Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bread
Happy March, happy birds chirping, happy springtime, happy almost Easter! As if it wasn’t obvious enough in that opening line… I adore this time of year! Something else I’m pretty enamored with… this Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bread made with all wholesome ingredients.
HEALTHIER CARROT CAKE
Growing up, Mom always baked up either carrot cake or carrot cupcakes to enjoy after Easter brunch. Carrot cake sweet treats are just a must around Easter time. For my Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bread, I kept the delicious classic carrot cake flavor, but took a close look at the traditional ingredients.
This recipe for Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bread is refined sugar free, oil free, grain free and made with almond and tapioca flours… oh, and there are carrots. 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR A GLUTEN FREE CARROT CAKE RECIPE
Bob’s Red Mill flours are some of my favorites. The Almond Flour/Meal is ground from whole, blanched sweet almonds. And we all know how healthy almonds are- they provide a good amount of manganese and vitamin E. There’s even a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. As if that’s not enough greatness, almonds have a healthy boost of protein and they’re low in carbohydrates and naturally gluten free.
If you’re looking for something a tad bit healthier than your typical Easter dessert recipe, that’s still filled with deliciousness, this carrot cake bread is your recipe. You won’t be disappointed and even better, your guests won’t have a clue that this bread is actually good for them.
The glaze is definitely optional, but it in my opinion, it adds that special pizzazz that’s perfect for Easter brunchin’. The glaze also gives this lightly sweet bread an extra boost of sweetness, making it feel more like a dessert. Do me and yourself a favor and serve this at your next brunch gathering. Or make it just for you, to devour in front of the TV on an uneventful Friday night. No judgement from me! 🙂
Looking for other healthier bread options? You’ll love my double chocolate zucchini bread, low fat flourless banana bread and paleo carrot cake cupcakes!
I’d love to know if you make this (or any) recipe! Tag @kimscravings on Instagram and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Bread
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium very ripe bananas, mashed*
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce**
- 2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup Almond Meal/Flour
- 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour***
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
- 1/3 cup golden raisins, optional
OPTIONAL GLAZE
- 1/4 cup warmed coconut butter, in a pourable state
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- water, as needed for consistency, 1 teaspoon at a time
- unsweetened shredded coconut, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Mix together the bananas, applesauce, honey, vanilla, and eggs until completely combined. Add in the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and stir until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Gradually, stir in grated carrots and nuts and raisins, if using.
- Pour the mixture, which should be thick, into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 32-35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a knife comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Keep tightly wrapped for up to 3 days, on the kitchen counter or refrigerate for up to one week. Bread will freeze well. Enjoy!
Optional Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. Add more water by the teaspoonful till the glaze is glossy and reaches a good consistency for glazing. When ready, it should look glossy and opaque and be thick enough to coat the pastry, yet thin enough that it pours off the spoon. If is is lumpy or curdled, add water bit by bit, whisking again until it becomes smooth and glossy. With bread on a wire rack, place a plate or paper towel underneath to catch overflow. Slowly pour the glaze over bread and allow it to drip down the sides for presentation.
- Once glazed, place the bread in the freezer for a few minutes to let the glaze firm up and set. Bread can be glazed up to a few hours before serving. Once the glaze is set, bread can sit at room temperature or be kept in the fridge.
Notes
**Oil could be substituted.
***Garbanzo Bean or Brown Rice flour can be substituted.
****Nutritional information calculated without optional walnuts and raisins, but with optional glaze.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I skip the clove? I’m not a fan…
Sure!!
Do you think it would work with flax eggs?
I haven’t tried it, but I really don’t see why it wouldn’t. Let us know how it works for you, if you give it a try. 🙂
I absolutely adore carrot cake, I love this breakfast version of it! I can only imagine how good this tastes with a cup of coffee 🙂
Definitely and the cup of coffee is a must for sure!
Add to mailing list please
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