My keto carrot cake cupcakes are moist, grain-free, gluten-free, and flat-out delicious.
This all-time American favorite is not only low in carbs but also a flavorful cupcake topped with classic cream cheese frosting!
Not only are they low in carbs, but they are also keto-friendly, clocking in at just 3.1 net carbs. And if you are wondering, yes, carrots are okay to have on keto, just not in large amounts.
Carrots are a viable choice on keto since they are loaded with nutrition. That's why I aim to find creative, delicious ways to incorporate them into my diet.
What's great about carrots is that they pack a lot of flavors, so a small amount of carrots goes a long way in a ketogenic recipe like these cupcakes.
Look, although carrots are a little higher in carbs, they can be enjoyed while following a keto diet. Just be mindful of the amounts you consume and plan your macros accordingly.
In fact, I believe in having carrots while doing keto, and I have an entire collection of keto carrot recipes.
I invite you to read our article are carrots keto to learn more about why we choose to include carrots in our keto diet.
These cupcakes were inspired by my popular keto carrot cake recipe. By making them cupcakes, they have built-in portion control.
I also have a recipe for keto carrot cake muffins that are just as tasty but dairy-free.
Low-Carb Carrot Cake Cupcakes
These healthy carrot cake cupcakes are sure to please even the pickiest of palates. It's a recipe that the whole family can enjoy.
Full of great spice flavor and topped with silky, creamy, keto-friendly cream cheese frosting, what's not to love?!
It's a yummy, healthy cupcake you be proud to serve. Plus, it's one you don't have to feel guilty about eating. Winning!
As far as I am concerned, a low-carb carrot cake cupcake recipe is welcomed any time of the year. But it's especially nice for Easter—what better way to celebrate Resurrection Day than with a low-carb dessert?
After all, there is a reason why traditional carrot cake is super popular.
Clocking in at only 3.1 grams of net carbs per cupcake makes this a great keto treat!
Ingredients And Tools Needed
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Note that the full printable recipe card and nutritional information are at the bottom of the page.
- Unsalted butter softened
- Brown sugar substitute
- Granulated sugar substitute
- Eggs, room temperature
- Finely milled almond flour, measured and sifted
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon powder
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Loosely packed freshly grated carrots
- Chopped pecans
- Heavy whipping cream
- Full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- Unsalted butter softened
- Confectioner's sugar substitute
- Heavy whipping cream
Tools You'll Need:
- Sifter, for the almond flour
- Mixing bowls
- Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
- Two 12 capacity muffin pans
How To Make Keto-Friendly Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that although tempting, do not use pre-shredded carrots. They are often dry and hard and will not produce the tender crumb you want.
Using pre-shredded carrots may seem like a way to save time, but I assure you that taking a few minutes to freshly grate your carrots is so worth the tiny effort.
So don't skip this step. I promise you that your taste buds will thank you.
You can use a food processor to quickly grate your carrots, just be sure not to over-process them. You can also use a box grater if you prefer.
To make these carrot cake cupcakes, start by grating your carrots using a food processor or a box grater and set them aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin pans with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and both sugar substitutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add ½ cup of heavy whipping cream, mixing well to combine the wet ingredients. Next, incorporate the freshly grated carrots and continue mixing until fully combined.
Combine the almond flour, baking powder, and spices in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until well mixed.
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Finally, fold in the chopped pecans. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared muffin pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a baking cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Using an electric beater set to high, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl several times.
Continue beating the mixture on high for 2-3 minutes, using a whipping attachment for the best results. Gradually add the sugar-free confectioner's sugar, mixing well.
Then, incorporate the heavy whipping cream a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating on high until the frosting is light and airy, which should take about 2 minutes.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, it’s time to frost them.
Add approximately two tablespoons of frosting to the top of each cupcake, spreading it with a knife or using a piping bag for a decorative touch.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or freeze for up to three weeks.
Best Low Carb Sweetener Options
This recipe uses a combination of sugar substitutes both a white granulated and a brown sugar substitute. A top choice when it comes to a white granulated sweetener is a monk fruit/erythritol blend.
My personal favorite is Lakanto’s brand. But you can also use Swerve an erythritol sugar substitute.
You could also use the stevia and erythritol-based brand Pyure for most of my baked goods. However, if using Pyure you will want to use half the amount called for in this recipe since it’s a much sweeter choice.
As far as what brown sugar substitute I can recommend for this recipe, I used Sukrin Gold.
The use of brown sugar substitute gives a depth of flavor that you would otherwise miss, so I wouldn’t omit it if you want to ensure the same results.
Alternatively, you can use Lakanto Golden and Swerve's Brown Sugar.
This recipe also calls for the use of a powdered sugar substitute for the cream cheese frosting. It must be a confectioner's sugar substitute sweetener and it's why I defer to the only two I use regularly.
My favorite brands are Lankanto's monk fruit blend or Swerve which is another erythritol blend.
Tag Us
I really hope you will give this sugar-free carrot cake cupcake recipe a try, and if you do, be sure you remember to tag us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
It’s what keeps us encouraged to keep sharing and perfecting our recipes.
Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.
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We have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years.
It’s my prayer these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.
In addition, we have a Keto Recipe App that makes keto an easy, delicious breeze!
Join Our Jesus And Keto Movement
Looking for an online support system to help you stay the course on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet looking at it from a Christian perspective. As believers, we live our lives supported by God's grace.
So when the Holy Spirit led us to combine our Christian faith and the keto diet, we did so in hopes of finding lasting transformation.
When we followed the Holy Spirit's prompting, we got on the path to real transformation.
Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision, we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives.
We invite you to join our Private Facebook Group and see if it's not the key you have been missing.
Be sure to request our FREE Jesus and Keto E-Book (First 7 Days). We hope it blesses you.
Keto Carrot Cake Cupcakes
The ultimate recipe for keto carrot cake. It's the perfect balance between spices and sweetness. This recipe produces a moist delicious keto cake.
Ingredients
Keto Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup Lakanto Gold or other brown sugar substitute
- 1 cup of white granulated sugar substitute
- 5 eggs , room temperature
- 2 ½ cups of finely milled almond flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoon of cinnamon powder
- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 2 cups of loosely packed freshly grated carrots
- 1 cup of roughly chopped pecans
- ½ cup of heavy whipping cream
Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
- 12 ounces of full-fat cream cheese (room temperature)
- ¾ cup of unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¼ cup confectioner's sugar substitute
- ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup of chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
Keto Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Grate your carrots using a food processor or a box grater. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line the two muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer cream the butter and both sugar substitutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Add the ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and combine well.
- Next, add freshly grated carrots and mix well till fully combined.
- Combine the almond flour, baking powder, and spices in another bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Lastly, stir in the chopped pecans.
- Transfer the batter evenly between the two prepared muffin pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a baking rack to cool thoroughly.
- While the cupcakes cool, proceed to make the cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using an electric beater set to high, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl several times.
- Beat this mixture on high for 2-3 minutes. Note: You want to use your whipping attachment to get the best results. If you do not own this attachment, you can use your egg beaters.
- Next, add the sugar-free confectioner's sugar a little at a time.
- To the blended cream cheese frosting batter, add the heavy whipping cream, a couple of tablespoons at a time, on high until light and airy, about 2 minutes.
Frosting Your Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- When the cupcakes have cooled completely, you can frost your cupcakes.
- Add about two tablespoons of frosting to the top of each cupcake. You can spread the frosting or use a piping bag.
Notes
Make sure you grate your own carrots. Do not use pre-grated carrots as they will be too dry.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you freeze do so without the frosting for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 150mgCarbohydrates: 4.1gNet Carbohydrates: 3.1gFiber: 1gSugar: .90gProtein: 3.4g
Iliana says
Is each carrot cupcake 4.1 carb