By Elysia Cartlidge | Published: | Updated: | 4 Comments | Jump to Recipe
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Celebrate the taste of spring with this deliciouslow sugar carrot cakerecipe! With the natural sweetness of pineapple and less overall sugar, it’s a great alternative to traditional carrot cake. Decorate it with my healthy cream cheese frosting and cute carrot decorations for a tasty and adorable treat! {Vegetarian}
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Table of Contents
Healthy Low Sugar Carrot Cake Recipe
If you love carrot cake but are looking to reduce your overall sugar intake, then you’ll definitely want to try out this low sugar carrot cake!
With only 15 grams of sugar per serving, this healthy carrot cake with pineapple and coconut has around 45% less sugar than your classic carrot cake, which can have anywhere around 35 grams of sugar per serving.
It’s an excellent alternative for carrot cake lovers trying to reduce their sugar intake without compromising on flavour!
For more delicious carrot cake flavours, check out my carrot cake muffins with pineapple and healthy carrot cake baked oatmeal!
Why We Love This Carrot Cake with Crushed Pineapple
- Full of flavour:Low sugar doesn’t have to mean bland! This carrot cake with pineapple and coconut has so much flavour; you won’t be able to tell it’s a healthier option.
- Healthy alternative: There are nutritious swaps throughout the recipe, making it higher in fibre and lower in overall calories and carbohydrates than regular carrot cake.
- Lower in sugar:This recipe uses a touch of maple syrup and honey to sweeten the cake, yet it has a sweet taste, just like regular carrot cake. Your family members will never be able to tell the difference!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour:I like to use white whole wheat flour for extra fibre. You can also substitute regular whole wheat flour.
- Baking soda and powder:These leavening agents will make your cake nice and fluffy.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add delicious flavour to this carrot cake with crushed pineapple.
- Melted coconut oil:Adds additional moisture to the cake. Use unrefined for a stronger coconut flavour, and refined for a more neutral flavour.
- Eggs:You’ll need three whole eggs to bind the mixture together and get a good rise.
- Crushed pineapple:Strain a can of crushed pineapple for a super moist carrot cake with pineapple flavours all throughout.
- Pure maple syrup & honey: These two sweeteners taste almost like brown sugar when combined.
- Almond milk:Use any plant-based or dairy milk (other than skim milk, as it doesn’t have quite enough fat) to thin out the cake batter to get the perfect texture.
- Fresh carrots:You’ll need two cups of grated carrots. Use a box grater or the shredder attachment to your food processor.
- Shredded coconut:Unsweetened coconut flakes add a nice bite and flavour without the extra sugar.
- Light cream cheese:Neufchatel, or low-fat cream cheese, adds a nice tangy flavour with fewer calories.
- Greek yogurt:Thin out the whipped cream cheese with yogurt. Either plain or vanilla work well.
- Vanilla extract:Vanilla makes every recipe taste like a dessert.
- Maple syrup:Maple adds the perfect sweetness to this luscious cream cheese frosting.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 – How to Make Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Coconut
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper and cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to mix together the coconut oil, eggs, pineapple, maple syrup, honey, and milk until combined.
- Add the carrots and coconut and mix briefly.
- Add in ½ of the flour, mix until mostly combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. The batter should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add more almond milk one tablespoon at a time.
- Pour batter into a prepared baking dish, and bake in a preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Do not overcook the cake. Cool on the countertop for 30 minutes while you make the icing, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until very cold, about 3 hours.
Step 2 – Prepare the Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting
- To make the icing: In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese briefly until smooth, add in yogurt and mix until smooth.
- Add in 4 tablespoons maple syrup and vanilla extract, beat on medium-high until no lumps remain. Taste and add another tablespoon of maple syrup if needed. If your icing is lumpy, push it through a fine mesh strainer with a silicone spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator.
- When cake has cooled completely, pour icing over cake and spread evenly. Place in fridge tightly wrapped until ready to slice and serve. For an extra clean presentation, cut cake before icing.
Optional Carrot Cake Decoration
If you want to spruce up your carrot cake, you can top it with toasted coconut flakes, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, finely grated carrot or orange zest. Or, if you want to get really fancy, you can make cute little carrot toppers.
To make carrot toppers:
- Roll a small piece of orange fondant into a cone shape, make horizontal marks with a sharp knife.
- Roll a tiny piece of green fondant into a thin rope, cut and affix to carrot by pressing on with a toothpick or the tip of a small knife. Allow to air dry for at least 15 minutes.
- Place decoration on immediately before serving, the moisture from the icing will cause the colours to bleed out of the fondant.
Coloured fondant can be purchased in small packages at craft stores such as Michael’s. Note that although fondant is edible, it does not taste very good, so it’s mostly used to enhance the presentation and up the cuteness factor.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- The maple syrup in the icing can be substituted for honey.
- Any milk you like can be substituted for the almond milk, but I do not recommend using skim milk.
- The icing is very soft, and will be the consistency of yogurt, which makes it drip beautifully over the slices of cake. If you prefer a thicker icing, you can try replacing the yogurt with ricotta cheese.
- You can bake this cake in 2 8” or 9” cake pans for about 20-30 minutes. This icing recipe will not work for a layer cake though, as it’s a loose icing and not a thick frosting that the cake can rest on. Baking this in a 9”x13” baking dish is recommended.
- The cake is best served nice and cold the next day, but can be served same day.
- Store covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Exposure to air in the fridge will dry the cake out.
- If you’d like the carrot to almost completely disappear into the cake, after grating it, pulse in the bowl of a food processor 3-5 times until carrot is finely minced.
- The cake is light and crumbly, but also very moist. The spices are light, and do not overwhelm your palette. The maple syrup in the icing tastes lovely with the yogurt and vanilla, but honey works as well.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make carrot cake muffins with this recipe?
Yes! Cake recipes are easy to adapt to cupcakes. The baking time will vary, but they will take approximately 15-20 minutes. Be sure to test it with a toothpick before removing them from the oven. I have yet to try this, so if you do, let me know how it goes!
Can I turn this into a gluten-free carrot cake?
This recipe should work well if you use a 1:1 replacement gluten-free flour.
Is this carrot cake healthy?
It’s certainly healthier than your average carrot cake. This cake has 15 g of sugar compared to 35 g in most recipes. One serving is only 247 calories and has the benefit of extra nutrients like vitamins A, C and potassium from the added fruits and veggies. It even has 4 grams of fibre (thanks to the carrots and whole wheat flour) and 7 grams of protein, which is more than an egg. It’s nutritious enough to enjoy for breakfast every once in a while. Best of all, it tastes good, too!
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: After serving, store this low sugar carrot cake in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 2-4 days.
To freeze: Although you can freeze the cake, the frosting will not thaw well due to the yogurt. You can freeze unfrosted cake in a freezer bag for 1-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then frost with a fresh batch of frosting.
Carrot Cake Add-Ins
Want to make your carrot cake even more delicious? Get creative and add 1/2 cup of these additional add-ins.
- Chopped pecans
- Chopped walnuts
- Raisins
- Dried cranberries
- Candied ginger pieces
- Dried apple
Serving Suggestions
This low sugar carrot cake is the perfect sweet treat to follow your Easter dinner or to enjoy on a special occasion. It tastes lovely with a hotApple Spiced teaor this Turmeric Latte with Almond Milk.
Recipe Variations
- Grab the muffin tin: Enjoy this cake as healthy carrot cake cupcakes, perfect for sharing.
- Save some for later:Bake this cake in 2 round pans and freeze the second for easy portion control.
- Skip the frosting:I love this healthy carrot cake and think it tastes great even without the frosting!
More Similar Recipes
- Carrot Cake Energy Balls
- Honey Bran Muffins
- Mini Sweet Potato Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Applesauce
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Course Dessert
Low Sugar Carrot Cake {with Pineapple}
By: Elysia
Servings 12 servings
Celebrate the taste of spring with this deliciouslow sugar carrot cakerecipe! With less overall sugar and the natural sweetness of pineapple, it's a great alternative to traditional carrot cake. Decorate it with my healthy cream cheese frosting and cute carrot decorations for an adorable treat! {Vegetarian}
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil measured then melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple drained
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (or use regular milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 heaping cups finely grated peeled fresh carrots
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 6 ounces light cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 4-5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350℉. Line the bottom of a 13”x9” baking dish with parchment paper and spray sides with non-stick cooking spray. If you don’t have parchment paper, simply spray the bottom of the pan as well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to mix together the coconut oil, eggs, pineapple, maple syrup, honey, milk and vanilla until combined. Add the carrots and coconut and mix briefly. Add in ½ of the flour, mix until mostly combined. Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. The batter should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add more almond milk one tablespoon at a time.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish, and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Do not overcook the cake. Cool on the countertop for 30 minutes while you make the icing, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until very cold, about 3 hours.
To make the icing: In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese briefly until smooth, add in yogurt and mix until smooth. Add in 4 tablespoons maple syrup and vanilla extract. Beat on medium high until no lumps remain. Taste and add another tablespoon of maple syrup if needed. If your icing is lumpy, push it through a fine mesh strainer with a silicone spatula. Cover and place in refrigerator.
When cake has cooled completely, pour icing over cake and spread evenly. Place in fridge tightly wrapped until ready to slice and serve. For an extra clean presentation, cut cake before icing.
Notes
- The maple syrup in the icing can be substituted for honey.
- Any milk you like can be substituted for the almond milk, but I do not recommend using skim milk.
- The icing is very soft, and will be the consistency of yogurt, which makes it drip beautifully over the slices of cake. If you prefer a thicker icing, you can try replacing the yogurt with ricotta cheese.
- You can bake this cake in 2 8” or 9” cake pans for about 20-30 minutes. This icing recipe will not work for a layer cake though, as it’s a loose icing and not a thick frosting that the cake can rest on. Baking this in a 9”x13” baking dish is recommended.
- The cake is best served nice and cold the next day, but can be served same day.
- Store covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Exposure to air in the fridge will dry the cake out.
- If you’d like the carrot to almost completely disappear into the cake, after grating it, pulse in the bowl of a food processor 3-5 times until carrot is finely minced.
- The cake is light and crumbly, but also very moist. The spices are light, and do not overwhelm your palette. The maple syrup in the icing tastes lovely with the yogurt and vanilla, but honey works as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 7gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 223mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 3708IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 1mg
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