Carrot Cake Bread (1 Bowl, Healthier, Refined Sugar-Free)

This Carrot Cake Bread is a moist, soft, super tasty sweet bread loaf full of traditional carrot cake flavors and spices. It’s also egg-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free for a delicious and healthy dessert.

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I love the flavors of carrot cake in everything from Carrot Cake Chia Pudding to Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal but today I wanted to make a dessert bread loaf that tastes like carrot bread and it’s amazing. It’s moist, soft, sweet, full of flavors.

I’m sharing my full recipe just below but don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, process shots, and baking tips!

Carrot Cake Bread

This Carrot Cake Bread is a moist, soft, super tasty sweet bread loaf full of traditional carrot cake flavors and spices. It's also egg-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free for a delicious and healthy dessert.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 234.7 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 ½ cups Grated Carrots
• ▢ ⅓ cup Unsweetened Applesauce - (note 1)
• ▢ ½ cup Light Olive Oil - (note 2)
• ▢ 1 cup Coconut Sugar - (note 3)
• ▢ ⅔ cup Almond Milk - (note 4)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Ginger - (note 5)
• ▢ 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour - (note 6)
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ cup Chopped Pecans - (note 7)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch x 6-inch loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. Lightly oil with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
• In another large mixing bowl, grated carrots, applesauce, olive oil, sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir with a rubber spatula very well to combine everything together.
• Fold in flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir again until a consistent cake batter forms.
• Fold in chopped pecan, and stir a few time to evenly incorporate.
• Transfer the batter in the prepared pan.
• Bake the bread on the center rack of the oven for 45-55 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). I foil the top of the pan after 40 minutes to prevent it from burning too fast. Insert a long skewer in the bread to check if it's cooked through. If it comes out clean, it's ready to remove from the oven.
• Let it cool down for 10 minutes in the pan at room temperature, then on a rack completely before slicing.

Notes

Note 1: Or mashed banana, same amount.

Note 2: Or other low flavor oil like canola oil, or melted plant-based butter.

Note 3: Or sugar, light brown sugar, unrefined cane sugar, demerara sugar. You can’t use liquid sweetener or the bread comes out dense.

Note 4: Or any other milk you like including oat milk or soy milk.

Note 5: Or 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg if preferred.

Note 6: I don’t recommend all-purpose gluten-free flour for this recipe, the bread will be gummy and dense. White spelt flour and white wholewheat work too. You can’t use almond flour or oat flour for this recipe.

Note 7: You can also use dried raisins or unsweetened shredded coconut for nut-free options.

Storage: To keep the bread moist, store it unsliced in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze slices in airtight Ziploc bags and thaw the day before in the fridge.

Frosting Options: You can frost the cooled carrot bread with my coconut frosting or dairy-free vanilla frosting.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice (serves 12) | Calories: 234.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.9g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 12.7g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.5g | Sodium: 205.9mg | Potassium: 96.4mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 10.4g | Vitamin A: 2678IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 59.4mg | Iron: 1.1mg | Magnesium: 12mg | Phosphorus: 49.3mg | Zinc: 0.4mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a handful of wholesome ingredients for this recipe. Here’s how to pick them.

• Grated Carrots – They bring moisture, sweetness, and the signature carrot cake flavor. I opt for organic carrots to avoid any chemicals.
• Unsweetened Applesauce – This adds moisture and natural sweetness. Mashed banana also works.  
• Light Olive Oil – It provides moisture and tenderness. Canola oil or melted plant-based butter are also suitable.
• Coconut Sugar – This sweetens the bread with a subtle caramel flavor. Granulated sugar, brown sugar, or other dry sugars are fine.  
• Almond Milk – It adds moisture and helps create a smooth batter. Other plant-based milks like oat or soy milk also work.
• Vanilla Extract – It enhances the overall flavor.
• Cinnamon – This adds warm, sweet spice.
• Ginger – It lends a subtle spicy note. Nutmeg can be used instead.
• All-Purpose Flour – This provides structure to the bread. White spelt flour and white whole wheat flour are fine.
• Baking Powder – This helps the bread rise.  
• Salt – It balances the sweetness.
• Chopped Pecans – They contribute a nutty flavor and crunch. Dried raisins or unsweetened shredded coconut are fine too.

How to Make Carrot Cake Bread

If you prefer pictures to word, here are photos of the key steps.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry – including the grated carrots.

Stir until the batter is just combined. Avoid over-stirring.

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me give you a few more tips for a perfect bread.

• Nut-Free Option – Substitute chopped nuts with dried raisins or unsweetened shredded coconut.
• Overhanging Paper – Let the parchment paper overhang on the sides of the pan to make it much easier to pull it out.
• Don’t Overstir – The batter should be just combined as over stirring creates air bubbles that make the cake denser.
• Prevent Burning – Cover the top of the bread with foil after 40 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
• Cooling Time – Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to maintain its moisture and structure.
• Frosting Ideas – Make a perfect bread with coconut frosting or dairy-free vanilla frosting.
• Storage – Store the bread unsliced in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it moist.
• Freezing – Freeze slices in Ziploc bags for longer storage and thaw in the fridge.

More Sweet Bread Recipes

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Almond Banana Bread