Healthy Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake on Fork

By Mark Hinds | Updated January 28, 2025

This healthy carrot cake recipe uses crushed pineapple, canola oil, and reduced fat cream cheese to create a delicious carrot cake that has half the calories of traditional carrot cake.

Read more about this recipe in Great Tasting Carrot Cake With Half the Calories.

Carrot Cake on Fork

Healthy Carrot Cake

5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings

Ingredients

Cake ingredients

  • 1 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • ยฝ cup flaked coconut, sweetened
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups grated carrot
  • 1 ยฝ cups canned crushed pineapple, drained
  • Cooking spray, (for baking pan)

Frosting ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Additional grated carrot, (decorative)

Instructions

  • To prepare the cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix until all ingredients are well blended.
  • Next, combine oil and eggs and stir with a whisk. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into the flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
  • To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. After the cake has cooled, spread frosting over the top of the cake.
  • Cut the cake into pieces (about 2 x 2) and place additional grated carrot over the top if desired.
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The nutrition information shown is an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation.

Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umamiโ€™s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.

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