A Healthier Carrot Cake (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Lectin-Free)

With mascarpone and sour cream frosting

There’s always a new way to make a healthy carrot cake — even when working with dietary guidelines like gluten-free, lectin-free, and sugar-free. Top this one with my recently shared Mascarpone & Sour Cream Frosting, and you’ve got a naturally sweetened, nourishing dessert that tastes just as good as it looks.

Carrot cake has always been one of the easiest cakes for me to make. I usually just go with what I have in my pantry, and if the result is delicious enough to impress everyone (my toughest critics included), I know it’s worth sharing. While I already have three carrot cake recipes on my website, none have made their way to Substack — until now.

I’m writing this just before the Easter holidays, and carrot cake felt like the perfect seasonal treat. It’s comforting, gently spiced, and loved by everyone in my family. Since I just posted the frosting recipe I’m using for this cake, I figured it was only right to also share the carrot cake it was made for.

A quick note: I know many of you already know this, but for anyone who’s new here — all my recipes (on my website, in my cookbooks, and here on Substack) are naturally gluten-free, lectin-free (or low-lectin), and sugar-free. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to keep mentioning it, because I don’t create from a place of restriction. What I do feels more like a new cuisine — one that celebrates nourishment, abundance, and creativity. But I highlight these details so the people who need these recipes most can find them. If it ever feels repetitive, I hope you’ll understand why it matters.

So without further ado, here it is — my newest carrot cake recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe: Carrot Cake (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Lectin-Free)

• Serves: 20

• Prep time: 30 minutes

• Cooking time: 30 minutes

Note: Please, please use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. 😊

If you don’t have one yet, I highly recommend getting one — they’re inexpensive, last forever, and will make your life (and mine!) so much easier. I plan to start creating recipes for basic gluten-free flour blends, and I’ll be working exclusively with weight measurements. The truth is, gluten-free flours vary wildly in volume depending on how they’re packed, the brand, and even the humidity in the air. For consistency and success, a scale is essential.