Gluten Free Coconut Sugar Carrot Loaf
Get your sweet tooth craving without the guilt, with this Healthy gluten free carrot cake loaf. Made with coconut sugar and an agave sweetened cream cheese glaze, it is the perfect dessert for your next summer gathering.
When it comes to easy cakes, my go to cake is Carrot Cake. With one bowl, a handful of ingredients, I can make a layer cake, loaf cake or cupcakes in just a couple of hours. Plus I can take it up a notch by throwing in so coconut flakes or nuts to give it an extra punch. So when I decided to create a healthy dessert, carrot cake was at the top of the list.
How to make a Gluten Free Carrot Loaf Healthy
The first thing that we needed to adjust to make this loaf cake lighter was the sugar content. For this, instead of brown sugar, we used Coconut sugar which complemented the carrots and cinnamon well in this cake. Plus coconut sugar is low glycemic, so it doesn’t spike the blood sugar. We also used our own gluten free flour blend.
For more on the benefits of coconut sugar, check this link.
The next thing was to swap it out in the glaze. When making a glaze, the main ingredients are butter and icing sugar. But for our glaze, instead of sweetening it with powdered sugar, we used agave. Another low glycemic sweetener that gives the glaze just enough sweetness without the use of refined sugar.
Things to remember
A lot of the time, people think that if things have less sugar in it they can eat more. This is something to lookout for. Although the sugar content in this Carrot cake Loaf is lower, doesn’t mean that it is sugar free and it should still be eaten in moderation. However, it is safer for people who are on a low sugar diet versus traditional carrot cake with is made with loads of sugar.
Baking with coconut sugar
Coconut sugar makes a good 1:1 substitute for most sugars in your cakes, muffins and bars. But, you maybe looking at your finished cake and thinking you overbooked it because it’s so dark, but not to worry. It’s okay!
Coconut sugar is very dark and when added to baked goods and other recipes, you cakes can take on the dark brown color of the coconut sugar. So when baking with coconut sugar, try sticking to using it in desserts that have a darker colour iike chocolate cakes, brownies and carrot cake. Trust me, there’s nothing appetizing looking about an icky brown vanilla cake. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Wanna take this loaf up a notch? Add in a half-cup of toasted coconut for a nice crunch and flavor.
As they say, the day is young, so I’m thinking I might be making one of these cakes today! If you decide to give it a try, don’t forget to tag us on social media and show us your creation.
Happy Baking Foodies
Coconut Sugar Carrot Loaf
Get your sweet tooth craving without the guilt, with this Healthy gluten free carrot cake loaf. Made with coconut sugar and an agave sweetened cream cheese glaze, it is the perfect dessert for your next summer gathering.
Ingredients
For Carrot Loaf
- 2/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup GF baking flour
- 2 cups grated carrots
For Cream Cheese Glaze
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2-3 tablespoons agave
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- Splash of vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted coconut oil, eggs and coconut sugar. Whisk until smooth, then add vanilla and whisk again.
- Placing a sieve over the bowl, sift in GF flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add cinnamon, then whisk together until well combined trying not to over mix.
- Next fold in the carrots, then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
- Once done, remove from pan and let cool completely on cooling rack.
- While cake is cooling, make cream cheese glaze. In a bowl, add cream cheese and butter.
- Whisk by hand or using a hand mixer until smooth and well combined. Next, add vanilla, whisk again then add agave.
- Whisk until combined, then add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
- Drizzle over cooled cake, slice and then serve!
Notes
Want to take this loaf cake up a notch? Fold in 1/2 cup coconut flakes.
