Carrot cake is one of the few desserts that we can enjoy guilt-free.
I, for one, tell myself it’s okay to go for that second (or third!) piece, after all, it’s healthy because there’s a vegetable in there! That has to count for something, right?
Well, carrot cake is indeed loaded with more nutrients than typical cake recipes, but it also usually calls for sugar.
Now, if I can swap sugar with a healthier ingredient that still adds sweetness, then I’d really be able to munch on carrot cake with no worries!
The question is, can you make carrot cake without sugar?
The answer is yes, and today, I’m showing you the best sugar substitutes you can use for carrot cake.
What Does Sugar Do to Carrot Cake?
Substituting ingredients is common in baking recipes, but there are certain rules to make sure your switch is successful.
First, you should know how the ingredient you want to change affects the recipe so you can choose an alternative that delivers similar effects.
Second, you need to figure out the conversion rate. In other words, the amount of the new ingredient that’s equivalent to the original component.
We’ll talk about what sugar does to carrot cake now, and leave the conversion for the following section.
Sugar in carrot cake has 4 roles. The most obvious is, of course, to add sweetness to the dessert.
Beyond that, sugar helps keep the cake moist for a longer time after baking. That’s because bonds form between sugar and liquid particles in the cake, preventing the moisture from evaporating as fast.
Sugar also contributes to the fluffiness of carrot cake. As the batter bakes, the gas bubbles surrounding the sugar crystal expand and produce an airy texture.
Finally, the rich brown color of carrot cake is largely the result of the caramelization of white and brown sugar during baking.
What Are Some Good Sugar Substitutes for Carrot Cake?
Now that you have a better idea of the reasons carrot cake recipes call for sugar, let’s talk about the substitutes capable of producing similar effects:
1 – Monk Fruit Sweetener
Although its popularity has recently skyrocketed, monk fruit sweetener has been around for decades.
It’s made from the extract of Iuo han guo, also known as Buddha fruit or monk fruit. The juice of the small fruit is dried to obtain a concentrated powder.
This fruit originally comes from Southeast Asia and has been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. In 2010, the FDA approved it as a sweetener.
Monk fruit juice contains glucose, fructose, and mogrosides. You’d think this powder gets its sweetness from the glucose or fructose, but those are removed during the processing of the juice.
Instead, the mogrosides are responsible for the intensely sweet flavor of monk fruit. As such, monk fruit sugar is a natural sweetener that’s free of glucose and fructose.
It has various health benefits thanks to the antioxidant, anti-diabetes, and anticancer properties of mogrosides. It can also help in weight loss diets.
To use in carrot cake, start by replacing every 1 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup of monk fruit powder. This sweetener is up to 250 times sweeter than regular sugar, so 1:1 substitution can be quite intense.
2 – Coconut Palm Sugar
Despite what the name suggests, coconut palm sugar doesn’t come from coconuts. In reality, it’s the product of drying the sap extracted from coconut palm trees.
Compared to regular sugar, coconut palm sugar is more nutritious as it contains a decent concentration of minerals (zinc, iron, potassium, calcium) and antioxidants.
For substitution in carrot cake, replace every 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of coconut palm sugar.
3 – Honey
An all-natural sugar substitute, honey is the go-to option for many home bakers, and for good reasons.
For one, it tastes deliciously sweet and you can easily get your hand on some. Other than that, honey is healthier than sugar as it contains less fructose/glucose and more antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and amino acids.
Because it’s a liquid, honey also increases the moisture of the recipes that use it.
When adding it to your carrot cake batter, you may want to consider reducing the liquid ingredients by 2 to 3 tablespoons to maintain the ratio of dry to wet components.
Conversion-wise, start with 1/2 cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar. Add more depending on your flavor preference.
4 – Maple Syrup
If you have maple syrup sitting in your pantry, it can double as a sugar substitute in carrot cake. It has pretty much the same effects as honey, only the flavor is richer and warmer.
I’d start by adding maple syrup in half the amount of sugar that the recipe calls for. You can try this ratio for your first batch and then adjust it to taste.
5 – Applesauce
You can use apples to replace sugar in your carrot cake recipe, but make sure to mash them first!
You’ll end up with sweet and a bit tart applesauce that nicely complements the brightness and spiciness of the recipe. You can leave your applesauce with its natural sweetness, or enhance it with some honey or sweetener.
Add 1 cup of applesauce for every 1 cup of sugar, but make sure to cut back a couple of tablespoons of other wet ingredients.
6 – Molasses
You can use molasses as a sugar alternative in carrot cake. It’s similar to honey and maple syrup, but its flavor is smokier with a much darker shade.
As such, you should expect a warmer shift in the taste of your carrot cake. Also, its color will probably become a deeper brown.
Add 1/3 cup of molasses for every 1 cup of sugar, and use a bit less of the wet ingredients to make up for the extra liquid content.
7 – Pineapple Puree
Another wonderful sugar substitute to consider for your next carrot cake is pineapple puree. Its sweet tanginess will elevate the cake’s flavors while the softness makes for a tender texture.
You can use pineapple puree with its natural level of sweetness, or add some honey/sweetener like with applesauce. The conversion ratio here is 1:1, but once again, you need to mind the amount of wet ingredients.
- Bonus tip: You can experiment with other types of fruit purees to create different flavor combos. I recommend trying apricots, pears, or pumpkins.
8 – Sweet Potato Puree
Besides fruits, you can also use a puree of sweet potato to replace sugar in carrot cake. It provides an effective level of sweetness and also boosts the richness of the cake with its buttery texture.
Substitute at a 1:1 ratio, but keep in mind that the starch in sweet potatoes can make your cake denser and not as fluffy. Pouring some extra oil in the batter can counter this effect.
9 – Agave Syrup
Also known as agave nectar, this sweetener isn’t healthier than sugar, but it can be handy if you have nothing else available.
It comes from a desert plant called agave, which is native to Latin America and the southern US.
While agave syrup has a low glycemic index, it’s loaded with fructose. With excess consumption, it can cause harmful health effects.
So, be sensible with using it and substitute at a 1:2/3 ratio.
Final Thoughts
When you’re in the mood for some delicious carrot cake, don’t let running of sugar stop you from satisfying your sweet tooth!
The sugar substitutes I listed today won’t just make up for the sweetness of sugar but also help preserve the moist, airy texture of carrot cake.
Most of them are even healthier than sugar, so you can use them instead for true guilt-free munching!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.