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    Home » Recipes » Sweet Things/Desserts

    Low Sugar Carrot Cake

    September 28, 2020 By Monika Last Updated November 12, 2020 27 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This delicious low sugar carrot cake is simple to make and contains approx. 40% less sugar than most carrot cake recipes.  It comes with a light and fluffy frosting that’s made using a combination of cream cheese, ricotta and a hint of orange. 

    Side view of carrot cake slice on white plate with cake in background.

    Is carrot cake healthy

    The short answer is – usually, no.  Despite containing a vegetable carrot cake recipes are usually not very healthy as they tend to be laden with sugar, both the cake itself as well as the frosting.

    This carrot cake recipe isn’t! It contains as much as 40% less sugar as well as less oil than most carrot cake recipes. Because it is not overly sweet you can really appreciate all the flavours that make this cake so delicious.  The caramel flavour of the brown sugar and the sweet spices go extremely well with carrot as well as orange and the pecans add a lovely nutty crunch to this cake.

    Carrot cake with frosting.

    Low sugar carrot cake ingredients

    This healthier carrot cake is super moist thanks to a generous amount of freshly grated carrot it contains as well as (a moderate amount of) light brown sugar. I used chopped pecans for more texture, a selection of spices (including cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg) and vanilla extract for added flavour.

    The frosting is made using cream cheese as well as (naturally low in fat) ricotta cheese which tones down the sourness of the cream cheese also making the mixture fluffier.  The frosting contains a fraction of the sugar most carrot cake recipes call for and comes with a hint of orange.

    Low sugar carrot cake ingredients in individual dishes.

    How to prepare the carrots

    Peel and finely grate the carrots when you are ready to make the recipe.  I do not recommend doing this step in advance as the carrots will start releasing moisture after a while.  I also do not recommend buying ready grated carrots for this recipe. 

    Top tip

    Weigh the carrots after you’ve peeled them.

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1.Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23 cm (9.5 inch) pan and line with parchment paper (so it sticks out at opposite sides).  Dust the 2 sides without the paper with flour. Set aside.

    In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt and stir thoroughly using a whisk.

    Carrot cake dry ingredients in mixing bowl with green whisk.

    2. In another bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

    2 eggs, oil and brown sugar in mixing bowl with green whisk.

    3. Stir in the grated carrot and pecans.

    Grated carrot and chopped pecans in mixing bowl with spoon.

    4. Pour in the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. The mixture will be lumpy.

    Flour and carrot mixture in bowl.

    5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top a and bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes (it is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean).

    Carrot cake batter in square pan.

    6. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

    Baked carrot cake in square pan.

    7. To make the frosting beat all the ingredients until fluffy (1-2 minutes). 

    Frosting mixture with orange zest in bowl.

    8. Spread over the cake, scatter a tablespoon of finely chopped pecans and serve.

    Carrot cake with cheese frosting and crushed pecans.

    Substitutions

    • Flour: I used all-purpose flour but you can use a combination of plain and wholewheat flour for an even healthier carrot cake.
    • Pecans: Use walnuts, macadamia nuts or brasil nuts instead.
    • Oil: I used vegetable oil but sunflower oil would work too.
    • Spices: You can omit the spices and just use pumpkin spice.

    Top tips and FAQs

    • Use freshly grated carrot, not ready grated store-bought.
    • Do not overstir the batter. Stir just to combine.
    • Make ahead: You can make the frosting a day in advance and refrigerate it, covered, until you are ready to decorate the cake.
    • If the cream cheese and ricotta contain a little moisture remove it before making the frosting.
    • Cool the cake completely before decorating it. Lift out of the pan along with the paper then peel it off.
    • Use a sharp knife to cut the cake (it will cut better).
    • Leftover carrot cake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    Side view of low fat carrot cake slice on white plate with cake in background.

    You might also like

    • Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
    • Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Pecans
    • Truly Healthy Carrot Muffins

    Check out also this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes.

    Keep in touch!

    If you make this low sugar carrot cake I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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    Side view of low fat carrot cake slice on white plate with cake in background.

    Low Sugar Carrot Cake

    This low sugar carrot cake is simple to make and contains approx. 40% less sugar than most carrot cake recipes.  It comes with a light and fluffy frosting that’s made using a combination of cream cheese, ricotta and a hint of orange.
    4.90 from 28 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: vegetarian
    Prep Time: 12 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 52 minutes
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 346kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • 23 cm (9 inch) pan
    • Electric mixer

    Ingredients

    • 9.88 ounces (280 g) carrot peeled, finely grated, approx. 3 cups loosely packed
    • 2 cups less 2tsp (240 g) all-purpose/plain flour 8.47 oz
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder and bicarbonate of soda each
    • 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon and ginger each
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ⅕ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ cup+1½ tbsp (140 ml) vegetable oil
    • 3 large eggs
    • ¾ cup+2tsp (160 g) light brown sugar packed, 5.64oz
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ cup (100 g) pecans (3.53oz) roughly chopped, plus 1 tbsp finely chopped

    For the frosting

    • 1 cup (220 g) cream cheese (7.76oz) room temperature
    • ½ cup less 1½tbsp (100 g) ricotta cheese (3.53oz) room temperature, drained thoroughly
    • 2 tablespoons butter room temperature
    • 6 tablespoons confectioners'/icing sugar
    • Zest of 1 medium orange

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a 23 cm (9.5 inch) pan and line with parchment paper (so it sticks out at opposite sides).  Dust the 2 sides without the paper with flour. Set aside.
    • In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, spices and salt and stir thoroughly using a whisk.
    • In another bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
    • Stir in the grated carrot and pecans.
    • Pour in the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. The mixture will be lumpy.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top a and bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes (it is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean).
      Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
    • To make the frosting beat all the ingredients until fluffy (1-2 minutes).  Refrigerate for an hour if possible. Spread over the cake, scatter a tablespoon of finely chopped pecans and serve.

    Notes

    • Use freshly grated carrot, not ready grated store-bought.
    • Do not overstir the batter. Stir just to combine.
    • Make ahead: You can make the frosting a day in advance and refrigerate it, covered, until you are ready to decorate the cake.
    • If the cream cheese and ricotta contain a little moisture remove it before making the frosting.
    • Cool the cake completely before decorating it. Lift out of the pan along with the paper then peel it off.
    • Use a sharp knife to cut the cake (it will cut better).
    • Leftover carrot cake can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
    • Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
    • Preparation time does not include the time needed to cool the cake.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 4102IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!
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    1696 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marla

      July 04, 2022 at 11:37 pm

      I’ve made this twice and added raisins. Both times, the toothpick came out clean after only 30 minutes of baking. Perhaps it is because I am baking at altitude (7000 feet)? I also baked in a small rectangular glass pan. Just thought you might know why it took less time to cook…

      Reply
      • Monika

        July 05, 2022 at 10:05 am

        Hi Marla, thank you for your feedback. I am aware of how different altitudes can affect baking times so it's likely it was because of where you live that the cake took less time to bake. Especially if this happens with other recipes you make.

        Reply
    2. Sandi

      June 05, 2022 at 12:35 am

      4 stars
      My son wanted a birthday cake - even though he is having some dietary challenges - so I looked for a low sugar carrot cake recipe and settled on this one.
      The cake looks good - was about to ice it and after refrigerating the icing to form up a bit, it’s still too soft.
      Not runny, but too soft to hold up sitting out for now.
      Hopefully the cake tastes good.
      I won’t ice it until I’m about to serve it.
      Also - I don’t mind it - but the ricotta doesn’t blend as well as I thought it would and the icing has a grainy texture to it (possibly the orange rind adds to this) that I’m afraid my sons might not like - but we’ll see! Crossing fingers!

      Reply
      • Monika

        June 05, 2022 at 10:03 am

        Hi Sandi, thank you for your feedback. It seems ricotta is not the same everywhere and yours was probably more runny than mine. I have now adjusted the icing ingredients which will hopefully solve the issue.

        Reply
    3. Kristina

      January 27, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      Had a big problem with the frosting. Used right amount of ricotta and cream cheese, but when I added the icing sugar and beat the mixture it was very runny, I added some more icing sugar to try and thicken it but didn’t really help. I left it in the fridge for an hour but still didn’t thicken up. Any ideas without adding even more icing sugar?

      Reply
      • Monika

        January 28, 2022 at 2:29 pm

        Hi Kristina, sorry you had this problem. You can try adding a few spoonfuls of thick whipped cream into the frosting and refrigerate it for a few hours. This frosting is low in fat so it's naturally more runny than butter frosting, but it should still hold its shape. Hope you are able to fix it.

        Reply
    4. Horse Saddlery

      May 24, 2021 at 8:18 am

      4 stars
      I love baking but don't have enough time to enjoy this hobby due to my manufacturing business, but I would love to bake this carrot cake surely. It looks so amazing.

      Reply
    5. Alex

      April 12, 2021 at 1:16 am

      5 stars
      I am ten years old. I love to bake and my mom and my sister are eating healthier. my mom didn't mind this at all! I used a 1/4 cup of sugar instead though.

      Reply
      • Monika

        April 16, 2021 at 9:01 am

        Wow, baking cakes at 10 is impressive!

        Reply
      • anonymous

        July 17, 2022 at 5:30 pm

        5 stars
        Hello, this recipe looks amazing, but I was wondering if I could further reduce the amount of sugar. I saw a ten-year-old commenting that he/she added only 1/4 cup of sugar to this recipe and it worked fine. Would you recommend this?

        Reply
        • Monika

          July 17, 2022 at 7:00 pm

          This is down to personal preference but I wouldn't add less sugar than 2/3 cup. After all this is a cake and the frosting isn't very sweet. But you have to decide what works for you:)

          Reply
    6. Karen

      April 04, 2021 at 1:45 am

      For family members in need of low sugar dessert option I gave this a try. I had to use oat flour and a brown sugar substitute. I kept everything else the same. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Monika

        April 04, 2021 at 8:44 am

        Looking forward to it! I'd be curious to know what kind of brown sugar substitute you've used.

        Reply
      • Karen

        April 10, 2021 at 4:52 pm

        Update: too many alternatives to reduce the sugar further. Didn’t love it. I would try again following the recipe exactly. Couldn’t get it to no sugar.

        Reply
    7. Christine

      March 24, 2021 at 10:30 am

      5 stars
      Made it yesterday and we .loved it. It was a healthier version with much less sugar than normal recipe and more carrot then flour! I also added crushed fresh pineapple (husband is on a pineapple craze at the moment)
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Monika

        March 24, 2021 at 5:00 pm

        Glad it turned out ok even with added pineapple. Thank you for your feedback:)

        Reply
        • Pavlina

          September 16, 2021 at 12:01 pm

          5 stars
          Delicious cake! Very easy and made of simple ingredients most of which I already had at home.
          I improvised slightly with the frosting and used more ricotta and less cream cheese since that's what I had. Turned out delicious. I gave it 2 spoons of sugar instead of 6 and it was sweet enough 🙂
          Definitely not last time I made this cake 🥰🙌

          Reply
          • Monika

            September 17, 2021 at 9:01 am

            Glad you liked it and were able to use even less sugar with good results. Thanks for letting me know:)

            Reply
          • Gwen Gardner

            December 10, 2021 at 5:41 pm

            Not sure which flour to use?

            Reply
            • Monika

              December 12, 2021 at 9:08 am

              Plain/all-purpose flour.

    8. Amy

      February 28, 2021 at 10:34 am

      5 stars
      Best carrot cake I've ever made and I bake a lot! Loved the fact it was lower sugar, but swapped the nuts for raisins as I have small children and one can't chew nuts yet. Was fantastic! Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Monika

        March 01, 2021 at 9:05 am

        So glad to hear that, I've made it with raisins a couple of times too, worked great. Thank you for your feedback:)

        Reply
    9. Janice

      February 11, 2021 at 5:24 pm

      Could you give cup equivalents to grams? I’d love to try this but can’t readily do the conversions. And I don’t have a kitchen scale, just measuring cups

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 12, 2021 at 6:03 pm

        Try 1 cup flour, 3 medium carrots (approx. 1.5''x6''each), half a cup plus 1 tbsp oil, 1 cup plus 1-2 tbsp light brown sugar and about 1 cup pecans. For the frosting use about 4/5 cup cream cheese (a little less than a full cup) and about 2/3 cup ricotta. Good luck!

        Reply
      • Marie Hitchcock

        March 06, 2021 at 12:24 am

        I always ask "google" .."covert " 280 grams to cups-the answer is immediately shown!!

        Reply
    10. Mom of four

      February 08, 2021 at 5:00 am

      5 stars
      Loved it!! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Monika

        February 08, 2021 at 9:04 am

        Great, thanks for letting me know!

        Reply

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