Best Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe
on Mar 16, 2021, Updated Apr 08, 2024
The best gluten free carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting. Make carrot cake gluten free using only oat flour and coconut flour!
With Easter coming up soon, this Gluten Free Carrot Cake has been on my mind.
I am so excited to share this recipe with you!
I feel like I cracked some sort of top secret code.
A code into the most epically delicious GLUTEN FREE cake with no hard to find flours or ingredients!
How to make gluten free carrot cake
While I personally do not have a gluten intolerance, I am always on the hunt to discover new and easy ways for my readers to enjoy gluten free desserts.
I know a lot of people either struggle with gluten intolerance, or simply prefer to eat less gluten on a daily basis.
This cake is so delicious and can be enjoyed by everyone, whether you are gluten free or not.
I first made this cake for my husband’s birthday last fall.
He requested a carrot cake and I decided to see if I could challenge myself to make it gluten free.
I even had all of the ingredients already in my kitchen!
While I have made gluten free mug cakes and gluten free cookies before, this was a whole new ball game.
A quick search on the internet returned absolutely no simple gluten free carrot cake recipes.
Almost every single one called for the ambiguous “gluten free flour blend.”
I have two problems with using a gluten free flour blend: 1) every one is made up differently and could definitely affect the texture if you did not list the exact one used and 2) they can be difficult to find and often expensive.
My mission was to create a gluten free carrot cake using the two simple flours that I use anytime I make something gluten free: coconut flour and oat flour.
Coconut flour is easy to find (and not very expensive) and oat flour can be made from rolled oats (also easy to find.)
If you are extremely gluten sensitive, be sure to use certified gluten free rolled oats.
I buy certified gluten free oat flour, or just make my own.
Delicious! Made it twice in week. It’s that good. We aren’t even a GF household. Can’t even tell it isn’t made with regular flour – it’s got a great crumb and flavor and improves with age.
The texture of this cake is PERFECT.
You would never guess that it is gluten free.
If it’s possible, it gets even better in the fridge overnight!
In my opinion, carrot cake is always better in the fridge.
I cannot say enough good things about this recipe!
I always have a hard time following recipes and getting the results I want but this one was PERFECT!!! Delicious!!! – Eva
More than anything, I am so stoked to have created a super easy gluten free carrot cake recipe that anyone can enjoy.
Let me know what gluten free cake recipe you want to see next and I’ll see if I can make it happen!
Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe pictures!
More gluten free desserts
- Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Perfect Fluffy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Gluten Free Chocolate Mug Cake
- Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
- Magic Protein Mug Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups grated carrots
- 4 eggs
- 2 ½ cups gluten free oat flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup applesauce, no sugar added
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⅓ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Use a mixer to beat the shredded carrots, eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil, applesauce, and brown sugar until well combined
- In a separate bowl, whisk together oat flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, beating until well incorporated
- Grease a 13 by 9 glass baking dish
- Pour the cake batter into the dish and smooth it out into an even layer
- Bake the carrot cake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting
- To make the frosting, first start by beating the softened cream cheese until fluffy
- Add the powdered sugar and beat to combine
- Add the greek yogurt and beat until well mixed. Taste and add more powdered sugar, if desired. I prefer this cake mildly sweet, but you can certainly add additional powdered sugar to your liking for a sweeter frosting.
- Frost the cooled cake
- Chill the carrot cake covered in the fridge for the best texture
- Serve with vanilla ice cream
I have made this cake several times. My gf neighbor loved it. We froze ours and take out a piece at a time for a bit of dessert. I used pumpkin instead of applesauce with great results. Next I am making cupcakes for a baby shower!
Hi Joy, thank you for this great recipe! We replaced the oat flour with buckwheat flour and it turned out delicious!!
Recipe reads two Tablespoons of vanilla. Is this correct? Or should it be 2 teaspoons?
That is correct. You can use less if you’d like. Vanilla does not leave a big flavor difference.
Hi there, I really want to try this cake as like just using oats and coconut flour but I am vegan so cant do the eggs! Any advice on how much flax instead of eggs?? I know you may have not tried it but anyone else? I just read somewhere that flax and coconut flour may make it flop! Thanks!
Hey Susan,
Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe with flax eggs so I can’t recommend an amount. As far as the coconut flour, I have not tried it. If someone has made this vegan please comment here! 🙂
@Susan Alexander, I made this using 4 flax “eggs” (4 tablespoons of flax with 10 tablespoons of water) and it worked. It was slightly more dense than a traditional cake but that is to be expected when baking gluten free and vegan. It was very good though, and I would absolutely make it again!
I don’t have coconut flour, so could I use almond flour instead? Or could I use all oat flour? I’d go out and buy coconut flour, but I’m trying to use up the flours I have. If you have any thoughts on this, please let me know. Thanks! Your recipe looks fantastic.
Hi Anna,
I have not tried to substitute any other flours for this recipe, so I cannot guarantee results. Coconut flour is very absorbent and not easily substituted equally. Sorry!
Hi! I split the recipe in half. Did a 1/4 cup of honey instead of sugar, carrot puree instead of applesauce, and coconut oil instead of olive oil. For the frosting, I did half the amount of honey in place of the sugar and added vanilla extract. My family, my mom and I especially, really liked it. My neighbor loved it! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Made for my husband’s birthday…he is gluten and sugar free. He loved the cake. Very moist and delicious. Thanks!
I am thinking of making this into cupcakes. Has anyone tried making cupcakes with this recipe? If not, I will be the first to experiment. I may have to adjust the temperature and baking time. Thanks.
I always have a hard time following recipes and getting the results I want but this one was PERFECT!!! Delicious!!!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe Eva, thanks for sharing!!