s gluten free! The base of almond flour and oat flour make for the best soft and spongey cake texture, and the carrots and yogurt add the perfect level of moisture to the cake.

The frosting is so simple to make- it’s made using yogurt in place of cream cheese, so it’s easy to whip up and a bit of a healthier option!

The cinnamon and nutmeg add the best flavor to this cake, and if you add the raisins or pecans, they make for an amazing texture addition to the soft cake. If you aren’t in to raisins or pecans in your cake, you can totally skip them and the cake is still amazing without!

This is the perfect Spring/Easter (or anytime!!) dessert. I think this is definitely one of my top favorite recipes I have ever made. The texture and flavor are perfect, and it’s so easy!

Can’t wait to hear what you guys think šŸ™‚ Enjoy!!

Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon

Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

★★★★★ 5 from 30 reviews
  • Author: Mia Zarlengo
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
Print
Pin

Description

Gluten free and refined sugar free carrot cake with the easiest cream cheese frosting!


Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter, melted (or sub coconut oil) ā €
  • 2 large eggs ā €
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup ā €
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar ā €
  • 1/4 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt (can sub dairy free yogurt or sour cream)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 + 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots
  • 1 + 1/3 cup fine almond flour
  • 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp oat flour ā €
  • 1/3 cup gluten free old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg ā €
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt ā €
  • 1 tsp baking soda ā €
  • Optional add ins: raisins, pecans

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup plain greek style yogurt
  • 2 tbspĀ maple syrup
  • 1/2 tspĀ coconut sugar
  • Small splash of vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon and coconut sugar for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8x8in square baking dish (or a standard 9in cake pan) with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, maple syrup, coconut sugar, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the shredded carrots.Ā 
  3. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, and stir until a smooth batter forms. If adding, fold in your pecans and/or raisins here.Ā 
  4. Pour the batter into your parchment-lined baking dish and use a spatula to spread it evenly.
  5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (using a round cake pan will need more bake time). Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully lift by the parchment paper to transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. Don’t skip this cooling process, or your cake will not hold together well or be cooked all the way in the center!Ā 
  6. While cake is cooling, whisk the frosting ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. If frosting is a bit too thin, add more yogurt as needed. Once cake is cooled, spread frosting on top and sprinkle with cinnamon and coconut sugar (optional). Slice into 12 squares. Once frosted, store leftovers in the refrigerator (or leave unfrosted on the counter).

Notes

* I have not tested this with any flour substitutes! I cannot guarantee what results you will get if you do!Ā 

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @gatherednutrition on Instagram

Filed Under: Dessert, Recipes

Previous Post: « Stuffed Mediterranean Burgers + Easy Lemon Potatoes
Next Post: Chocolate Paleo Granola »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jess B

    April 13, 2020 at 12:10 am

    Absolute best carrot cake I’ve ever had in my life! This is for real lifechanging. We made it for Easter and we couldn’t believe how delicious it was, especially for everyone in my family who loves traditional cream cheese frosting! Carrot cake is my dad’s favorite dessert of all time and he loved it so much. My mom and I love all your recipes but think this one wins. Will be making this again and again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mia Zarlengo

      April 13, 2020 at 4:07 pm

      Yay! This makes my day- thank you so much Jess! I honestly can’t stop eating this one šŸ™‚ So glad you guys loved it too!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 13, 2020 at 4:59 pm

        Best recipe I’ve ever made

        ★★★★★

        Reply
  2. Karli

    April 13, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    So good and easy to make!! Mine took a little longer then 25 minutes. So delicious and perfect for Easter!!! It’s a guilt free dessert that still taste amazing. Would make it again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Emma

    April 13, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    Loved making this! It was so simple and turned out great! I’m a sucker for frosting so I doubled the amount to make a thicker layer.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mia Zarlengo

      April 13, 2020 at 4:23 pm

      I love that you doubled the frosting!! It’s my fave part šŸ™‚ Thanks so much Emma! xo

      Reply
  4. Chels M

    April 13, 2020 at 4:25 pm

    So good & so easy to make! I was skeptical of the frosting at first but the flavor was amazing and my family had no idea it was yogurt based. Can’t wait to make it for ever Easter šŸ™‚

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Kaitie

    April 13, 2020 at 4:32 pm

    I loved this! Carrot cake is my boyfriends favorite dessert and he really enjoyed it! I made a vegan version using flax seeds for the ā€œeggā€ and used vegan butter and vegan greek style yogurt. It turned out so nicely!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Ashley L

    April 13, 2020 at 4:47 pm

    This was amazing! I love all of your recipes and this once, to no surprise, was just as good as the others! My family could not get enough of this yesterday for our Easter dessert šŸ˜‹ thanks, again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  7. Alana

    April 13, 2020 at 4:51 pm

    I made this for Easter and it was absolutely amazing! Even my boyfriend who usually refuses to eat gluten free foods loved it!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Jordan

    April 13, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    Seriously stop what you’re doing right now & make this carrot cake! It is unreal! I promise you won’t regret baking & eating this cake

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. Sandy

    April 13, 2020 at 5:00 pm

    Delicious, super moist, and not too sweet!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. Sarah

    April 13, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    So so yummy!! I ran out of yogurt so I ended up going with a traditional cream cheese frosting, but the cake base was to die for. My brothers who refuse to eat anything gluten free or remotely healthy loved this, as did the rest of my family. Will be making again and again – next time with the yogurt-based frosting! Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. meg

    April 13, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    I made these for Easter and my entire family was obsessed! I made them dairy free and used cashew milk yogurt and they turned out amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Emily

    April 13, 2020 at 5:51 pm

    Made this for my whole family on Easter and they loved it!! Need to make this again ASAP

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Erica Bugarin

    April 13, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    Best carrot cake I’ve ever made and so easy to make also!!! Was definitely a big hit at my home.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Mariana

    April 13, 2020 at 6:08 pm

    So delicious! My sister in law and I made it together last night (me in Chicago, she in Salt Lake City) and both batches turned out amazing!! Will make again. Also toddler approved.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Marianna

    April 13, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    So yum and so easy to make loved it! It’s my best dessert out of the fridge and with some morning coffee in bed ā™„ļø

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Alena C

    April 13, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    Best carrot cake we’ve ever had!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  17. Georgia

    April 13, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    So good! I made the cake with df cashew yogurt but kept the Greek yogurt in the frosting. Turned out great – love this recipe!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  18. Katie

    April 13, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    This recipe is amazing! Perfect carrot cake flavor. I was looking for a slightly healthier carrot cake for Easter since we’d already had a lot of sweets, and this was perfect. I had oat flour but ran out of rolled oats so I subbed in shredded coconut for the 1/3 c rolled oats, and it turned out great – though a little fudgier in the middle than the original recipe because the oats weren’t there to soak up liquid. Thank you for this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  19. Ellen

    April 13, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    super Easy recipe to follow and make. I added crushed pecans to ours and it was delicious! Very moist. Everyone loved it so it went pretty quickly!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. MacKenzie

    April 13, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    This is the best guilt free carrot cake that I’ve made! So yummy!!! Easy and quick recipe with staples that you’d have at home. Next time I might just double the frosting šŸ™‚

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  21. dana

    April 14, 2020 at 1:34 am

    I love everything about this recipe! first off it tastes amazing like… how is this healthy!! it’s also super easy and quick to make, will be making this many many more times!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  22. Kathryn

    April 14, 2020 at 2:39 am

    I made this for Easter and it was delicious! Will definitely be making again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Patty

    April 14, 2020 at 2:57 pm

    Perfect dessert or breakfast in my case!! Loved it! Thank you for sharing.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  24. Shayla

    April 14, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    Loved this recipe!! Made this for an Easter treat and it was honestly better than I was expecting. My boyfriend didn’t believe me when I told him it was a healthy version.. that’s when you know it’s good. If you can somehow not eat the entire cake in day 1 you’ll be rewarded because it’s even better the next day after sitting in the fridge *drools on keyboard* Thanks Mia!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  25. Supriya Satya

    April 17, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    Hi there – I was excited to try making this over the weekend, but couldn’t find oat flour at the store šŸ™ Are there any substitutions you recommend?

    Reply
    • Mia Zarlengo

      April 19, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      Hi! I’ve been making my own by grinding up rolled oats in the blender šŸ™‚ If you can get your hands on oats I definitely recommend that!

      Reply
  26. Michaela D

    April 27, 2020 at 4:56 am

    Loved these!!
    I subbed the oat flour for cassava (all I had), and they still turned out great. A little fragile when cutting, and baked for about 24 min.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  27. Natalie

    May 5, 2020 at 4:52 pm

    So delicious! Perfect spring dessert!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  28. Emily

    January 8, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    This recipe is so delicious – I’ve made it multiple times! Even my family (usually very skeptical of “healthier” recipes) devours this.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  29. Katie

    April 6, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    The best carrot cake that you wouldn’t even know is gluten free or made with yogurt frosting! Made this for Easter and my whole family raved about it, so so good and love that it doesn’t leave you with that ā€œI just ate cakeā€ feeling afterward!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  30. Lizette

    April 7, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Sooo good! Another fav for the family. The icing dud better after being in the refrigerator a bit.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About me

Welcome! I am so happy you chose to gather around my table. My name is Mia Zarlengo, and I am a registered dietitian with a passion for simple healthy recipes, women's hormonal health, and overall wellness! Read More…

Click for my kitchen essentials

Click for my restaurant guide to Chicago

Follow me!

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

gatherednutrition

by Mia Swinehart, MS, RD, LDN
good morning from me and my favorite gluten free a good morning from me and my favorite gluten free and dairy free cinnamon roll bread šŸ¤ with the best simple cream cheese glaze. perfectly sweet, fluffy, and moist. heaven! link in bio for the recipešŸ„–

https://gatherednutrition.com/gluten-free-cinnamon-bread-with-maple-cream-cheese-glaze/
superfood vegan pesto šŸ’«so bright, fresh, and pa superfood vegan pesto šŸ’«so bright, fresh, and packed with tonsss of nutrients. it’s the best sauce to have prepped- plus it’s nut free! serve it with pasta, pizza, on toast, salads, or drizzled on veggies. recipe link in bio šŸ¤

https://gatherednutrition.com/superfood-vegan-pesto/
chocolate caramel peanut butter crunch no bake coo chocolate caramel peanut butter crunch no bake cookies šŸ˜ššŸ¤ŒšŸ¼ gluten free + vegan. these are heavenly. the best combo of flavors and the most perfect texture!! they make a big batch to keep some in the fridge and and some in the freezer for later. recipe linked in my bio!

https://gatherednutrition.com/no-bake-chocolate-caramel-peanut-butter-crunch-cookies/
happy sunday! go buy yourself some flowers šŸ’šŸ’›

Privacy Policy

Footer

Gathered Nutrition, Inc.

Copyright © 2021 gathered nutrition on the Foodie Pro Theme