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If you love carrot cake, you’ll love this baked Paleo Carrot Bread! This gluten-free carrot cake bread is incredibly moist and full of spices, chopped walnuts, and golden raisins, made with all grain-free ingredients.
I love a good carrot cake recipe. But sometimes, I just don’t feel like making a whole big cake. Other times call for carrot cake muffins, but sometimes you just want a slice of good quick bread. Enter paleo carrot bread, a delicious quick bread that is reminiscent of carrot cake, but made without grains, refined sugars, or dairy. Still maintains all of the deliciousness, though!
Really, I wanted to call this Sunshine Bread. My sister actually came up with the idea for a carrot turmeric bread when she was helping me recipe brainstorm over the holidays. I wrote “sunshine bread!” with the description, and the idea has been stuck in my head ever since.
I was predicting it would turn out to be a beautiful golden color thanks to the turmeric, grated carrots, and golden raisins. However, the coconut sugar derailed my color plans and the bread turned a more rusty orange color. Not as “sunshine-y” as I had envisioned, and the name didn’t fit as well as I had planned.
Regardless, though Google is calling it “Paleo Carrot Bread,” it will forever be referred to in my head as sunshine bread, because doesn’t it just make you smile? ☀️
Okay, enough talking about the name. Let’s talk instead about why I’m obsessed with it. It’s SO super moist. In fact, the few times I made it, it was so moist that the middle was sinking. It didn’t look perfect but still tasted amazing. I ate the whole thing, as I did repeatedly as I tested this recipe and…I finally GOT IT!
What’s this gluten-free carrot bread like?
This paleo, grain-free carrot bread is sweet, but not too sweet. It’s well-spiced, thanks to a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric, without being overwhelming. It’s moist and soft without being too wet. I love texture in my quick bread, so I added crunch with walnuts and bursts of chewy sweetness with raisins. In the recipe though, I listed them as optional. I know some folks can’t stand the thought of nuts or raisins in their baked goods.
The combination of flours is important here. We only add one teaspoon of coconut flour, but it really does help absorb some of that excess moisture that the carrots give off as the bread bakes. You may skip it if you must, but your bread may sink a bit in the middle, as mine did initially.
The turmeric may seem like an unexpected addition, but it adds a wonderful slightly earthy flavor. It combines fabulously with the other spices, and also adds some color! Time to make some sunshine bread ☀️ Happy baking!
Paleo Carrot Bread
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
- ⅓ cup golden raisins, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with coconut oil.
- Mix together the coconut sugar, melted coconut oil, and almond butter in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first completely before adding the second. In another bowl, whisk together almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and combine. Add carrots, walnuts, and golden raisins and stir them in gently.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake until cooked through about 40 to 50 minutes. A knife or toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the bread. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
This carrot bread looks fantastic! Sunshine bread…I love that name! :) This would be great toasted and served with coffee!
Sunshine bread for the win!! What a great recipe!! I can’t believe that it’s gluten free and Paleo! :) You always come up with the most amazing creations! …and so healthy and yummy!! Thanks girl!
Thank you so much, Cailee! You’re putting a big smile on my face :)
I love carrots and bread, so how have I never had carrot bread before?! That’s a crying shame, and something I plan on correcting immediately!! LOVE this bread, Rachel! Totally sunshine-y with all those spices, walnuts and raisins! I’ll take the whole loaf please! ;) Cheers, girlie!
Why have I never heard of carrot bread before? This is so creative and full of sunshine, Rachel!
Girl I am so with you when you says SEO friendly! There have been so many times that I have wanted to name a recipe something and then realised I might not really get an views for that name hehe!!
Anyways this bread sounds delicious!!
This looks PERFECT Rachel! It’s clear that you nailed it this time! This would be the perfect Easter brunch bread for my family!
I love this recipe, but I can’t eat almond flour. Usually I substitute half coconut flour and half tapioca starch. Do you think this would work okay for this recipe? Thanks
Hi Jaime. This recipe took a bit of fiddling to get right because of the moisture, but you could definitely give it a shot! You may need to adjust to more or less coconut flour depending on if it’s too dry or wet. You could also use another nut flour or sunflower seed flour. I hope this helps!
Sunshine bread sounds like the perfect name because this would definitely brighten up any day! It looks SO incredible and I love all the wholesome ingredients you packed in here – especially the turmeric!
Sunshine bread sounds pretty amazing! I’m obsessed with all carrot baked goods and this one sounds so healthy and looks delicious so that is a huge plus!
I haven’t baked a pale bread yet, but yours is seriously tempting me right now. Sunshine Bread is also a great name! :)