A healthier low carb sugar free carrot cake cupcakes recipe with fluffy cream cheese frosting. Try these amazingly moist and flavorful low carb cupcakes.
I love my healthy low carb carrot cake recipe with its silky cream cheese frosting, but sometimes it’s fun to have a great carrot cake recipe in cupcake form – like these low carb sugar free carrot cake cupcakes which are also gluten free and grain free.
Easter is a few weeks away and it wouldn’t be complete without a recipe for carrot cake in some form or another. My mother made a carrot cake every year. Her cake was filled with carrots, walnuts, and raisins then topped with cream cheese frosting. It was not light in texture, but rather substantial and full of flavor. It was one of my favorite desserts.
This Easter will be bitter sweet for me. Every year I take my kids to visit my folks in Texas for Easter/Spring Break. Sadly, my mother is in decline and has been in a hospital for the last 4 months – she won’t be home. So, the kids and I will stay in California this year to celebrate Easter as a family with my husband – it’s been many years since we’ve had one together.
I plan to continue my mother’s tradition and serve these sugar free carrot cake cupcakes this year. My family loves them and the flavor is quite amazing. I kept the carrots to a minimum to keep the carbs low and added just enough spice enhance the flavors.
The cupcakes are topped with a beautiful fluffy cream cheese frosting that stands up to sitting out on a table for several hours and pipes beautifully. It’s also less tangy so kids like it better. Instead of putting the walnuts in the carrot cake cupcakes, I chopped the nuts very finely and rolled the edges of the cupcakes in the nuts. The top of the cupcakes were a bit plain, so I topped each with a walnut half.
My healthy low carb carrot cake recipe is substantial in texture like mom’s cake was, but this low carb sugar free carrot cake cupcakes recipe results in fairly light cupcake. I kept the shredded coconut in the recipe because I like the extra texture it adds, but I completely changed the technique.
While many causal low carb grain free cakes are what I would consider “dump cakes”, using a traditional cake method for this recipe results in a much finer texture. Cream the butter and sweetener together – it does make a difference. The act of creaming the ingredients introduces millions of micro-bubbles producing an overall lighter baked good.
I think you’ll agree that the end result is worth the little bit of extra work. I hope you enjoy these carrot cake cupcakes as much as we did.
Here’s a recipe for a more traditional low carb sugar free cream cheese frosting if you would prefer this to the fluffy cream cheese frosting recipe.
Each Sugar Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes is 4 net carbs
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Sugar Free Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cream Together
- 4 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/3 cup Low carb brown sugar (don't have this? See note below)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Dry Ingredients
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp whey protein powder (helps with texture)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 ounces finely grated carrot (about 1 medium)
Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream whipped very stiffly (4 oz)
- 1/3 cup low carb powdered sugar (or Swerve Confectioners)
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the rack to the lower third of the oven. Line 9 cupcakes wells with liners. Measure dry ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to break up any lumps. Finely grate the carrot.
- Method: Put the softened butter, Sukrin Gold (or Sukrin :1/Swerve plus maple extract), and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and beat again until the mixture is thick, light and fluffy.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, scraping down the bowl. Add another egg and mix until incorporated and the batter is light and fluffy. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients, scraping the bowl after the dry additions and keeping the texture nice and light. Add the carrot and heavy cream at the very end. Mix until incorporated. (The batter should be thick but easy to work with. If it's not, add 1-2 more tbsps of heavy cream, but work quickly.)
- Bake: Get the batter into the cupcake liners before it thickens up. Evenly divide the batter between the muffin liners and place into the oven. Turn the oven to 400 and bake for 5 minutes to get the batter rising. Turn the oven back to 350 and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are firm when lightly pressed with a finger, but still sound moist. Remove and let cook completely before frosting.
- Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting: Whip the butter and cream cheese together with the vanilla extract and the sweetener. Whip the heavy cream until it is very stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture 1/3 at a time. Frost the cupcakes and refrigerate or serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Low Carb Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Hi Kim, was wondering if your recipe could be cut in half? I have had a problem in the past of refrigerating left over sugar free baked goods. The erythritol seems to recrystalize when cold and I wind up having to heat the item up again in order to make it edible. Had to throw away a whole batch of carrot cake cupcakes last time I tried because I iced them and put them in the fridge. The next day the icing and the cake itself was so crystallized it gave me a sore throat to eat it. Maybe if i do half a batch i can leave them out and frost as i eat?
Hi Robyn. I haven’t halved the recipe, but it should be fine. I have a question. Was the carrot cupcake recipe and the frosting recipe mine and what sweetener did you use? I only ask because I try to use less erythritol and bump sweetness with stevia glycerite for that very reason. Also, I have found that Swerve burns my throat – it may be the combination of the erythritol and sweet fiber they use? That’s why I use the Sukrin, I experience much less burning with a larger amount of product.
I found out 10 years ago with low carb baking, that mixing erythritol with xylitol 50/50 and adding KAL pure stevia powder until it was as sweet as sugar worked the absolute best for me. Many can’t have xylitol in the home because of dogs. It’s interesting to note that xylitol is hydroscopic, and absorbs ambient moisture white erythritol is the opposite (I forgot the term) and resists. That’s why it recrystallizes.
What about mixing it with Bochasweet? I’ve tried to investigate whether or not it actually contributes carbs, but I can’t seem to find a straight answer. You might want to contact the company and ask. If they say its fine for keto diets, then I would mix it 50/50 with the erythritol. I have done this before and it is very pleasant.
I look forward to hearing from you. Let me know if you have more questions. -Kim
Good morning. I have been looking at your dessert recipes and I noticed that some have whey protein while others have beef gluten. Can these be used interchangeably?
By the way I tried your chocolate chip cookie recipe but did it with coconut flour versus the oat fiber. They are wonderful and I’m now going to order some oat fiber and try it that way next. I actually did a comparison of three different chocolate chip cookie recipes and yours was the best!
Your recipe was spot on and extremely helpful. Thank you. I’m officially a follower.
Hi Cherri, I’m so happy you like the cookie recipe. I thought they tasted very close to the real thing, too. Now to answer your questions. No, the protein powder and gelatin can’t be used interchangeably. The gelatin helps bind ingredients, but also lends a slight chew to cookies. The whey protein isolate helps provide a more bread-like texture to baked goods. Gluten is a protein which provided structure to baked goods and also binds. Gluten-free baked goods suffer from lack of structure and binding of ingredients. The whey protein isolate helps provide a little structure as well as dries the crumb out just a touch – sometimes low carb baked goods can be mushy in texture. Coconut flour, in small amounts, added to a baking recipe can help provide some of the structure and fluff that protein powder can, but adding just a little protein powder enhances it just a little more. The oat fiber can provide a cake-like or biscuit-like texture in cakes and breads – also a slight whole wheat-like flavor.
While you can get different textures from different ingredients, the technique in combining them is also important. Some recipes do fine as “dump and mix” and others benefit from using a traditional method like creaming the ingredients together. Others do better as a super thick batter while others do fine slightly thinner. I find that I prefer to use cold eggs in my recipes. Sometimes I like to bake at a lower temperature for longer. I try it all as I develop recipes to get the best possible texture and flavor.
Make sure that your dry ingredients are free from lumps before measuring and cocoa powder should always be sifted right when coming home from the store.
I hope this helps. -Kim
i used golden monkfruit sugar….delicious
Hi there. I am really interested in making this recipe. I was wondering though if you can substitute the surkin gold or other alternatives for your brown sugar recipe? I haven’t actually made that either, but want to. I’m Type 2 Diabetic and haven’t really ventured out to the low carb baked goods yet but I can only pass the bakery so many times in the store before the urge erupts.
HI Crystal. You can use the homemade brown sugar substitute. It works great in this recipe. -Kim
can i use honey
Hi Trudy. I’m sure you could use honey, but I don’t use it. Two things… The recipe will be nice and moist with honey, but it will also burn easily. Make sure to watch it. Maybe try 1/2 a cup? -Kim
This looks great!
Tried these…Amazing!!!! Taste better then the sugar loaded ones…. unbelievable recipe, thank you.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so much, Derrick! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rate the recipe. Have a great week. -Kim
So sorry to hear of your mother’s declining health. I took care of both of my parents and my mother in law in their golden years it was a bitter sweet blessing. Thank you for your hard work in developing recipes for us. And I pray your mother will be healed.
Thank you kindly, Ruth. I’m bringing the kids to visit mom and dad this Easter – it may be the last one she is home. I’m sad that I am not closer to help my dad with my mom – a lot of guilt there. How wonderful that you were able to take care of your parents and mother in law. It’s a physically demanding, self-sacrificing, and isolating job. What a wonderful person you are to have loved them as you did. Thank you for taking the time to comment. It was so nice meeting you and making a connection. Sending many blessings your way…. -Kim
Is there something else that could be used instead of shredded coconut and coconut flour? I really can’t stand the taste of coconut.
Hi Bob. I only tested the recipe with the ingredients listed because I was going to a specific texture for these cupcakes. I’m afraid if you make a straight sub with almond flour that the recipe may not turn out. You can try. Currently, I do not have an all almond flour recipe for carrot cake. I’ve been asked a few times and perhaps it’s time to make one. I hope you have a nice weekend. -Kim
Do you recommend a certain whey protein powder brand?
My favorite is Isopure. I generally buy unflavored because it is more versatile, but the vanilla is also good in desserts. -Kim
I made these last night. Followed exactly the recipe. The flavour was good, but I found them to be very dry. I am a good baker and I know that I did everything correctly, but maybe you have a suggestion for increasing the moisture? I also found the fluffy frosting to be too sweet so would cut back on the sugar in that next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi…how much Swerve should I use?? I do not have Sukrin.
Thank you,
Barbara
Use an equal amount of Swerve, Barbara. Enjoy! -Kim
I just made a half batch of these and they turned out delicious. They’re a little on the dry side though, and I’m guessing it’s because I squeezed out the moisture from the shredded carrot. I know it wasn’t in the directions but in past recipes(not from your site) I’ve ended up with soggy muffins. Should I completely skip this step next time? Also, do you have the nutritional info for the muffin only?
Hi Kayla. Do not squeeze out the carrot. Please let me know which muffins have come out soggy. It may have been a recipe from my first year blogging. I can help you troubleshoot. For the chocolate zucchini muffins, squeeze out the zucchini. Also, these are best enjoyed room temperature as they have quite a bit of fat from the nuts, butter and cream cheese. Sometimes refrigerated low cqrb goods feel dry when it’s the fats are cold. The last thing to think about before starting any low carb baking recipe is to make sure to whisk the ingredients before measuring to remove any lumps. Lumps are compacted ingredients and result in using more ingredient than a recipe intends. Oh, and the protein powder helps dry out the texture in baked goods so you can also decrease the amount or leave it out if you prefer. One last thing… Most of the baking recipe on the blog were tested in a gas oven. I recently purchased an electric oven and I’ve noticed that the baking times are different in the new oven. And, they are also different in my mother’s electric wall oven which is much smaller than a standard oven, so baking times will vary by 10 minutes. I’ve also had to turn the oven temperature down a few degrees in my mother’s oven. I hope I have given you lots of things to think about and ways to troubleshoot the recipe. -Kim
Hello! I’m hoping to make this for Mother’s Day this weekend, but I can only find the sugar substitutes online and I’m not sure if they’ll come in by Saturday in order for me to make this. Is it possible to use any sugar substitute like Stevia?
Also, can I omit the whey protein powder? And if I do – do I need to adjust the measurements of any other ingredient?
Hi Elizabeth. Sometimes subbing ingredients in baking recipes leads to less than optimal results – especially in low carb baking where the ingredients can sometimes be fiddly. I would use Truvia or another low carb sweetener that adds a little bulk instead of using only stevia for the cake recipe. You can try replacing the whey protein powder with 1 tablespoon of coconut flour. I have not tested the recipe with these subs. You can use any sweetener you wish for the cream cheese frosting. I hope this helps. -Kim
Hi – looking forward to trying this. What quantity of stevia or erythritol subs for the sweetener used?
Sorry about your Mum. Continuing family food traditions are so special – but also tricky (my cultural background involved a lot of high carb, high fat traditional foods).
Hi Theresa, thanks for the sympathy for my mom. If you are using regular erythritol, use the same amount specified in the recipe and then add stevia per your taste. I use stevia glycerite so that would be 1/8-1/4 teaspoon. I don’t use stevia liquid drops so I am not sure how many drops it would take. I hope you enjoy the recipe and good luck converting some of your old favorites to low carb. Have a nice week. -Kim
Could I use sprouted brown rice protein powder instead of whey?
Anne, I have never used vegan protein powders before. I really don’t know if they work the same, but I say try it. What the whey protein powder does is add to a more bread-like texture. Low carb baked goods are generally more dense and pretty moist. The protein powder ccontributes a tiny bit of dryness and also contributes additional structure. Often times baked goods with a little added protein powder are lighter in texture and less lumpy. So, if you think your protein powder has the same properties go for it – I don’t think it would hurt. The cupcakes will still be delicious with out the whey protein powder, just a tiny bit different in texture? -Kim
Could I use vanilla flavored whey protein, That is all I have.??
Absolutely, Leanne. -Kim
Thanks! Looking forward to making these, thanks so much for the recipe!
My pleasure. -Kim
Are those nutrition numbers for the cupcake only? I plan to make the older, tangier frosting. Thanks.
Great question, Gloria. The nutritional information is for a cupcake and the fluffy cream cheese frosting. -Kim
Kim, I am sorry to hear about your mother. I know this is a difficult time for you and your family. These carrot cake cupcakes look lovely. I love how you garnished them around the rim of the cupcakes. They look so pretty. Your pictures are beautiful as always. They are making me drool. Have a great week.
Thank you so much Katie. I hope all is well with you and your family. -Kim
OH my gosh — these are amazing!! I just made these and I only made 2 changes. As recommended, I used Swerve & maple extract since I don’t buy Sukrin. I also used crushed almonds since my husband doesn’t care for walnuts. These are incredibly moist and the fluffy cream cheese frosting is fabulous!! Thanks for sharing this recipe. :)
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Stephanie! What a great idea subbing the almonds for walnuts. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate it. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
These look delicious! Could I substitute collagen or gelatin for the whey? Or maybe xanthan gum? Trying to use what I already have!
Great question, Patti. I haven’t baked with collagen before – I just stir it into my coffee. I would not add gelatin. The whey protein powder makes the cupcake more smooth like a regular cupcake and provides a little structure and a little dryness. It’s not a deal breaker as the cupcakes will still be tasty without it. Do you have Oat Fiber? You could try 1 tablespoon of oat fiber as a sub. Thanks for the nice compliment and have a nice day. -Kim