5 Healthy-ish Carrot Cake Recipes for Guilt-Free Indulgence

I think one of the most interesting flavors out there is carrot, specifically carrot cake. It isn’t exactly the first choice for most people when it comes to sweets, but it’s a taste that many enjoy. I happen to love carrot cake!

With National Carrot Cake Day on February 3rd, I’m here to get you in the mood for the crispy orange goodness. I mean, carrots are healthy, so any recipe that uses carrots could totally qualify as your daily serving of veggies. Ok, maybe these are only slightly healthy, but they look soooo yummy!

source: leonie keech photography source: Baker by Nature

1. Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies

These look divine! Ooey, gooey cookies, sandwiched around a sweet cream cheese filling…I’m drooling! There are lots of delicious ingredients used for this recipe, like brown sugar, walnuts, vanilla and cinnamon. The filling is made from honey and cream cheese, and raisins add a tiny dose of healthy.

Get the full ingredients list and instructions for baking these at Baker by Nature.

source:, carrotcake4 source: The Recipe Critic

2. Cheesecake Crumble Bars

Come.To.Mama. Seriously, I wish I could reach into my screen and pull these out! You can see all the different flavors just by looking at this picture. It’s like a carrot flavored cheesecake, and it’s not that difficult to make. Even though it’s a dessert, you could sneak a serving of carrots into your kid’s diet with this.

Head over to The Recipe Critic for all of the baking information.

source: The Wholesome Dish

3. Carrot Cake Muffins

Breakfast just got more delicious. And more healthy- talk about a win-win! Besides carrots, this recipe uses pineapple and applesauce, so you can feel good about eating and serving these. If your children need more fruit in their daily meal routine, this is a way for them to get it. Once you tell them these are loaded with healthy ingredients, hopefully they’ll be more open to trying other healthy foods that aren’t in muffin form.

Stop by The Wholesome Dish to get the baking tutorial on these.

source: eat + sleep + make source: Ambitious Kitchen

4. Carrot Cake Banana Bread

If your child is anything like mine, you might have an obstacle by serving this. My little guy, with his eagle eyes, would probably notice the shredded carrots and complain about the “little orange things.” I’d encourage him to eat it anyway, but he’d probably refuse once he noticed the carrots. However, the cream cheese frosting might be your saving grace. And if not, that means there’s more for you to enjoy!

You’ll find the list of ingredients and full recipe at Ambitious Kitchen.

source: Crumb Kitchen

5. Carrot Cake Smoothie

I usually like smoothies because they’re so easy to make. This one is no exception. Just toss a bunch of ingredients into a blender, and you’ve got a pretty, peach colored, healthy drink. This would be a good option for a busy morning when you’re running late (like every morning), or you could mix it up as an after-school treat.

Crumb Kitchen has the full “how-to.”

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Leena Kollar

Contributing Writer at Life As Mama

I'm a wife, mother and everything else associated with domestic life. I can often be found hiding from my kids to sneak treats (especially ice cream). I love rainbows and naps, and I find any excuse to go to Target. When I actually make it out of the house in real clothes, I document my outfits on my fashion blog, Leather & Lip Gloss. My love for fashion also inspired me to start my own comprehensive style website, The Style Spectrum.