Healthy Carrot Cake

This Healthy Carrot Cake is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy this upcoming Easter (or any time honestly) and still stay on track with your health goals!

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy carrot cake, healthy carrot cake recipe

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 30

Servings: people

Calories: 318kcal

Author: Organize Yourself Skinny

Ingredients

For the carrot cake

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons buttermilk powder
2 eggs
⅔ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained 1 cup
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
¾ cup water
2 cups finely shredded carrot
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

For the frosting

8 ounces low fat cream cheese softened
3 tablespoons butter softened
1 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and buttermilk powder. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 2 eggs and both sugars until smooth.
Whisk the crushed pineapple, vanilla, coconut oil, and water into the sugar mixture.
Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is combined.
Fold the shredded carrots and shredded coconut into the batter.
Pour the batter into a 9 x 13 cake pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is set. You'll know it's done when you can insert a toothpick or a sharp knife into the center and it comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. This can take 1-2 hours.
To make the frosting add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, blend the ingredients together until smooth.
Spread the frosting onto the cake and sprinkle with pecans.
Cut into 16 slices and serve.

Notes

How to Store and Freeze Carrot Cake

To make-ahead and store

If you’re planning on serving this at a party, I recommend making the carrot cake the day before. While this Carrot cake tastes great the day it’s made, I think it tastes even better the next day after the flavor had time to settle and blend.

Place the lid on the pan or use plastic wrap, and store the carrot cake in the refrigerator.

If you’re not planning on frosting the carrot cake until the day of the party, then it cake stays at room temperature.

To freeze

If, by some chance, you have any of this carrot cake leftover, you can freeze it.

Just wrap each piece of cake in plastic wrap and then put it into a freezer bag. Make sure to mark it with the date!

When you’re in the mood for a piece of healthy carrot cake, take a piece out and let it thaw on the counter for about 20 minutes or so.

Nutrition