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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Dessert

    Healthy Carrot Cake

    Published: Jul 4, 2018 · Modified: Mar 8, 2021 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 58 Comments

    889 shares
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    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Vegetarian

    Carrot cake has to be up there on the top tier of cakes, along with chocolate fudge cake and lemon drizzle. But this is Healthy Carrot Cake. It's next level! A light and moist cake, with all the delicious flavour, with a few lighter swaps.

    Carrot Cake on a glass cake stand with a slice cut out which is in the foreground

    You would presume that as it has carrot in it, it is basically a health food but sadly not! But, with a few swaps, such as using a granulated sweetener and a light frosting in this recipe you can have yourself a healthier and lower calorie carrot cake that doesn't sacrifice on taste.

    Jump to:
    • Why should you try it?
    • What you will need
    • Step by step
    • How is this healthy?
    • Carrot cake icing
    • Carrot cake muffins
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More cake recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why should you try it?

    • Less than 200 calories per portion
    • Kids will love this
    • Good way to get some vegetables into your diet
    • Can be frozen

    What you will need

    • 250g Plain flour
    • 8 pecan halves
    • 2 tablespoon fresh orange zest
    • 1 large carrot, grated
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon all spice
    • 50g Raisins
    • 6 tablespoon coconut oil
    • 10g Granulated Sweetener
    • 4 medium eggs
    • 80ml milk
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • A few pecans and a bit of orange zest for decorating
    A plate of grated carrot surrounded by flour, sweetener, yogurt, raisins, nuts, spices, eggs, milk and orange zest

    Step by step

    One: Preheat the oven to 170°C/350°F. In a bowl, add the flour, pecans, Hermesetas, raisins, orange zest, salt, baking soda and all spice and mix well.

    Flour, sweetener, raisins, spices and orange zest in a metal mixing bowl

    Two: In a separate bowl, add the carrot, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and mix well.

    Grted carrot, whisked eggs and yogurt in a metal mixing bowl

    Three: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

    Carrot cake batter in a mixing bowl

    Four: Grease a 10 inch spring form tin and pour in the mixture. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.

    A cake tin with carrot cake batter in it

    Five: Whilst the cake is cooking, make the icing by mixing together the yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla.

    A bowl with yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla and orange zest in it

    Six: Remove the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool fully.

    A cooked sponge cake in a cake tin

    Seven: When the cake is completely cooled, add the icing and sprinkle on the orange zest and pecans.

    A carrot cake topped with icing, orange rind and chopped pecans

    How is this healthy?

    The thing about healthier versions of our favourite cakes is that they tend to be really dry and disappointing. This cake is neither. It's a really moist and delicious carrot cake that has been lightened up, as it has no butter or cream in it and a few other lighter swaps - such as using sweetener.

    Well, you know we are all about mental health here, and a little bit of what you fancy in moderation is good for that. But, as well as this cake having vegetables in it, there is no butter or cream in it either. Not that those ingredients are unhealthy in themselves, but we have made some swaps that have extra benefits or lower in calories. We also skipped the cream cheese frosting for a fat free yogurt frosting.

    Carrot cake icing

    Let's talk about the icing of this cake for a minute. I could eat the "icing" out of the bowl with a spoon and to be honest, I did. It is that good, but so much healthier than regular butter cream or cream cheese frosting. It's made with yogurt! A little bit of maple syrup for taste and some orange zest and you have yourself and epic frosting/icing.

    The cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the allspice in this cake give it a real Christmas feel to it, so I think this is going to be made a lot more in a few months time. But it's never too early for healthy Christmas baking.

    Carrot cake muffins

    We have made this in to a full cake, but they work really well as muffins too. Just divide the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for around 20 minutes until the muffins have risen and set.

    A dark sponge cake topped with a white icing, orange peel and nuts

    FAQs

    How long does healthy carrot cake last for?

    Keep the cake in an airtight container and it will last for 2-3 days.

    Can you freeze carrot cake?

    Carrot cake actually freezes really well, so that means portion control is easy. Just put a slice in a container and pop it in the freezer. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours.

    Can you make healthy carrot cake vegan?

    We haven't tried it ourselves, but you could try swapping the eggs for flax eggs and using a dairy free yoghurt and milk too.

    Can I use almond flour instead?

    No, almond flour would make this really dense. If you are looking to make this gluten free, then there are lots of great gluten free carrot cake recipes out there.

    Extra tips

    • Turn these in to muffins instead so they are easier for little hands to eat. Just put the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.
    • Add some extra vegetables in swapping half the carrot for courgette (zucchini). You will need to squeeze out the excess liquid first.
    • We have added pecans, but you could keep it classic and use walnuts instead.
    • Raisins add a nice extra touch of sweetness and texture to the cake, but you could use other dried fruit too. Try dried cherries or cranberries to mix it up a bit.

    More cake recipes

    • White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins
    • Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
    • Gingerbread Cupcakes
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    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    DON’T FORGET TO RATE THE RECIPE ↓

    Recipe

    Healthy Carrot Cake with a slice removed

    Healthy Carrot Cake

    Carrot cake has to be up there on the top tier of cakes, along with chocolate fudge cake and lemon drizzle. But this is Healthy Carrot Cake. It's next level!
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
    Vegetarian
    4.73 from 40 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Cooling time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of a cracked egg.
    Eggs
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    An illustration of four different nuts.
    Nuts
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 190kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

    For the cake:

    • 250 g Plain flour
    • 8 Pecans - halved
    • 2 tablespoon Orange zest
    • 1 Carrot - grated
    • 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
    • 0.5 teaspoon Mixed spice
    • 50 g Raisins
    • 6 tablespoon Coconut oil
    • 10 g Granulated sweetener
    • 4 Eggs
    • 80 ml Skimmed milk
    • 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

    For the icing:

    • 6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt
    • 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
    • 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • A few pecans and a bit of orange zest for decorating

    Instructions

    • reheat the oven to 170°C/350°F. In a bowl, add the flour, pecans, sweetener, raisins, orange zest, salt, baking soda and all spice and mix well.
      250 g Plain flour, 8 Pecans, 2 tablespoon Orange zest, 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, 0.5 teaspoon Mixed spice, 10 g Granulated sweetener, 50 g Raisins
    • In a separate bowl, add the carrot, coconut oil, eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well.
      1 Carrot, 6 tablespoon Coconut oil, 4 Eggs, 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 80 ml Skimmed milk
    • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
    • Grease a 10 inch spring form tin and pour in the mixture. Put in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
    • Whilst the cake is cooking, make the icing by mixing together the yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla.
      6 tablespoon 0% Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
    • Remove the cooked cake from the oven and allow to cool fully.
    • When the cake is completely cooled, add the icing and sprinkle on the orange zest and pecans.
      A few pecans and a bit of orange zest for decorating

    Notes

    • Turn these in to muffins instead so they are easier for little hands to eat. Just put the mixture in to muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes.
    • Add some extra vegetables in swapping half the carrot for courgette (zucchini). You will need to squeeze out the excess liquid first.
    • We have added pecans, but you could keep it classic and use walnuts instead.
    • Raisins add a nice extra touch of sweetness and texture to the cake, but you could use other dried fruit too. Try dried cherries or cranberries to mix it up a bit.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1100IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

    [1] Blaak EE et al. (2012) Obes Rev 13: 923-984.
    [2] www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-artificial-sweeteners.aspx

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Abi

      April 18, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      very amazing healthy recipe of my favourite cake

      Reply
    2. Jeanne Horak-Druiff

      August 26, 2014 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      That looks fantastic! I am a massive fan of carrot cake and chose it over fruitcake for my wedding :)

      Reply
    3. Lauren @ ihadabiglunch

      August 25, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      5 stars
      I can't believe you hadn't had carrot cake before! It's by FAR one of my favorite desserts! But it's so, so unhealthy - this is an awesome alternative, thanks!

      Reply
    4. Breige

      August 24, 2014 at 8:10 pm

      Oh wow!! I'll have to give this a go, I love carrot cake!

      Reply
    5. Jess @ whatjessicabakednext

      August 24, 2014 at 10:04 am

      I've been looking for a healthier carrot cake recipe to try for ages now! My favourite cake! Definitely going to try out your recipe with the sweetener too!

      Reply
    6. Jayda

      August 23, 2014 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      Oh goodness, this looks amazing. I LOVE carrot cake...one of my favourite desserts ever!!

      Reply
    7. Matt @ Runner Savvy

      August 22, 2014 at 1:10 am

      This looks awesome!

      Reply
    8. Tamzin

      August 21, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds so good and I am pretty sure it would make my boyfriends day if I made it he loves carrot cake and we are trying to save some calories, so the sweetener sounds ideal.

      Reply
    9. Elizabeth

      August 21, 2014 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      Oh this does sound rather lovely, but then again I am a fan of carrot cake. :)

      Reply
    10. Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie

      August 21, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you sooo much for posting this recipe! I love carrot cake, but sadly it's not the healthiest thing ever (despite all the carrots). Using Greek yogurt for the frosting? Brilliant!

      Reply
    11. Lauren

      August 21, 2014 at 3:26 pm

      I hope you had a lovely time away! This cake looks absolutely amazing!

      Reply
    12. Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes

      August 21, 2014 at 11:30 am

      Yum! I love a good carrot cake. Even better when it's been healthified too. :-)

      Reply
    13. jill conyers

      August 21, 2014 at 11:06 am

      I haven't had carrot cake in forever! Time to change that :)

      Reply
    14. Lucy

      August 21, 2014 at 10:17 am

      5 stars
      This is such a pretty cake. It sounds really christmasy too.

      Reply
    15. Jacqueline Meldrum

      August 21, 2014 at 8:57 am

      It looks wonderful Dannii. I like you didn't like, or thought I didn't like carrot cake until I made my own with lot of lovely spices.

      Reply
    16. Ruby @ Ruby Red Apron

      August 21, 2014 at 5:30 am

      Yum! What an amazing recipe. Looks delicious and pretty! I love carrot cake!

      Reply
    17. GiGi Eats

      August 21, 2014 at 4:33 am

      5 stars
      HOLY MOLY - this truly is a healthy carrot cake!! You amaze me!

      Reply
    18. Tabbi

      August 21, 2014 at 12:20 am

      I'd love a lighter German chocolate cake, with the traditional coconut-pecan caramel-y icing. It was my birthday cake every year! Even as a kid I preferred it to the standard buttercream icing.

      Reply
    19. Olivia - Primavera Kitchen

      August 20, 2014 at 11:43 pm

      Wow this carrot cake looks so delicious and yummy! I am going to have to try this soon ;-)

      Reply
    20. Cailee

      August 20, 2014 at 11:22 pm

      5 stars
      YUM!! This looks delicious!! What a healthy, and delicious recipe!! Great job girl!! I could go for a slice right now!!

      Reply
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