No-Sugar, No-Flour Carrot Cake
A moist, naturally sweet carrot cake made with fresh carrots, almond flour, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, and warm spices. There is no refined sugar and no wheat flour. Almond flour is commonly used in flourless/refined-sugar-free carrot cakes because it gives the cake a moist, tender texture.
Recipe Details
Prep time: 15–20 minutes
Bake time: 30–40 minutes
Total time: About 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Pan: 8-inch round cake pan
Cuisine: American-inspired
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For the Cake
2 cups (about 200 g) finely grated fresh carrots
1½ cups (150 g) almond flour
½ cup (120 g) unsweetened applesauce
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, optional
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
¼ cup raisins, optional
Important: If you want the cake to contain zero added sugar, don’t add honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or sweetened dried fruit. The sweetness comes from the carrots and applesauce. Similar versions use unsweetened applesauce and omit added sweeteners.
Optional Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: powdered monk fruit/erythritol sweetener, to taste
For a completely dairy-free cake, simply leave off the cream cheese frosting or use a dairy-free alternative.
Instructions
1. Prepare the oven and pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the carrots
Peel and finely grate the carrots.
If the carrots are extremely wet, gently squeeze out a small amount of excess liquid. Don’t dry them completely—the moisture helps keep the cake tender.
Freshly grated carrots generally give better moisture and texture than dry pre-shredded carrots.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
Almond flour
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ginger
Salt
Set aside.
4. Mix the wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly frothy.
Add:
Applesauce
Vanilla
Whisk until combined.
5. Add the carrots
Stir the grated carrots into the wet mixture.
If using coconut, walnuts/pecans or raisins, fold them in now.
6. Combine
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Fold gently until everything is just incorporated.
Do not overmix. Almond-flour cakes can become heavier when excessively mixed.
7. Fill the pan
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Spread the top evenly with a spatula.
8. Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 30–40 minutes.
Start checking around 30 minutes.
Insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Some flourless almond-flour versions bake for about 25–30 minutes, while recipes with a larger amount of almond flour or additional ingredients can take closer to 40–50 minutes, so use the toothpick test rather than relying only on time.
9. Cool
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Carefully remove it and transfer it to a wire rack.
Cool completely before frosting or slicing.
10. Make the optional frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth.
Add a little powdered monk fruit/erythritol if you want more sweetness without adding conventional sugar.
Spread over the completely cooled cake.
11. Garnish
Optional toppings:
Chopped walnuts
Chopped pecans
Unsweetened coconut
A light dusting of cinnamon
A few thin carrot curls
Approximate Nutrition
Per serving, assuming 8 servings and no frosting, nuts or raisins:
Nutrient Approx. Amount
Calories 190–220 kcal
Protein 7–8 g
Total Fat 12–14 g
Saturated Fat 1–2 g
Carbohydrates 15–18 g
Fiber 3–4 g
Total Sugars 6–8 g
Added Sugar 0 g
Sodium 180–250 mg
Cholesterol 70–85 mg
The exact nutrition will depend on the brands and quantities used. A comparable almond-flour, applesauce-based recipe reports about 215 calories, 15.2 g fat, 12.5 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g protein per serving.
Important Sugar Note
“No added sugar” does not mean “sugar-free.” Carrots and applesauce naturally contain sugars, so this cake still contains naturally occurring sugar. If you add raisins, honey or maple syrup, the sugar content increases.
Allergen Information
Peanuts: None in the basic recipe.
Tree nuts: YES — almond flour is a tree nut. Walnuts/pecans are also tree nuts if added.
Dairy: None in the cake itself; cream cheese frosting contains dairy.
Eggs: YES — contains eggs.
Wheat/gluten: No wheat flour; almond flour is naturally gluten-free. However, check all packaged ingredients for cross-contact if cooking for someone with celiac disease or a serious allergy.
Soy: Not normally present, but check labels.
Sesame: Not included.
Coconut: Optional; coconut is treated as a separate allergen category in some labeling systems.
Vegetarian: Yes.
Vegan: No, because of the eggs.
Refined sugar-free: Yes, when made without optional sweeteners or sweetened ingredients.
Flour-free: Yes, with almond flour used as the flour alternative.
Gluten-free: Naturally gluten-free ingredients, subject to label/cross-contact checks.
Substitutions
Almond flour: You can use another nut flour, but the texture may change. Don’t substitute coconut flour 1:1 because coconut flour absorbs substantially more liquid.
Applesauce: Mashed ripe banana can work, but it will make the cake taste more banana-like.
Walnuts: Leave them out for a nut-free topping, but remember the cake still contains almond flour.
Raisins: Leave them out if you want to keep the natural sugar lower.
Cream cheese frosting: Skip it for a lighter, dairy-free version.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Is this really sugar-free?
It contains no added refined sugar, but carrots and applesauce naturally contain sugar. So the more precise description is “no added sugar.”
Q: Is this really flour-free?
Yes, there is no wheat/all-purpose flour. Almond flour provides the structure.
Q: Can I make it without nuts?
Not with this exact almond-flour recipe. Almond flour is essential to the structure. For a true nut-free version, you’d need a different flour combination.
Q: Can I leave out the walnuts?
Yes. The cake will still be delicious and moist.
Q: Can I leave out raisins?
Absolutely. In fact, leaving them out keeps the naturally occurring sugar lower.
Q: Why did my cake crumble?
Almond-flour cakes are delicate when warm. Allow it to cool completely before slicing. Also, avoid overbaking.
Q: Why is my cake too wet in the middle?
Carrots and applesauce add significant moisture. Make sure the center is fully baked before removing it. If necessary, bake another 5–10 minutes.
Q: Can I make this in a loaf pan?
Yes. Use a lined loaf pan and expect the baking time to increase. Check the center with a toothpick.
Q: Can I make cupcakes?
Yes. Divide the batter between lined muffin cups and begin checking around 18–22 minutes.
Q: Can I freeze it?
Yes. Cool completely, cut into portions, wrap tightly and freeze for up to about 2 months for best quality. Comparable almond-flour carrot cake recipes also recommend freezing individual slices.
Q: How should I store it?
Without frosting, keep it in an airtight container for a couple of days at room temperature or refrigerate for longer storage. If using cream cheese frosting, refrigerate it.
Q: Can I make it more traditionally “carrot cake” flavored?
Yes. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, walnuts and a little unsweetened coconut. Orange zest is also excellent.
Q: Can I make it sweeter without sugar?
Use a small amount of monk fruit or erythritol-based sweetener if desired. Alternatively, naturally sweet ingredients such as dates or maple syrup can sweeten it, but those would no longer make it a zero-added-sugar recipe.
Q: What is the best way to serve it?
Serve it completely cooled with a thin layer of sugar-free cream cheese frosting, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a few chopped walnuts or pecans.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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