Keto Carrot Cake Muffins – Gluten Free

These keto carrot cake muffins are not only low carb, but gluten free and sugar free too – thanks to using almond flour and Swerve in this recipe! But don’t worry, they’re anything but taste free!

Stacked muffin tops to make keto carrot cake muffins into mini cakes with cream cheese frosting

Mini carrot cake

Every year on my birthday, I really only want one thing to celebrate – carrot cake. And every year, I don’t get it. It’s not that Hubs doesn’t try. But where are you going to find a gluten free, low carb, sugar free carrot cake? Besides, I don’t need – or want – a WHOLE cake. So I have a little hack for that! Make stackable muffin tops!

Hands up if you think the muffin top is the best part of the muffin! These muffin top pans are great for that.

This recipe is so adaptable. You can also bake it as a carrot cake (it will take up to 36 minutes for cakes). Or you can make carrot cake muffins instead by scooping the batter into muffin tins (we use an ice cream scoop for consistency). Like I said, I don’t need a whole cake, so I opt for low carb carrot muffins every time. 

Keto Carrot Cake Muffins

We gave up refined sugar years ago, but Swerve makes a sugar replacement that subs in for the brown sugar perfectly!

Just beat it in with the egg like you would any sugar.

If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, that makes quick work of grating the carrots. I can’t be bothered to dig ours out so I go old school and grate the carrots by hand.

It’s a great workout for the arms!

grating carrots by handDon’t skip the electric beater though for the first few ingredients – you want the mixture light and airy.

Beating eggs and Swerve brown sugar together for keto carrot cake muffins

Back to hand mixing until the dry ingredients are added.

wet ingredients for keto carrot cake muffins; carrot, coconut, walnuts, raisins, coconut oil

One more hack for you. In all honesty, one day I didn’t feel like using 5 eggs. So I reserved 1/4 cup of the carrot juice after squeezing it and added it back in with the egg mixture. I didn’t really find that I missed an egg.

Squeeze the water out of carrots for keto carrot cake muffins

 Mini Carrot Cake

To make my mini carrot birthday cake, I put cream cheese frosting between two of the carrot top muffins. Actually, I made three muffin top, but found I didn’t need to stack it that high.

keto carrot cake muffins can be turned into mini carrot cakes by making them in a muffin top pan instead

Mini carrot cake using two stacked muffin tops and cream cheese frosting

After decorating with 1/2 walnuts on top, I split it into two and shared it with Hubs. We’re not dessert eaters, so it was more than enough of a sweet treat for me.

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Pinnable image for gluten free carrot cake muffins

Keto Carrot Cake Muffins

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Servings 18 muffins

Ingredients

  • ½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted + more if making muffin tops
  • 3 cups almond flour plus more for dusting pans
  • tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • 5 large eggs
  • cups brown sugar Swerve
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 10 oz. carrots peeled, shredded and squeezed firmly to expel excess water
  • ¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • ¾ cup walnuts finely chopped
  • ½ cup raisins use golden or regular raisins
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
  • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • cups gluten-free powdered Swerve
  • cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Muffins / Muffin Tops*

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare muffin tins with liners or grease muffin top pans, then dust with almond flour, tapping out excess.
  • Whisk salt, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and 3 cups almond flour in a medium bowl.
  • Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and brown sugar Swerve in a large bowl until doubled to tripled in volume about 5–7 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
  • Toss carrots, coconut, walnuts, raisins, and remaining ½ cup oil in another medium bowl.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with carrot mixture in 3 additions, to egg mixture, beating well after each addition.
  • Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake muffins until lightly browned across the top, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, approx. 21–23 minutes (18 minutes for muffin tops). Let cool 10 minutes then move onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Using electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl, scraping down as needed, until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and add powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Add yogurt, vanilla, and salt and increase speed to medium-high. Beat, scraping down occasionally, until light and airy, about 4 minutes. Chill 10 minutes if needed to stiffen slightly to a spreadable consistently.
  • Spread onto muffins - or if making mini cakes from the muffin tops, arrange one top round domed side down on a plate. Cover top with frosting and layer another muffin top on (top right side up). Coat top and sides with more frosting.

Notes

*Cook batter for less time if making muffin tops - approx 18 minutes. 
If in a pinch, 1/4 cup of carrot juice can be substituted for one egg.

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