Paleo Carrot Cake Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

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This paleo carrot cake bread is moist, tender and sweet, with warm spices and a dairy free cream cheese frosting! It’s as delicious as carrot cake but easier to make and perfect for brunch and dessert. Gluten free, dairy free.

I knew I needed a really good carrot cake inspired recipe on the blog and was dreaming of a quick bread that’s REALLY a cake, yet super easy to throw together.

Simple grain free quick bread batter studded with nuts and raisins, with a thick layer of dairy free cream cheese frosting.  I knew it would be over the top delicious!

This carrot cake bread is a dessert that you can pass off for breakfast – which is big incentive for getting out of bed sometimes!  Also great for brunches of course!

Let’s get into all the delicious details…

What You Need to Make This Paleo Carrot Cake Bread

For the frosting, you actually have two options here.  If you can get your hands on a dairy free cream cheese like Kite Hill, you can make the frosting as written.

If you’d rather go with a cashew based “cream cheese” frosting, you can use this recipe.

Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare this loaf:

blanched almond flourtapioca flour, or arrowrootaluminum free baking powderbaking sodafine sea saltcinnamongingernutmegeggsdairy free milk, such as almond milk or light coconut milkmaple sugar or coconut sugarrefined organic coconut oilpure vanilla extractcarrotspecansraisinsdairy free cream cheese like Kite Hill, or regular, if dairy is okayunsalted grass fed butter, vegan butter, or coconut oilorganic powdered sugar, or powdered monk fruit sweetenerpure vanilla extract

How to Make This Paleo Carrot Cake Quick Bread

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.  

In a large bowl, combine the almond and tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in the carrots to incorporate, then add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.  

Fold in the chopped pecans and raisins, then transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. 

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes 350 or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few crumbs.

Allow the loaf to cook in the pan, placed on a wire rack, for 15 minutes.  Using the parchment paper to grab onto, remove the bread from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack completely.

Once cooled, make the frosting.  In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, combine the dairy free cream cheese with the butter or coconut oil, the powdered sugar or sweetener and the vanilla.  Beat until smooth and creamy.

Spread the frosting in a thick layer over the completely cooled loaf.  The frosting will not harden but will remain soft and creamy.  Slice and serve like cake!

Substituting Ingredients for Carrot Cake Bread

If dairy is okay, feel free to use grass fed butter and real cream cheese for the frosting.

Feel free to sub in regular milk and butter, instead of coconut oil, in the batter as well.

You can also sub in different nuts for the pecans, or completely omit both the pecans and raisins.  The bread’s texture will remain the same.

I don’t recommend substituting in a different flour, or adding any additional wet ingredients, like pineapples, because that will change the wet/dry ratio of the bread.

How to Store This Carrot Cake Bread

Leftover bread should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

It can stay at room temperature after cooling and frosting for several hours before refrigerating.

I hope you’re ready for a new healthy carrot bread that most definitely earns the title “cake” for how tasty it is!

Grab your ingredients and preheat your oven because it’s time to bake – let’s go!

Paleo Carrot Cake Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

Paleo Carrot Cake Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting {Dairy Free, Grain Free}

This paleo carrot cake loaf is moist, tender and sweet, with warm spices and a dairy free cream cheese frosting! It’s as delicious as carrot cake but easier to make and perfect for brunch and dessert. Gluten free, dairy free.Author: Michele RosenPrep Time: 15 minutesCook Time: 50 minutesCooling Time: 1 hrCourse:baking, Brunch, DessertCuisine:Gluten-free, PaleoKeyword:gluten free, grain free, paleoServings: 10 slicesPrint this RecipeDid you make this recipe?Leave a review4.65 from 14 votes

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Bread Batter:

2 1/4cupsblanched almond flour1/2cuptapioca flouror arrowroot1teaspoonbaking powder3/4teaspoonbaking soda1/2teaspoonsea salt2teaspoonsground cinnamon1/2teaspoonground ginger1/4tspground nutmeg3large eggsat room temperature3Tablespoonsdairy free milksuch as almond milk or light coconut milk1cupmaple sugar or coconut sugar1/4cuporganic coconut oilrefined, melted and cooled1teaspoonpure vanilla extract1 1/2cupsshredded carrotssqueezed dry with paper towels1/3cupchopped pecans1/3cupraisins

Cream Cheese Frosting: *

1/4cupdairy free cream cheese like Kite Hill, or regular, if dairy is okay2Tablespoonsunsalted grass fed butter or vegan butter, softened**3/4cupsorganic powdered sugaror powdered monk fruit sweetener1/2teaspoonpure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.In a large bowl, combine the almond and tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the carrots to incorporate, then add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until well combined.Fold in the chopped pecans and raisins, then transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes 350 or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few crumbs.Allow the loaf to cook in the pan, placed on a wire rack, for 15 minutes. Using the parchment paper to grab onto, remove the bread from the pan and continue to cool on a wire rack completely.Once cooled, make the frosting. In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, combine the dairy free cream cheese with the butter or coconut oil, the powdered sugar or sweetener and the vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.Spread the frosting in a thick layer over the completely cooled loaf. The frosting will not harden but will remain soft and creamy. Slice and serve like cake! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

*For a cashew based cream cheese frosting, see this recipe
**Palm oil shortening or refined coconut oil (solid) can also be used here

Nutrition

Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 255mgPotassium: 259mgFiber: 4gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 3376IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg

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Want More Paleo Carrot Cake Recipes?  Try One of These!

Paleo Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cake Muffins with Crumb Topping

Carrot Cake Cupcakes {Nut Free, Paleo}

Paleo Carrot Cake Pancakes

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake 

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