This gluten-free carrot cake tastes like the classic: moist, warmly spiced, and finished with rich cream cheese frosting. Finely grated carrots and a touch of pineapple keep the crumb tender, with optional coconut and nuts for great texture. It's baked in one pan-no layers, no fuss-making it perfect for holidays, potlucks, or an easy weekend dessert that nobody will guess is gluten-free.
This carrot cake started as my aunt's beloved 1970s family recipe and I still remember it. I've adapted it for how we eat now-lightening up the sugar and oil, making it gluten-free, while keeping all the flavor that made her carrot cake a favorite. Originally the recipe was for a 9x13 cake, but I've scaled it down to be an everyday cake baked in an 8½-inch square pan. One bite and no one will guess it is gluten-free.
Jump to:
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe Highlights
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Bake a Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- How to Frost the Cake
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing and Freezing Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Recipe FAQS
- More Gluten-Free Baked Dessert Recipes
- Did You Make This Recipe?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe Highlights
- Easy one-pan cake - No layers, no fuss.
- Classic carrot cake taste - Warm spices, coconut, and nuts.
- Tender crumb - Finely grated carrots and crushed pineapple.
- Make-ahead friendly - Great made a day ahead. Bake and cool, frost, then refrigerate overnight.
- Flexible toppings - Cream cheese frosting, dairy-free options, or powdered sugar.
If you love carrot cake, try these gluten-free carrot cake muffins for breakfast or a snack.
Ingredients You'll Need
Carrot cake
- Gluten-free flour blend - Use a good 1:1 baking blend that includes xanthan gum (like King Arthur Measure for Measure).
- Baking powder - Helps the cake rise and stay light.
- Baking soda - Works with the pineapple's natural acidity for lift and browning.
- Ground cinnamon - Classic warm carrot cake flavor.
- Ground nutmeg (optional) - Adds a little warm depth.
- Ground ginger (optional) - A warm spice that plays well with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Eggs - Provide structure and richness, especially important for a gluten-free cake.
- Sugar - A mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for balanced sweetness and a little caramel depth. Lighter than the original recipe, but still sweet enough.
- Neutral oil - Avocado oil, a clean neutral oil, to keep the cake moist.
- Vanilla extract - Rounds out the sweetness and warm spices.
- Crushed pineapple - Well-drained pineapple adds moisture, gentle fruitiness.
- Grated carrots - Finely grated fresh carrots add natural sweetness, color, and moisture; skip pre-shredded carrots, which are dry and coarse.
- Chopped nuts - Pecans or walnuts for nutty flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut - Adds texture and a touch of natural sweetness; easy to omit if you prefer a smoother cake (or for an allergy).
Cream cheese frosting
- Cream cheese - Use full-fat block cream cheese for best structure.
- Unsalted butter - Adds richness and helps frosting set.
- Powdered sugar - Provide frosting body, add to taste.
- Vanilla extract - For classic flavor, use good quality real vanilla.
Please see the recipe card for measurements and salt.
Chef's tip: Sweeteners for cream cheese frosting
I often make this frosting with a powdered monk fruit + allulose blend instead of powdered sugar. It measures 1:1, tastes clean, and still gives a smooth, creamy texture. Use this swap for the frosting only-the cake needs real sugar for moisture, texture, browning, and proper rise.
For another beautiful, simple cake, try this lemon olive oil cake made with almonds and polenta.
Substitutions and Variations
- Raisins (optional) - Add ½ cup raisins for little pops of sweetness. Golden raisins are my preference because they're plumper, milder, they blend into the cake and look nicer. If your raisins feel dry, soak 10 minutes in hot water, then drain and pat dry before folding in.
Dairy-Free Topping Options
- Use vegan cream cheese and plant butter - Violife and Tofutti vegan cream cheese are well rated, try Miyoko's or Earth Balance sticks for plant butter.
- Coconut whipped cream - Chill a can of coconut cream, then whip with vanilla and sweetener. Coconut cream tends to whip up more reliably.
- Dairy-free "cream" whip - A plant-based heavy cream alternative, whipped and lightly sweetened.
- Skip the frosting - Dust lightly with powdered sugar for a simple finish.
How to Bake a Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Drain crushed pineapple over a bowl with a sieve, pressing out the juice very well. It should be fairly dry.
- Peel and grate carrots in a food processor with the fine grating disc, or by hand with a fine grater.
- Sift flour, spices, baking powder and soda, and salt to lighten and remove any lumps. Use a sifter or sieve.
- Whisk together the eggs, both sugars, vanilla, and oil until smooth.
- Fold in the carrots, pineapple, nuts, and coconut.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir together just until blended.
- Pour carrot cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 205°F, the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when touched. Cool 15 minutes before slicing or 1 hour before frosting.
- Sift the powdered sugar (or monk fruit/allulose) in a bowl or onto wax paper for the frosting.
- Whip the room temperature butter and cream cheese until fluffy and smooth, add the powdered sugar and beat into frosting. Add vanilla at end. Add more powdered sugar if needed.
How to Frost the Cake
Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Cream cheese frosting is easiest to spread when it's soft, but for neater slices, refrigerate the frosted cake for 20-30 minutes (or overnight) to help the frosting set. This is a very moist cake, so slices won't be perfectly sharp-wipe the knife between cuts. For the best flavor and texture, let chilled cake sit at room temperature briefly before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Classic: Cream cheese frosting (sprinkle with toasted pecans, walnuts or coconut).
- Simple: Dust with powdered sugar and serve as-is.
- Brunch: Fresh berries and lightly sweetened whipped cream or the cream cheese.
- Dairy-free: Coconut whipped cream or vegan cream replacement.
Storing and Freezing Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Make-ahead tip: This cake is great made a day ahead. Bake and cool, frost, then refrigerate overnight. Slice the next day for cleaner cuts, and let pieces sit at room temperature briefly before serving.
Store unfrosted cake covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated longer. If frosted with cream cheese frosting, store covered in the refrigerator.
Chef's Storage tip: Avoid wrapping the cake directly in plastic wrap-it can trap moisture and make the surface a little sticky. Store in a cake dome or airtight container with a little head room, or wrapped in parchment first, then loosley in plastic.
Freeze the unfrosted cake (whole or sliced) well wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving. For best texture, frost after thawing.
Recipe FAQS
I don't recommend fully swapping the sugar in the cake for sugar-free sweeteners. In baking-especially gluten-free-sugar doesn't just add sweetness; it also affects moisture, texture, browning, and how the cake rises. Changing that can make the crumb dry, rubbery, or pale. The easiest place to cut or remove sugar is in the cream cheese frosting, which works well with powdered monk fruit/allulose blends.
Yes. The cake itself is dairy-free as written. For topping, use a dairy-free cream cheese frosting (vegan cream cheese + vegan butter) or serve with whipped coconut cream. See options in the Substitutions section.
Finely grated carrots work best-they melt into the batter and keep the cake tender. It's best to use a food processor with the fine grating disc or a box grate on the fine side. Coarse or pre-shredded bagged carrots can make the texture drier and more stringy, so grate them fresh.
The pineapple adds moisture, tenderness, and sweetness. If you omit it, the cake may be a bit drier.
More Gluten-Free Baked Dessert Recipes
More fantastic desserts, all gloriously gluten-free and no one would ever guess.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make gluten-free carrot cake, please leave a comment and let me know. I love to hear from you and your comments help other readers too.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Sifter optional, or use a fine sieve
- Food Processor optional, or use a box grater
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour blend tested with King Arthur MM and Better Batter
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon preferably Vietnamese or Saigon
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients and mix-in's
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar or natural sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup neutral oil I use Zero Acre Farms
- 1 ¼ cups finely grated carrots about 4 medium carrots
- ½ cup crushed canned pineapple 8 ounce can, drained well
- 5 tablespoons finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut optional
Cream cheese frosting
- 5 ounces full fat cream cheese block style not tub, room temperature
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter soft, room temperature
- 1 ½-2 cups powdered sugar or monk fruit/allulose blend sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the baking pan
- Grease a 8 ½-inch square light metal pan with soft butter or neutral spray (avocado oil spray is fine). Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Drain pineapple, grate carrots
- Add the pineapple to a fine small sieve over a bowl, press out all of the juices to drain. You want it fairly dry. Discard juice or save for another use. Peel carrots then finely grate in a food processor with the fine grating disk or by hand on the small side of a box grater.
Mix dry ingredients
- Stir flour well to aerate (I use a whisk), then scoop and level off the top. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices .
Mix wet ingredients
- Whisk eggs, both sugars, oil, and vanilla until well blended. Fold in the pineapple, carrots, coconut, and nuts.
Fold in dry
- Add dry ingredients to the wet and fold just until no flour streaks remain. Pour into the prepared cake pan.
Bake
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). The top should spring back lightly when pressed. The cake will be a golden brown, when done right around 205°F. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes before slicing or 1-2 hours if frosting in the pan.
Make frosting
- With a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Start low and increase speed slowly. Beat until creamy.
Frost the cake
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. You can frost the cake in the pan or out of the pan.Frosting is easiest to spread when it’s soft, but for neater slices, refrigerate the frosted cake for about 30 minutes to help the frosting set. When slicing, wipe the knife between cuts. For the best flavor and texture, let chilled cake sit at room temperature briefly before serving.
Notes
- Dairy-free option: See Substitutions & Variations in the post for Vegan cream cheese and stick-style vegan butter.
- Storage: Unfrosted cake keeps at room temp 1 day; refrigerate longer. Frosted cake should be refrigerated.
- Nutrition: Calculated for cake without frosting. Frosting options vary, so calculate separately depending on what you use.
Nutrition
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