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3.10.19

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake {Paleo, GF, DF}

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Sweet and moist, with lots of warm spices, a cinnamon crumb topping, and a “cream cheese” icing, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite! It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

Coffee cake of any kind is way up there with my most favorite things to bake.   I have such fond memories of coffee cake from childhood and that cinnamon crumb topping is just about the best thing, ever.

Since I know I’m not alone in my love for coffee cake, I make sure I have pretty much every seasonal version you can think of, made paleo, of course!

Since we’re heading toward spring (fast, I hope!) I figured it was the perfect time to break out the carrots and make some incredibly moist, sweetly spiced carrot cake coffee cake.  Complete with crumb topping AND a dairy-free “cream cheese” icing!

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

I followed a similar formula that works for most of my coffee cakes and the recipe did not disappoint!  The cake part is dense and moist, without being overly so. It has lots of flavor too since I’m not at all shy with the warm spices.

And, even though it’s on the denser side, the cake still has a tender quality to it that makes it seriously irresistible.   But just you wait – the toppings make it even better.

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

The crumb topping itself can be made dairy-free with coconut oil, OR with ghee, or grass-fed butter if you prefer.

As long as the coconut oil, butter, or ghee is chilled before making the topping and remains chilled prior to baking, you’ll get that delicious crumb that’s seriously addicting!

Coconut oil will “melt” the most – so keep this in mind.  Even still, you’ll definitely get a crumb topping (not a melted one) even if you use the coconut oil.

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

Ah – the icing.  Now I DO say the icing is optional in this recipe, simply because I get that it’s an extra couple of steps and the coffee cake is delicious without it.  BUT, if you really want to go all out, this paleo “cream cheese” maple cashew icing is really a must!

Since it’s a small batch (because it’s a drizzle rather than a frosting) I made it in my NutriBullet in under a minute and it came out drizzly-smooth and perfect.  Plus, you don’t even have to soak the cashews beforehand – just blend and go!

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

This cake is not only one of my favorites, but my family loves it too.  Which is significant, actually, because it’s tough to get a consensus on most of my recipes!

Especially from those picky kiddos.  This one, I can happily say, is a winner.  Most likely because of the cinnamon crumb topping and icing, but honestly that’s why I love it too.

I hope you’re ready for Spring (duh!) and this incredible paleo carrot cake coffee cake.  Get those carrots shredded and grab your ingredients because it’s time to start!

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake {Paleo, GF, DF}

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite!  It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.  It's gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and family approved!

Carrot Cake Coffee Cake {Paleo, GF, DF}

Sweet and moist, with lots of cinnamon crumb topping, this paleo carrot cake coffee cake is sure to become a favorite! It’s perfect for serving to guests or making ahead of time as a grab and go breakfast.
Author: Michele Rosen
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
cooling time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Baking/Dessert
Cuisine: dairy-free, Gluten-free, Paleo
Servings: 9
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Did you make this recipe?
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4.89 from 17 votes

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

  • 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
  • 1/3 cup maple sugar coconut sugar, or a mix
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup organic coconut oil refined, solid, or ghee, or grass-fed butter, cold and cut into pieces

Cake:

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/3 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 large eggs room temp
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk full fat or light
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup organic coconut oil refined, melted and cooled to almost room temp
  • 2/3 cup maple sugar coconut sugar, or a combination (I used 1/3 + 1/3)*
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups shredded carrots squeezed dry with paper towels

Optional “Cream Cheese” Icing

  • 1/2 cup cashews
  • 3 Tbsp coconut milk I used light
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:

  • Chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

Prepare the Crumb Topping First:

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine using a fork or pastry blender until a coarse crumbly mixture forms. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

For the Cake:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, lemon juice, sugar, coconut oil and vanilla until very smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet using a spoon or spatula until well combined. Fold in carrots until evenly distributed.
  4. Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan scraping the sides of the bowl to get it all - the batter will be somewhat thick. Spread it out evenly in the pan, then sprinkle the crumb topping all over evenly.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, or with a dry crumb. Top will be golden brown, or darker if coconut sugar was used.
  6. Allow cake to cool on a wire rack about 20 mins, meanwhile, prepare the icing, if using.

For The Icing:

  1. In a small blender or food processor (I used a Ninja) blend all ingredients until a smooth, drizzly texture forms. Once cake is partially cooled, drizzle all over the top.
  2. Store remaining icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It will firm when chilled, you can warm it slightly for a drizzly consistency.

Recipe Notes

*Using all coconut sugar will make the cake appear darker in color.

**Nutrition is calculated without the icing.

Nutrition

Calories: 379kcal
Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 10g
Fat: 32g
Saturated Fat: 13g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 182mg
Potassium: 136mg
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 5g
Vitamin A: 4855IU
Vitamin C: 2.3mg
Calcium: 108mg
Iron: 2.1mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @PaleoRunningMomma on Instagram and hashtag it #PaleoRunningMomma

Shop Products and Ingredients:

Want More Paleo Coffee Cake Recipes?  Try One of These!

Classic Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Orange Pecan Coffee Cake

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake 

Lemon Curd Crumb Cake 

Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!

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About Michele

More than a little into running and paleo recipes (yoga now too!) but I'm not here to rain on your grains (or anything else) so come along for the ride! I do a little too much of everything (except cleaning), and I enjoy laughing at myself. As long as I'm the one making the jokes, that is. Just kidding. So bring me your angst, your appetite and your frying pan and climb aboard!

Reader Interactions

Reader Reviews & Comments

  1. Michelle Fitch says

    March 10, 2019 at 9:42 am

    What size cake pan do you use and do you grease the pan first?

    Reply
  2. Kathryn Morgan says

    March 10, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Not only what size pan but what temp do you bake this please?

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      March 10, 2019 at 5:41 pm

      Her Lemon Crumb cake is based on the same ratios and that is a 8×8! I hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Terry says

    March 10, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    Yes, I need the to know the answers also!!!

    Reply
  4. Jill Reed says

    March 10, 2019 at 9:55 pm

    Hi there,
    Cake looks great but what temperature did you use to bake cake and what size pan

    Reply
  5. JB says

    March 10, 2019 at 10:48 pm

    I’m sure you’ve answered this a million times before but if we have but allergies in the house, what’s the best substitute for almond flour in your baking recipes?

    Reply
  6. Cris says

    March 11, 2019 at 8:25 am

    Would love to make this. What temperature is the oven preheated to?

    Reply
  7. Jenn says

    March 11, 2019 at 6:49 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today, it’s scrumptious! Does it freeze well?

    Reply
  8. Linda C says

    March 11, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    See #1 under Instructions for the cake for the temperature to heat the oven and for the size of the pan.

    Reply
  9. Bob says

    March 12, 2019 at 11:36 pm

    5 stars
    This coffee carrot cake was fantastic. I used brown coconut sugar and left out the icing. Just a fantastic healthy recipe. Everything I’ve made from PaleoRunningMomma has been terrific. Kudos from one Jersey (formally) resident to another. Keep em coming. BTW, your cauliflower risotto is fantastic too.

    Reply
  10. Melissa Lawson says

    March 17, 2019 at 8:27 pm

    5 stars
    This was sooo good! Although I don’t know why I’m surprised because I’ve had great luck with all of your recipes! My husband couldn’t believe it was paleo so it’s definitely something I would make to share with non paleo eaters. Next time I’ll use my food processor to shred the carrots because this took me a while to make, but I’ll certainly be making it again!

    Reply
  11. arlene zegel says

    April 14, 2019 at 9:15 am

    Can I substitute the arrowroot /tapioca flour w eirhe coconut or extra almond flour?

    Reply
  12. Emily Watts says

    April 22, 2019 at 12:40 pm

    Hi Michele,
    I was looking for a new variant cake. I find it. Thanks for sharing this. I am excited to make it for my brother.

    Reply
  13. Marlane says

    June 29, 2019 at 12:50 pm

    This sounds super! Does the cake (no topping) need to be stored in the fridge?

    Reply
  14. Kristin says

    September 3, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    5 stars
    So yummy! We loved this recipe!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      September 4, 2019 at 1:26 pm

      So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  15. Kate says

    October 7, 2019 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    I’ve cooked it! It’s something amazing, I really loved it. Thank you for the recipe ??

    Reply
  16. EM says

    April 13, 2020 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    This was soooo amazing !! I added pecans, hemp hearts, and raisins to the batter and also put some on top. Turned out awesome

    Reply
  17. Brianne says

    April 16, 2020 at 4:30 pm

    Do you soak the cashews overnight?

    Reply
  18. superfighters says

    May 21, 2020 at 2:36 am

    5 stars
    very nice recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  19. barrynelsen says

    June 17, 2020 at 9:27 am

    This is awesome recipe. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Rivermarket Kitchen says

    August 7, 2020 at 10:25 pm

    5 stars
    Looks great! The recipe is quite simple and easy to prepare, added to the menu for this weekend. hope to enjoy the best Carrot Cake Coffee Cake with my family. Thanks and have a nice day!

    Reply
  21. TeresaJ says

    November 12, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    For some reason, I love cooking your recipes. It looks delicious, for sure this Carrot Cake Coffee Cake is going to be on my table tonight. Thank you, for this simple yet delicious looking recipe. !!

    Reply
  22. Marina says

    December 2, 2020 at 5:20 am

    5 stars
    Your cake truly inspire me! It seem not so difficult for beginner like me!
    My kids gonna be love it so much!!!
    Thank you for this recipe!!!

    Reply
  23. Emila says

    December 24, 2020 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    This is truly an amazing coffee cake recipe I have ever read. So easy and quick way to make it at home. I really love it. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe article.

    Reply
  24. Maeghan says

    December 27, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    5 stars
    Easy to make and sooo delicious! My BF said he could eat the whole thing. Will be making again!

    Reply
  25. Elliott says

    January 21, 2021 at 12:31 am

    5 stars
    Love this recipe, it is easy and so tasty!!! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe.
    Visit my new post: Instant Pot Vs. Ninja Foodie

    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi! I’m so happy you stopped by! My name is Michele and I’m a Paleo eater and recipe creator, runner, mom of 3, and the gal behind Paleo Running Momma! Over here you’ll find real-food, clean eating family favorites that you’ll be excited to share with your loved ones. I hope you stay awhile, eat, savor, and enjoy!

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