Keto-Friendly Carrot Pound Cake Recipe

Thanks to the magic of fruit sweeteners and almond flour, you can have your cake, and eat it, too, while still maintaining your diet. This keto carrot pound cake recipe offers a delicious low-carb alternative to traditional carrot cake, without compromising on frosting or any of the fixings.

This keto-friendly carrot pound cake is sweetened with white and brown monk fruit sweetener and gets its body from ground almond flour, making it suitable if you're following a ketogenic diet or looking to reduce your sugar intake. It's frosted with a full-fat cream cheese and sour cream topping that is tart and rich, the perfect contrast to the sweet cake. The end result is a cake that is moist, flavorful, and topped with a more-ish frosting that will have you licking the beaters.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, this dessert strikes the perfect balance between diet-friendly ingredients and indulgent taste. And with easy and straightforward instructions, you can even make this cake with the little helpers in your life. Whether you're an experienced keto baker or new to low-carb desserts, this carrot pound cake is a great option for satisfying your sweet tooth without derailing your diet.

To make the body of this keto-friendly carrot pound cake, you'll need almond flour, granulated and brown monk fruit sweeteners, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Eggs, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract provide moisture and binding, along with grated carrots and chopped walnuts for texture and flavor.

For the frosting, gather full-fat cream cheese, unsalted butter, full-fat sour cream, vanilla extract, and powdered monk fruit sweetener. You'll also need some additional chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top of the cake.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, granulated and brown monk fruit sweeteners, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in 4 tablespoons melted butter and vanilla.

Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.

Fold in grated carrots and chopped walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Add sour cream, vanilla, and powdered monk fruit sweetener. Beat until well combined and fluffy.

Spread frosting evenly over the cooled cake.

Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the frosted surface.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting, then slice and serve.

With its sweet, walnut-studded body and tangy frosting, this cake is a favorite with adults and kids alike. But if you want to make it even more child-friendly, or just turn it into portable desserts that are easy to grab on the go, then you may want to bake it in muffin form.

To do so, follow the same instructions for preparing the batter, but instead of using a loaf pan, divide the mixture evenly among a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners. Fill each cup about ⅔ full to allow room for rising. You'll also need to adjust the baking time, as muffins will cook faster than a loaf. Start checking for doneness around 20 to 25 minutes, inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin — it should come out clean when they're ready.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely. For frosting, you can either spread it on top of each muffin, or use a piping bag if you're feeling fancy. Top each muffin with a walnut half or a few pieces, and your keto-friendly carrot cake muffins are ready!

Living on any diet presents certain challenges, and it can be particularly hard to maintain a strict ketogenic diet while still enjoying sweets. This carrot pound cake has carefully selected ingredients that align with the low-carb, high-fat principles of the ketogenic diet. The primary substitution is subbing almond flour for the traditional wheat flour of regular cakes. Almond flour is low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats, making it an ideal base for keto baking. We further eliminate the carbs of traditional baking with the sweeteners in this recipe. Instead of white and brown sugar, the sweetness in this recipe comes from monk fruit sweetener, both granulated and brown varieties, which are natural, zero-calorie alternatives to sugar that don't impact blood glucose levels. 

The recipe also incorporates high-fat ingredients like eggs, butter, cream cheese, and sour cream, which are all keto-compliant and help maintain the moist texture of traditional carrot cakes. Carrots, while containing some carbs, are used in moderation, and their natural sweetness complements the monk fruit sweetener. The addition of walnuts provides healthy fats and protein, further aligning with keto macronutrient ratios. Even the frosting is made keto-friendly by using full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and powdered monk fruit sweetener instead of conventional powdered sugar. These ingredient choices result in a dessert that's low in net carbs, moderate in protein, and high in fats, perfect for those following a ketogenic diet.