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Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe with Maple Syrup

March 16, 2018 Rebecca Baron 28 Comments

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Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe with Maple Syrup {Gluten-Free, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free}

This is the best Paleo carrot cake recipe! It's made with maple syrup instead of sugar plus it's gluten-free and healthy and clean eating. When I was pregnant with my first child, carrot cake was my craving of choice.  I was like a carrot cake junkie! Anywhere I went I just had to have it. I wasn't on any diet restrictions back then, so I went so far as to buy those little cake squares at 7-11 - it was quite the craving.

Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe with Maple Syrup {Gluten-Free, Clean Eating, Dairy-Free}

To this day, carrot is my FAVORITE cake. I mean, really, what’s NOT to love? The moistness, the carrots, the raisins, the cinnamon, the thick cream cheese frosting (I’m drooling already!) But guess what? A slice, ok, ok, 3 slices of carrot cake when pregnant is just fine, in my book anyway.  So, what about now?

I can’t dive into a moist delicious, Über fattening piece of carrot cake because although it makes my heart skip a beat, my waist is like “No way LADY! Red Alert! Red Alert!” what’s a gal to do? Well, if you’re anything like me, and your mind works like mine, then that’s super scary and you’ll also have come up with some way to indulge without all that added fat! Right? RIGHT???

I’ve come up with "my" tried and true recipe for the best carrot cake and it's Paleo you’ll ever indulge in all the while being good to your waistline, and hips, and anywhere else you gain weight. Yes, I love you, too! I came up with this recipe when I wanted my favorite birthday cake (carrot), but I was on the Paleo diet and knew my old recipe just wasn't going to cut it. I'm glad I tried this because I love it - and I don't feel bad after eating it. HUGE bonus!

I would love to know what you think of this recipe, especially if you miss the cream cheese frosting that's in traditional carrot cakes. Please comment below!

Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe

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Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe

Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe with Maple Syrup

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: Paleo
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Description

This carrot cake which is Paleo is made with maple syrup *, carrots, raisins, cinnamon, and a thick "cream cheese" frosting is not only delicious, but healthy too!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 medium-sized Carrots (peeled and shredded)
  • ¾ Cup Raisins (optional)
  • 1 Cup Pure maple syrup *
  • ¾ Cup Coconut Flour * (sifted once to remove lumps)
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Ground Organic Saigon Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Real Salt *
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 10 Eggs (pastured)
  • 1 ¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree (one 15 oz. can)
  • 1 Tbl Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Coconut Oil (melted and cooled)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3 ⅓ Cup Raw Cashews
  • 4-5 Cups Boiling Water
  • 1 Cup Coconut Oil (melted and cooled)
  • 1 Cup Pure Maple Syrup *
  • 3 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • ½ tsp Real Salt *
  • Pinch Ground Ginger (optional)

Instructions

  1. Stir the shredded carrots and raisins (if using) together with the maple syrup and refrigerate for one hour.
  2. Heat the oven to 325. Grease two 9" cake pans with coconut oil and dust with coconut flour, line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper cut to fit and set aside. If using a Bundt pan, grease and flour as described and set aside.
  3. Combine the coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.
  4. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until combined.
  5. Add the pumpkin puree, vanilla, coconut oil and orange zest (if using) and beat until well combined.
  6. Fold in the dry ingredient mixture until just combined.
  7. Fold in the maple syrup/carrot mixture until evenly combined.
  8. Divide the batter between the cake pans, or pour into the Bundt pan.
  9. Bake 35-40 minutes in cake pans, or 1 hr and 20-30 minutes in Bundt pan. Cakes are done when a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
  10. Let the cakes cool completely before removing from pans and frosting. Loosen the cakes from the sides of the pan with a knife for easier removal.

Creme Cheese Frosting

  1. Place the cashews in a heat-safe container and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 - 30 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again to remove as much water as possible.
  2. Transfer the cashews to a food processor and process until they're broken down into a paste. Add the remaining frosting ingredients one at a time, processing well after each addition. Continue to process until the mixture is very smooth. Add a tablespoon or two of your favorite paleo milk if the mixture is too thick.
  3. Transfer the frosting to a freezer-safe bowl and freeze about 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from freezer and beat with an electric mixer until the frosting begins to thicken.
  5. Return the frosting to the freezer for another 30 minutes. Remove and beat until thick. At this point, the frosting should thicken quickly. If it's too thick to spread easily, let it sit out at room temperature until it softens slightly.
  6. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  7. Frost the cooled cake as you like. Use plenty of frosting between the layers for a tall, beautiful cake.

Keywords: healthy, Paleo, traditional

Paleo Carrot Cake Recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alyssa Sheehan

    April 04, 2020 at 10:51 pm

    I'd love to try this for Easter! Just to confirm, this recipe calls for 10 eggs, correct? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Rebecca Baron

      April 09, 2020 at 10:35 am

      Correct.

      Reply
  2. ALYSSA A SHEEHAN

    April 03, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I really want to try this! Just to be clear, the recipe calls for 10 eggs, correct?

    Reply
  3. Samantha Eichel

    September 03, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    Soaked cashews in room temp for 6 hours. Pro tip: keep it cool, anything over 80 degrees makes the frosting melt!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  4. Libby

    March 30, 2018 at 9:24 am

    Can you sub the maple syrup for honey? Looking to cut back on the sugar!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      April 04, 2018 at 9:08 am

      I supposed, but it would be like subbing white sugar for brown sugar and would change the taste and you would probably need to use a different amount. A Google search could tell you the difference. Another thought is that you could probably get away with use less of the maple syrup, although that would change the moisture content of the cake. . .

      Reply
  5. Marylou

    March 20, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    I'm looking for a good carrot cake recipe that's Paleo. I see this one has Pumpkin in it. Both my husband and I hate anything pumpkin, so can you tell me if the flavor of pumpkin comes through in each bite, or is it absorbed so the cake doesn't have a pumpkin taste? The recipe sounds awesome until I get to "pumpkin" so thank you for your advice.

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      March 22, 2018 at 8:40 pm

      Hum. I don't think it's very pumpkin-y, but I like pumpkin things, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. It does have a pretty decent amount of pumpkin, but not as much as carrots.

      Reply
      • Daga

        March 11, 2019 at 7:41 am

        Can I use apple sauce instead of the pumpkin? If yes, what quantity?

        Reply
        • Rebecca

          March 13, 2019 at 6:25 pm

          I'm not sure. I haven't tried it. The consistency isn't quite the same so I couldn't tell you without testing it myself. Sorry I'm not more help.

          Reply
  6. Emma

    August 14, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    Looks really interesting, planning to make this tomorrow. I don't see the amount of raisins that are needed. Can you tell me how much you used? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      August 19, 2015 at 6:04 pm

      Honestly I probably put a different amount any time I make it. I kind of just eye the amount depending on who will be eating it. Some people really don't like raisins and so I will put in less but if you like more go ahead and put more. It is all preference and it won't make a difference to the recipe taste.

      Reply
  7. Ann Flinchum

    May 17, 2015 at 5:42 pm

    I may have just missed it, but, how many eggs does this recipe call for? Looks sooo good!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      June 02, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Alright, looks like part of the ingredients got accidentally taken off. I was able to fix the problem so it should be good now. Thank you for letting me know about that error. It was appreciated!

      Reply
  8. Malen

    April 28, 2014 at 10:16 am

    I have tried a lot of coconut flour recipes but havent had a carrot cake before with coconut flour. I am definitely trying this.

    Reply
  9. VH

    April 18, 2014 at 2:47 pm

    recipe takes much longer in a bundt pan at 325F So far its' been in for 60 minutes and still wasnt done. In for another 30..here's hoping!

    Reply
    • VH

      April 18, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      smells amazing though! Texture was perfect! Can hardly wait for the finished results!

      Reply
    • VH

      April 18, 2014 at 3:08 pm

      done in a bundt pan a@ 325F for 1hour 20 minutes.

      Reply
  10. Mindy

    April 12, 2014 at 8:38 pm

    Do I strain/drain the carriots from the marinade prior to fooling in?

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      April 14, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Nope.

      Reply
  11. Laurie

    February 19, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    Wow...I used this recipie to make mini muffins. We had 72 amazing mini muffins. This is an excellent recipie and it is going in my binder. Only the best of the best go in my binder. Thanks for sharing this....

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      February 25, 2014 at 1:29 pm

      I'm glad you like it! Thanks for visiting.

      Reply
  12. Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

    February 05, 2014 at 11:15 am

    I have never heard of Carrot Flour but I can tell that is must be great. This cake is gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      February 10, 2014 at 11:47 am

      Do you mean carrot flour or coconut flour? Coconut flour is a very popular grain-free ingredient.

      Reply
  13. rebecca u.

    December 24, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    I love this recipe, it looks amazing. My husband's favorite is carrot cake, so I think he will LOVE this! Thank you!

    Reply
  14. melody

    December 06, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    This looks like a really great recipe! I can't wait to try. The rosettes are gorgeous.

    Reply
  15. Ladan

    November 14, 2013 at 9:42 am

    Hi Rebecca . You do not have any idea how much I enjoy reading your recipes especially this carrot cake which is my favorite cake . I am going to print this and make it tomorrow .Please let me say that your doing brilliant job with this blog . Thank you

    Reply
    • Rebecca

      November 14, 2013 at 9:34 pm

      Doesn't it look so good? Please let us know how it turns out . . .

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Rebecca Baron! I have been cooking healthy, made-from-scratch meals for my family of six for 15 years and it has helped us feel so much better. Join us on our journey!

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