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Learn how to make the best healthy carrot cake from scratch! This supremely moist one-layer cake is filled with spices and plenty of sweet carrots, then topped with a layer of luxuriously smooth cream cheese frosting. Every bite tastes cozy and comforting, with a deliciously dense and soft texture. This classic carrot cake is simple to make and perfect for Easter, birthdays, or any day you’re craving cake!
My senior year of high school, my mom’s cousin visited us during the spring as part of her RV road trip up and down the west coast. When we realized that she and her significant other would arrive the week before Easter, we invited them to spend a few extra days in town and join us for the holiday.
They graciously accepted, so we quickly started planning a special Easter dinner menu. Mom ordered a honey baked ham (her favorite!), and we settled on a few simple sides, like a spinach salad, asparagus, and homemade bread rolls.
On a whim, I pulled out the cookbook my parents had given me for Christmas, and I skimmed through the dessert chapter until I found a recipe that sounded festive and fun: a carrot sheet cake. Baked in a 9×13” pan, topped with cream cheese frosting, and easily enough to serve 16 – if not 20!
I pored over the extensive recipe notes before making the batter and baking the cake the day before Easter. On Sunday, I whipped up the frosting and spread it across the top of the cake, then stood back to survey my work and mentally proclaimed it done just a few minutes before our two guests arrived.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the feast that afternoon, although possibly a little too much… Almost all of the adults forgot to save room for any dessert!
As for me? I sat down at the dinner table with a plan and priorities in mind, served myself the smallest portions of the savory dishes… Then reached for the biggest slice of cake. Nobody else even seemed to notice!
When I took my first bite of this healthy carrot cake, those fond memories came flooding back. Yet this recipe tastes even better than the one I made that year – and it’s healthier too!
This carrot sheet cake is perfect for Easter (as I’m sure you’ve already guessed!), but it’s also lovely for birthdays, special celebrations, or any day you’re craving something cozy, comforting, and sweet. Although made in a large 9×13” rectangular cake pan, the leftovers rarely last long!
QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY CARROT CAKE
Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.
Taste: Lots of rich, warm, cozy spice flavors in a lightly sweetened batter, topped with sweet and oh-so-subtly tangy cream cheese frosting.
Texture: Supremely moist and soft, and on the dense side, with plenty of tender carrots scattered liberally throughout.
WHAT’S A SHEET CAKE?
A sheet cake is a single-layer cake baked in a rectangular pan, usually topped with frosting. The flavors of cake and frosting don’t matter too much… Mainly the cake’s shape!
Technically, sheet cakes are supposed to be made in sheet pans (hence the name!), which are 18×26” in size. (Ginormous!) Since many people don’t own this massive full-sized sheet pan or a half-sized one, a fair amount of “homemade” sheet cakes are baked in a 9×13” rectangular cake pan instead.
This healthy carrot sheet cake falls into that latter category. You just need a regular 9×13” pan to make it!
KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY CARROT CAKE
Let’s go over the ingredients you’ll need to make this healthy carrot sheet cake! I’m assuming you have basic staples like baking powder and salt, so we’ll focus on the more interesting and important ones.
Flour. To make this carrot cake healthier, I opted for regular whole wheat flour. The rich spices (more on those in a moment!) completely masked any hints of “wheat-y” flavor, so nobody could tell that’s what I used. (I was SO excited about that!)
A few other types of flour will also work! Those include white whole wheat flour (another one of my favorites!), whole wheat pastry flour, and even all-purpose flour.
Tip: If you’d like to make this healthy carrot sheet cake gluten free, I’ve included recommendations on how to do that in the Notes section of the recipe!
Spices. You’ll need both cinnamon and nutmeg. I love how warm and cozy those spices make this carrot sheet cake taste – especially the nutmeg! I like a pretty robust spice flavor in my carrot cake, so I tend to add a bit more than most people. If you’re the same way, then see the Notes section of the recipe!
Tip: I love using Saigon cinnamon because it has a stronger, richer, and sweeter taste. I buy it online here, and it’s really affordable!
Egg whites. The egg whites’ protein is a key component in this cake batter. It helps your carrot sheet cake maintain its structure after baking. Without all of the egg whites, your cake would collapse while cooling and turn out a little gummy.
And since I know someone is going to ask…
Yes, you do need all of them. However, if you’d like to use whole eggs (not just the whites!), then you can decrease the amount of milk to compensate for the added liquid volume from the yolks. See the Notes section of the recipe for that modification!
Greek yogurt. This is one of my favorite healthy baking ingredients! Here, it adds the same moisture to your cake batter as extra butter or oil – but for a fraction of the calories. It also gives your carrot cake a protein boost!
Tip: If you top your carrot cake with one of my homemade cream cheese frosting recipes, then you’ll use Greek yogurt to make that too!
Sweeteners. You need two! Pure maple syrup and liquid stevia. Pure maple syrup is the kind that comes directly from maple trees, and it’s often sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!). Stevia is a no-calorie, plant-based sweetener that’s highly concentrated, so a little goes a long way. You just need 2 ½ teaspoons for this entire cake!
Tip: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for one another. For the best results, I highly recommend using the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here because it’s the best price I’ve found, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (I promise it’s not a “one-time use” ingredient!)
And yes, you do need to use both! Here’s the nerdy explanation about why…
We often think about sugar as simply a sweetener (whether the plain white granulated kind or unrefined ones like honey and pure maple syrup!), but it actually does a whole lot more than that.
In cakes, sugar molecules also contribute to the structure.
It’s not as obvious in loaf cakes or bundt cakes, where the sides of the pans are closer together. Because they’re only 4” or 5” apart (loaf pans), or even closer to 3” (bundt pans), the stiff and sturdy sides of these cakes reinforce the cake’s structure, in a sense, and you can get away with using just stevia to sweeten them while depending on the flour’s gluten content and the egg whites for structure – without the cakes collapsing or deflating.
But in larger pans like 8”-rounds, 9”-rounds, and 9×13” rectangular ones, those sugar molecules become extremely important. The sides of these pans are too far apart to help maintain the cake’s structural integrity, regardless of how many egg whites you use (yup – speaking from personal experience here!)… So if made without any “classic” sugar molecules, those cakes collapse and end up with a really dense and almost gummy texture.
Trust me… That’s what happened when I tried making this cake solely with liquid stevia. It was tasty – but it had an incredibly sad and disappointing texture.
So that’s where the pure maple syrup comes in!
Pure maple syrup is comprised of three main types of sugar molecules: sucrose, glucose, and fructose. (This article goes into a lot more detail about the composition of pure maple syrup. I was a chemist before I became a baking blogger, so I love reading about nerdy things like this and find them fascinating!)
By adding a small amount to the batter, the pure maple syrup really helped with this carrot sheet cake’s texture. It didn’t deflate, and it turned out incredibly moist, just like you’d expect a regular carrot cake to be.
Hooray for cake-baking chemistry!
Carrots. Use freshly grated ones! Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re thicker and drier, and they don’t soften properly while baking. I know it takes a little extra time to grate your own, but it makes a big difference in how soft and moist your carrot sheet cake turns out!
Tip: If you have a food processor with a grater disc attachment, that makes the process much faster!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY CARROT SHEET CAKE
Now that you have your ingredients in hand (and one very nerdy explanation!), let’s talk about how to make the best healthy carrot sheet cake! This recipe is simple and straightforward to make, but I still have some important tips for you.
Mix by hand. That’s right – put away your mixer! Both hand-held and stand mixers tend to over-mix low fat and low sugar batters, like this one. Over-mixing creates a tough or rubbery texture. Not good!
So for the best soft and moist carrot sheet cake, make the batter by hand. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
Yup, a fork. Not a wooden spoon! The open space between the tines of the fork allows the ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently, which also helps guard against over-mixing.
Line the pan. Never done this before? It’s a cake game-changer! Just coat your 9×13” rectangular pan with cooking spray, and then lay a sheet of wax paper in the bottom. Smooth out any bumps or bubbles, and coat the wax paper with cooking spray too.
This trick helps your cake pop right out of the pan. No more ripped, torn, or broken cake fragments! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before getting the cake out of the rectangular pan, first you need to…
Bake. Your carrot sheet cake will be done when the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with some crumbs attached. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yes, completely. Don’t cut into it while it’s warm! The structure won’t fully set until your cake reaches room temperature. But once it does, then you can…
Frost. I have two cream cheese frosting recipes that would be perfect for this carrot sheet cake!
And that’s another thing I love about sheet cakes compared to layer cakes… They’re much easier to frost. No leveling of layers, no crumb coats, no spreading and smoothing and worrying about whether the sides look perfect. Just slather the frosting on top, and you’re done!
But if you decide to skip the frosting and eat it plain, I won’t judge one bit… That’s what I often end up doing with this healthy carrot sheet cake too! 😉
FAQS ABOUT HEALTHY CARROT SHEET CAKE
Is this healthy carrot sheet cake gluten free, clean eating, or low sugar?
Yes! I’ve included both whole wheat and gluten free options in this recipe. It’s clean eating friendly (with no refined white sugar!), and it’s also low fat and low calorie.
How do you make carrot cake moist?
This recipe uses Greek yogurt and freshly grated carrots. See the “Ingredients” section above for more info about both!
Can I substitute something else for the maple syrup or stevia?
Yes! Honey or agave will work as 1-for-1 substitutes in place of the pure maple syrup. Substitutes for the stevia require tweaking the amount of milk, but I’ve included some options in the Notes section of the recipe.
Can I use more stevia in place of the maple syrup – or another sugar free sweetener?
No, I don’t recommend doing that. See the “Sweeteners” header above for more information and my detailed nerdy explanation about why. 😉
Can I use store-bought pre-shredded carrots?
I don’t recommend that either. They’re stiff and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking.
Can I add raisins or nuts?
Yes! Simply fold them in with the freshly grated carrots.
What’s the best frosting for carrot cake?
It’s hard to go wrong with cream cheese frosting – and these are my two favorites!
Can I make this carrot cake as a layer cake instead?
Yes! You’ll need two 9”-round cake pans. See the Notes section of the recipe for baking times!
Can I make this carrot sheet cake in advance?
Yes – and I actually recommend it! While chilling in the refrigerator for a day (or more!), the flavors blend and meld together, and that makes this carrot cake taste even better. Just tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap before refrigerating!
How should I store this healthy carrot sheet cake? And how long does it last?
Store your cake in an airtight container (if possible!) in the refrigerator. I love using cake carrying cases like this rectangular one and this round one. Their lids help prevent the frosting from drying out. If stored like this, leftover cake should last for at least two or three days (if not longer!).
Ready to make your own? And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy carrot sheet cake!
Healthy Carrot Cake
© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 1 sheet cake, 15 slices
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 35 minutes mins
This instantly became one of my all-time favorite cake recipes! It’s supremely moist, filled with spices and plenty of sweet carrots, and then topped with a layer of velvety smooth cream cheese frosting. Every bite tastes cozy and comforting, with a deliciously dense and soft texture. It’s perfect for Easter, birthdays, or any ol’ day you’re craving cake! Leftovers will stay fresh for at least two or three days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (I love using a cake carrying case for this! Mine aren’t sold in stores anymore, but this one and this one are similar to the ones I own.)
5 from 11 votes
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) whole wheat flour or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tbsp (14g) baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg (see Notes!)
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
- 5 tbsp (75mL) pure maple syrup
- ⅔ cup (160g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 3 ¼ cups 345g) freshly grated carrots (about 6-7 medium, peeled first – and see Notes!)
- optional: cream cheese frosting, for serving (see Notes!)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut a piece of wax paper to fit inside the bottom of a 9x13” pan. Coat the 9x13” pan with cooking spray. Gently press the wax paper into the bottom of the pan. Coat the wax paper with cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Stir in ½ cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 32-36 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. Once completely cool, top with the cream cheese frosting, if using.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Be very careful to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your cake dry, instead of moist and tender.
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a hand-held mixer or stand mixer to make the batter. This will result in a tough or gummy cake. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES:Whole wheat pastry flour, white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
SPICE NOTES: If you’re a big fan of spices (like I am!), then I highly recommend increasing the nutmeg by ¼ teaspoon. (That’s how much I use when I make this cake!) I also highly recommend using Saigon cinnamon. It tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon. (I buy it online here, and it’s really inexpensive!)
EGG WHITE NOTES: The cake requires 4 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the cake maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without all 4 egg whites, the cake will collapse while cooling and turn out gummy.
If you prefer using whole eggs, then use 4 whole eggs AND decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate for the added liquid volume from the yolks.
STEVIA NOTES: For a sweeter cake, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
I do not recommend substituting for the liquid stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, use the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here because because that’s the best price I’ve found.
However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the cake, substitute 1 ¼ cups (240g) coconut sugar or granulated sugar AND reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL). You may also substitute 1 cup (240mL) of pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit the milk. The baking time may vary slightly with any of these substitutions.
PURE MAPLE SYRUP ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Do not substitute sugar free maple syrup. Your cake will collapse and turn out somewhat gummy. (See the “Sweeteners” header in my blog post above for more information!)
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
IMPORTANT CARROT NOTES: Measure the carrots by cups or grams – not by “medium” carrots. Not all “medium” carrots are the exact same size!
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re thicker and drier, and they don’t soften properly while baking.
ADDING RAISINS + NUTS: You can add up to a combined ½ cup of raisins and nuts to the batter along with the carrots at the end of Step 2.
If adding raisins, I highly recommend hydrating them first. It makes them really plump and juicy! To do so, add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and cover the top of the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the raisins sit for 10-15 minutes (or while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients). Thoroughly drain the excess liquid before folding them into the batter.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: These are my two favorite cream cheese frosting recipes. You’ll need 1 full batch of either one to frost this cake.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten free flour, use the following: 1 ½ cups (180g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ¾ cup (90g) brown rice flour, and 2 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
LAYER CAKE OPTION: For Step 1, cut two 9”-round circles out of wax paper to fit inside two 9”-round cake pans. Lightly coat the two 9”-round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Gently press one wax paper circle into the bottom of each cake pan, and lightly coat the wax paper with nonstick cooking spray. At the end of Step 2, divide the batter evenly between the two 9”-round cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 28-32 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: I highly recommend making this cake at least 24 hours in advance. While chilling in the refrigerator for a day, the flavors blend and meld together, and that makes this cake taste even better. Just tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap before refrigerating.
HOW TO STORE: Store the unfrosted cake in the refrigerator tightly wrapped in plastic wrap (this is my favorite because it clings much more tightly than other brands!) or sealed inside of an airtight container. It should keep for at least four or five days, if not longer.
Store any leftover frosted cake in the refrigerator sealed inside of an airtight container or inside of a cake carrying case (my cases aren't sold in stores anymore, but this one and this one are similar to the ones I own!). It should keep for at least two or three days, if not longer.
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat, low sugar}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake (a two-layer cake!)
♡Healthy Carrot Bundt Cake
♡Healthy Carrot Pound Cake
♡Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♡Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies
♡Healthy Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes
♡Healthy Carrot Cake Thumbprint Cookies
♡Healthy Carrot Cake Bars
♡…and the rest of Amy’s healthy cake recipes and healthy carrot cake-flavored recipes!
