A tender, flavorful gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, or buttercream frosting. I’ve included instructions to make a layered cake, sheet cake, and cupcakes from this gluten free carrot cake recipe.
If you love cake, like me, you’ll want to make my Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake. My Gluten Free Chocolate Cake is also scrumptious.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Have you ever seen a more lovely slice of gluten free carrot cake? This carrot cake recipes uses a few simple ingredients, and there are no complicated steps. I’ve tested this carrot cake recipe with a couple of different flour blends – which I share below.
Please follow my directions the first time around before testing any substitutions in this gluten free carrot cake recipe.
If you are an experienced baker and you do make a substitution to this carrot cake please leave a comment below sharing what you used.
There’s a section below with how to make gluten free carrot cake with step by step photos, and I give alternate directions for making a gluten free sheet cake carrot cake and gluten free carrot cake cupcakes.
Gluten Free Flours
For this carrot cake recipe you can use my gluten free flour blend recipe, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour (not the all-purpose gf flour), or GFJules Gluten Free Flour Blend.
Working with Gluten-Free Flours
When working with or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour.
The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don’t have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.
Dairy-Free Gluten Free Carrot Cake
They only dairy in this gluten free carrot cake recipe is in the frosting. You can make a cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting using dairy-free ingredients to keep this carrot cake dairy-free.
How to make gluten free carrot cake
- In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and eggs.
- Add oil and vanilla; beat just until smooth.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking
soda, baking powder,salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves. - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Mix until combined.
- Stir in grated carrots. Optional: Stir in chopped nuts.
- Spoon batter evenly into two round 9” and bake as directed.
- Cool completely before frosting.
Although the photos of this gluten free carrot cake show the cake as a layered cake, you can easily make this carrot cake into a sheet cake or cupcakes. See below.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
To make a gluten free carrot cake sheet cake mix the batter up as directed. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Pour cake batter into your prepared pan and level with the back of a rubber spatula.
Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes
For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven.
Line two cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. Mix the batter as directed.
Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and the gluten free carrot cake cupcakes are very lightly browned.
For this homemade gluten free carrot cake recipe, I like to use finely shredded carrots, but you can use regular grated carrots. I find the finely shredded carrots lend to a more tender texture, without any large carrot pieces.
I don’t use applesauce in my gf carrot cake but if you’d like you can replace half the oil with applesauce.
I haven’t tried replacing all the oil with applesauce. Everyone who’s tried this homemade gluten free carrot cake has said it’s the best gluten free carrot cake – even people who don’t eat gluten free.
For another amazing cake with carrots try this Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Cake.
Did you make this gluten free carrot cake? Please stop back by and let me know what you thought. Leave a comment below and share your experience.
A tender gluten free carrot cake that is simple to make and uses minimal ingredients. Top this homemade gluten free carrot cake with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting. This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
For Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
for up to a week.Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16
Serving Size:
1 slice
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 697Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 96gFiber: 1gSugar: 81gProtein: 5g
Lacey
My husband said this was the best GF carrot cake he’s ever had. Because of the quarantine I didn’t want to go out for groceries…so my frosting was made with plain Keffir and a bit of sour cream lol it was actually pretty close to cream cheese flavour!! Thanks for all your delicious recipes!
chrystal
Hi Lacey,
I am so glad you both loved this carrot cake. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and let me know. I love your mock cream cheese frosting! Using keffir and sour cream is very creative.
Best,
Chrystal
Jessica
Hi! I’m prepping the ingredients to bake the recipe tomorrow. Do you really not need salt in the carrot cake? Thanks so much for sharing all your recipes! I’ve tried vanilla cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, chocolate cookies, and they’ve all been fantastic. My favorite are the red velvet cupcakes – they are phenomenal!! Thanks for the answer on the salt, if you have time.
chrystal
Yes, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Best,
Chrystal
Cathy
With my Namaste flour I have to use less flour in my recipes. I used coconut oil so it was pretty thick so I added 1 cup crushed pineapple with the juice; it was fabulous! Thank you for this recipe.
chrystal
I am so glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing what you used.
Best,
Chrystal
Kathy Rose
Wow, we loved this recipe! I’ve been gluten free for 5 years and this is the first cake I’ve made. I wanted a special Easter dessert for my husband and this is what he chose. I was nervous because not all of my GF recipes have turned out well. This one did and is definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing this.
chrystal
Hi Kathy,
I am so glad you loved it. Thank you for taking time to stop back by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Gail Keeler
Hi Chrystal, I made cupcakes today. They’re as light as angel wings! I made icing with butter, almond butter, almond extract, a spoon of almond milk, and finely chopped crystalized ginger. So delicious. Thanks for posting the recipes.
chrystal
I’m so glad you like them 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
CMBC
Made cupcakes instead and they where delicious. Best GF cake recipe I have ever tried. All other recipes have been dense and sticky but this one was light and soft….just like regular cake! My husband who flat out said he didn’t like carrot cake has been eating these all day, thank you!
chrystal
I am so glad you like this carrot cake. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Alessia
Hi can I use bobs red mill 1:1 Gluten free flour?
chrystal
Yes, we love using the 1:1. I don’t recommend the all purpose though.
Best,
Chrystal
Liz
I like to bake, and so the other day my friend asked if I could make a gluten free cake for her family. I had never tried making a gluten free cake, but I said that I would try. Anyway I finally found this website and decided to try the carrot cake, since I like cake and I wanted to do a trial cake on my family.WOW, my family loved it, I even got asked for seconds! They said that they couldn’t even tell that it was gluten free (and I would say that they are particular when it comes to food) . So that’s why I give this recipe 5 stars no doubt.
chrystal
Hi Liz,
I am so glad you and your family loved it. I hope your friend loves it too. Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Sofee
Since the recipe is so so good, my mom has me bake her one every week! It’s crazy, I know, a cake a week, but she absolutely adores it. I was wondering if I could opt out the carrots and replace it with apples? I cannot find an apple cake recipe anywhere to my liking and think this would be a scrumptious base for the apples.
Thank you,
Sofee
chrystal
Hi Sofee,
I am so glad she loves it. You can definitely use apple. Make sure to use a tart apple like a granny smith. After you shredded it, pat the shredded apple with paper towels to take a little of the extra moisture out.
Best,
Chrystal
Karen Mohring
Chrystal,
Do I need to make any adjustments to add pineapple and coconut, and how much of either?
Karen
chrystal
You can add 1/2 cup coconut without adjustment. If you add pineapple you can reduce the recipe by 1 egg and add 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple.
Best,
Chrystal
Marcela
I did this recipe in cupcakes. It was amazing. Easy and delicious… my kids and I loved it!!!
chrystal
I am so glad everyone loved them. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Deborah
Can I use King Arthur flour, measure for measure instead of Red Mill?
chrystal
A few readers have used it in this cake with good results.
Best,
Chrystal
Deborah
Carrot cake is my ultimate favorite and I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m also going to make the pumpkin cake as well. Thanks for sharing.
chrystal
I hope you love them both.
Best,
Chrystal
Patrona
Hi Chrystal…I was wondering if it was possible to add cream cheese batter to the recipe. I’m planning on making them in muffin pans as a swirl.
I love all of tour recipes!
chrystal
I am so glad. I answered your other question.
Best,
Chrystal
Colette
Oh! My goodness Chrystal ! I used the muffin option for this recipe and they are fantastic!
I haven’t had the best of luck baking with gluten free flour but these turned out perfect . In honour of Halloween , we added some orange food Coloring to our cream cheese frosting (LF cream cheese) yum !
chrystal
I am so glad you loved it. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Patrona Robinson
I’m writing this post again…is it possible to use cheesecake batter with the carrot cupcake as a swirl?
chrystal
Hi Patrona,
I received your question, I have a few that I’m working through so I hadn’t gotten to it yet. I haven’t tried a cheesecake swirl in this cake myself but I would imagine it would work.
Best,
Chrystal
Patrona Robinson
Thank you I’ll let you know if it worked!
Laura Jo
Most of my gluten free recipes use xantham gum to help the ingredients come and stay together. Do you not use xantham and still get a good result?
chrystal
Hi Laura,
You can use xanthan gum in this recipe. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 has xanthan, I an I use it often. You don’t always need xanthan to bind ingredients if the recipe isn’t high in fat (like pie crust, it needs xanthan). This cake has enough variation in ingredients that it’s not needed to bind, but you can still add it for shelf life.
Best,
Chrystal
deran scherf
Hi, I was wondering is there any way I can reduce the amount of sugar, my son reacts if he has too much 🙂
chrystal
Hi Deran,
You can reduce the sugar to 1 1/4 cup for the cake and make a sugar free cream cheese frosting, or frost with fresh whipped cream.
Best,
Chrystal
Kai
If I only have one round cake pan would it be ok to bake separate? or should i figure out some other way, Also i love you recipes and I’m such a big fan!! Cant wait for new recipes!
chrystal
You can bake half and then bake the other half.
Best,
Chrystal