This Paleo Carrot Coffee Cake is simple and so delicious! A moist, tender cake topped with an irresistible crumb topping and a sweet glaze. Gluten free, dairy free, and naturally sweetened.
You all love coffee cake as much as I do and I love that! My Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake, and Blueberry Coffee Cake recipes are made by so many people and it's fun to see and read about it. (Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make one of my recipes!)
Cake Ingredients
Let's talk about this cake and why you need to make it. The cake itself is packed with lots of goodness- shredded carrots, shredded coconut, ghee to give it a rich buttery taste, spices to make it so flavorful, and coconut sugar to give it natural sweetness. Then the super simple crumb topping which is almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ghee, and chopped pecans. Oh yum! The topping really takes this from good to amazing!
Glaze
Finally, the glaze. This is optional, but adds a little more sweetness and makes it super pretty. It's coconut butter, which is different than coconut oil, some honey for sweetness and almond milk to thin it out. It definitely makes it feel more like dessert than breakfast.
Despite the three layers, this cake is easy to make! Everything is mixed by hand and the most time consuming part is grating the carrots and that only takes a few minutes. Don't be scared of the long ingredient list. Most of it is seasonings and ingredients you probably already have on hand. The only thing I had to buy for this was carrots because those obviously need to be fresh.
This would be the perfect addition to your Easter meal, but I also hope you don't limit it to one time a year. It's way too good for that! Here are more carrot cake treats to make:
- Paleo Vegan Carrot Cake Bars
- Gluten Free Lemon Cheesecake Coffee Cake
- Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf
- Paleo Vegan Carrot Cake Bites
- Nut Free Carrot Cake Bars
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Carrot Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup ghee, at room temperature
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups Almond Flour
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, fresh if possible
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups gently packed shredded carrots, about 3 medium
Topping
- 1 cup Almond Flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons ghee, room temperature
Glaze
- ¼ cup coconut butter warmed
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2-3 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° and line a 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl make the cake. Combine the ghee and coconut sugar until mixed. Add in the eggs, almond milk, and vanilla.
- Add in the almond flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well until no dry spots remain. Fold in carrots until evenly combined. Mixture will be thick. Pour into prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl make the topping: combine almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and ghee tougher until mixed and clumpy. The best way to do this is with clean hands. Evenly place topping over the cake, slightly pressing it in.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Make the glaze. Place the coconut butter in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften. Add in the honey and almond milk and stir well until mixed and smooth. Add almond milk as needed to get desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake.
- Store covered in the fridge after the first day.
STACEY CRAWFORD says
Yum! I love carrot cake and this looks like a must try 🙂
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Stacey!
Sarah says
So, so, SO delicious! And easy! Made this for Easter and impressed the entire table! People couldn’t believe it was gluten and dairy free!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks for trying my recipe, Sarah! I'm so glad everyone liked it!
ChihYu says
YUM! They look so flavorful and delicious ! Totally love it !
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, ChihYu!
tina says
Let me brew up some coffee NOW so I can try!
Jessica DeMay says
Yes! Thanks, Tina!
Jo Romero says
This was the quickest recipe I think I've ever pinned! I love carrot cake and can't get enough of them - looking forward to trying this one, looks perfect.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Jo! I hope you get to try it!
Renee Kohley says
Oh this is so fun! I haven't decided on Easter morning brunch items yet, but I am seriously leaning toward this! Thank you!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Renee! I hope you had a nice Easter!
Melissa @Real Nutritious Living says
This is the prettiest carrot cake I have EVER seen! <3
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Melissa!
Jean says
I can never say no to carrot cake and your version looks divine! I may have to make this for Easter Sunday.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Jean! Hope you had a great Easter!
Tessa Simpson says
My daughter is obsessed with carrot cake...this looks like a perfect one!! Yum!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Tessa! She would love it!
Caitlin says
Ooooo yum! The texture on this cake looks perfect, especially for a grain-free cake. And that drizzle-- such a good idea!
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Caitlin!