This oat flour carrot cake loaf is super flavorful, loaded with carrots, coconut and pecans and topped with a generous helping of cinnamon cream cheese frosting. 
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Say hello to Spring with this oat flour carrot cake loaf! Perfectly decadent and moist, not too sweet and a healthy dose of spice, this carrot cake loaf is the ideal Easter or Springtime treat.
This oat flour carrot cake loaf is a cross between a traditional cake and a quick bread; which, if you ask me, means you can have it for dessert or brunch!
This oat flour carrot cake is gluten free, oil free and refined sugar free, but I promise you and your guests will never be able to tell. I’ve also included dairy free subs below.
My best advice? Do not skip the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It’s so delicious and compliments the carrot cake loaf perfectly, bringing all the flavors together and balancing out the sweetness.
Ingredients
Oat flour: use certified gluten free to keep this cake gluten free.
Eggs: eggs add needed moisture and richness to this carrot cake.
Applesauce and yogurt: applesauce and yogurt add moisture to this cake and allows us to omit the oil.
Maple syrup: this carrot cake loaf is naturally sweetened only.
Carrots: I recommend shredding your own carrots so you can control how fine or course the pieces are. Plus freshly grated carrots add some extra moisture to the cake.
Baking powder and soda: you’ll need both leavening agents to get this cake to rise with all the mix ins.
Vanilla: you’ll mainly taste the spices in this cake but vanilla adds another layer of flavor.
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger and salt.
Mix ins: I used shredded coconut and chopped pecans but you can also add raisins or any mix of the three.
Frosting Ingredients
Cream cheese: the base for the cream cheese frosting, which is a must with carrot cake.
Powdered sugar: sweetens the frosting just enough.
Cinnamon: just a touch compliments the spices in the carrot cake so well.
Vanilla
Equipment
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Box Grater
Whisk and rubber spatula
Loaf pan
Make the Carrot Cake Loaf
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 inch loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for one minute so they are frothy. Add remaining wet ingredients to the whisked eggs.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Whisk ingredients so the spices are incorporated into the flour.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with the shredded carrots and additional mix-ins.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 42-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs.
Allow carrot cake loaf to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well with a rubber spatula.
Once the oat flour carrot cake loaf has cooled completely, frost the top of the loaf with all of the cream cheese frosting.
Tips
- Use the scoop and level method to measure your oat flour. Use a spoon to scoop flour into your measuring cup, then use a straight edge to level off the top.
- Be sure not to over mix the batter.
- Optional step: toast the pecans and shredded coconut for added flavor.
- Store leftover oat flour carrot cake loaf in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- If freezing: cool carrot cake loaf completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Store in freezer for up to 3 months (do not frost until ready to serve).
Substitutions
Applesauce/yogurt: you can use either all applesauce or all yogurt if you don’t have one or the other.
Maple syrup: use any liquid sweetener of your choice.
Nutmeg/ginger: if you don’t have individual spices, you can use an equal amount of allspice.
Mix ins: use any combination of mix ins you like, such as chopped pecans, shredded coconut and raisins.
Cream cheese: for a lower fat frosting option, use Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese.
Dairy Free: in the batter, replace the yogurt with more applesauce or use a plain dairy free yogurt. For the frosting, use a vegan cream cheese (or a lactose free cream cheese if you’re lactose intolerant).
More Recipes You’ll Love
- No Bake Carrot Cake Bars
- Oat Flour Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Carrot Cake French Toast Bake
- Oat Flour Lemon Loaf
- PB & J Baked Oatmeal
If you make this Oat Flour Carrot Cake Loaf, be sure to leave a comment below and rate this recipe! If you snap a pic, be sure to tag me on Instagram @thechowdown! I love seeing your creations!
Oat Flour Carrot Cake Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups gluten free oat flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9 inch loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for one minute so they are frothy. Add the maple syrup, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla to the whisked eggs and mix to combine. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Whisk ingredients so the spices are incorporated into the flour.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients along with shredded carrots and additional mix-ins. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 42-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs. Allow carrot cake loaf to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove loaf from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well with a rubber spatula.
- Once the oat flour carrot cake loaf has cooled completely, frost the top of the loaf with all of the cream cheese frosting.
Just made this today and I gave 5 stars because for a vegan, healthy carrot cake it’s amazing! I know it doesn’t taste like a white flour carrot cake but for a healthier version it’s A+ 😄 It’s more like a “bread” instead of a cake. Like a banana bread! It was really good heated up and I also toasted with butter. I made the cream cheese frosting with powdered swerve for a sugar free icing. After searching for a whole day on the internet I finally found a recipe that included Greek yogurt and applesauce! So I’m really happy about that. Most recipes called for “either/or”. I think it could have been sweeter, but the icing added the extra sweetness it needed. I will definitely make this again! SAVED! 🤩
Thank you so much for your comment! This feedback is really helpful to me, so I appreciate you taking the time to write it 🙂
My partners gluten free- without a gluten free flour mix at home sometime leaves me a little stuck. It was wonderful to come across this for some last minute baking. Wonderfully moist, denser textured cake. Not overly sweet. (The icing adds more than enough – “treat factor” to the recipe! Everyone loved it, and I loved the addition on coconut, for a twist on my usual carrot cake recipe.
I made a couple changes- used sugar instead of maple syrup and made the icing with a squeeze of orange juice and orange zest!
Will definitely make again and have already passed the recipe on! Thanks again! 😘🤤
I’m so happy to hear this! The addition of orange juice and zest to the icing sounds divine, I must try!