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A close up of a slice of the healthy carrot cake in front of the rest of the cake on a sheet of parchment paper.
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4.60 from 10 votes

Healthy Carrot Cake

A healthy carrot cake recipe that feeds a crowd! Or, freeze it for a ready breakfast or snack. A few secret ingredients keep it light and butter-free. And it's one of the easiest cakes to make!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 12
Author: Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots (Peeled or scrubbed, from about 2 large carrots. You can use food processor to very finely chop instead.)
  • 6 Medjool dates pitted and finely chopped (you can use food processor)
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  • Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper (or coat well with olive oil).
  • Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, yogurt, milk, and honey. Add eggs one-by-one and whisk to combine.
  • Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
  • Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently with a wooden spoon until just combined.
  • Finish the batter. Gently fold in the carrots, dates, and walnuts. Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake. Bake in the heated oven until a tooth pick inserted in middle of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the pan.
  • Finish and serve. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into 9 or 12 square pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, cardamom, and honey used in this recipe.
  • To store: Because this healthy carrot cake has no frosting, you can store it at room temperature. Allow it to cook completely and store, wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
  • Freezing instructions: Once cooled completely, cut into squares in the tray. Cover and freeze in its baking tray (if it's freezer safe) or transfer to a freezer-safe tray. Let it freeze until solid (about 4 hours). Then remove and wrap each square individually in plastic wrap and a final layer of aluminum foil. Thaw the pieces you need in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Calories: 286.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.8g | Protein: 6.4g | Fat: 13.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.4g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 42.3mg | Sodium: 180.4mg | Potassium: 249.3mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1796.8IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 84.8mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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