The Best Protein Carrot Cake Loaf you’ll Ever Have!

Moist, Sweet and healthy, this really is the best Protein Carrot Cake Loaf you’ll ever have! A low calorie high protein healthy carrot cake bread made with unflavored and vanilla protein powder and moistened with Greek Yogurt and Applesauce – low fat and sugar free Easter dessert or post-workout treat!

If you’re questioning that name – or even if you’re not – you NEED to make it, because it really is the best carrot cake ever.

Fan of carrot cake? High protein desserts? Sugar free desserts? Healthy desserts?
No?
You STILL NEED to try this recipe. 

This protein carrot cake is so moist and so soft and so fluffy and so everything, it will change your perspective on protein powder baking, and healthy baking for good.

My roommate (who previously said how healthy desserts can’t taste good) had quite a number of words (not suitable to be posted on a public platform) about this. And it was an instant reaction on the very first bite here.

I ate some of this carrot protein cake 6 days after baking – and it was STILL just as good. I’m now planning a cheesecake with this beauty as a base recipe.

Ingredients for the best Protein Carrot Cake Loaf Ever

This healthy high protein carrot cake bread is made with clean and simple ingredients like whole wheat (or whole meal) flour, protein powder, applesauce and non-fat greek yogurt. There’s only a tiny bit of oil in here, making this quite a low fat and low calorie recipe.

For the wet ingredients:

• Shredded Carrots
• Unsweetened Applesauce; as a replacement for most oil in other recipes
• Sugar-free Maple Syrup for low calorie recipe with no sugar! I use the monk fruit maple syrup from Lakanto (code HAYLSKITCHEN gets you a discount)
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt a high protein carrot cake
• Almond Milk
• A bit of Coconut Oil
• Egg

And for the dry ingredients:

• Whole wheat pastry flour for that lightness of the all-purpose flour, but with the nutritious benefits of whole grains
• Unflavored Protein Powder to replace some of the flour (and carbs) in the recipe for a slightly low carb high protein carrot cake. I used a whey-caesin blend from Quest Nutrition
• Vanilla Protein Powder to add some sweetness. This is the replacement for sugar and also some of the flour. Quest again here.
• Spices – feel free to make  your own using a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
• Baking Soda

A high protein cream cheese frosting for carrot loaf:

For the perfect high protein carrot cake bread, I topped the loaf with a cream cheese frosting that’s sweetened with protein powder!

Simple ingredients here too:

• Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, which might also be called Neufchâtel, for a low fat and low calorie recipe
• Vanilla Protein Powder; Quest again here
• Almond Milk or your milk of choice

How to make Healthy Carrot Cake Loaf with Protein Powder

What makes this high protein healthy carrot loaf bread even better is that it’s super easy to make too.

High protein baked goods can be tricky because of how protein powder works in baking, but this follow this recipe and you’re surely going to have the best carrot loaf bread.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. I used an 8½” x 4½”.

2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl: whole wheat pastry flour, unflavored protein powder, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and baking soda.

3. Whisk all the wet ingredients in another (large) bowl: unsweetened applesauce, almond milk, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, maple syrup and egg.

4. Add the dry mix to the wet and gently fold to just combine.
   Be gentle and don’t over-mix the batter. The gluten from the whole wheat flour or the protein powder will make it too dense.

5. Add in the grated carrots and gently fold again.
   You should have a thick, but pourable batter.

6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30+25/30mints. After the 30 minutes, cover the pan with a foil tent and bake for the remaining 20-35 minutes (TOTAL TIME 50-55 MIN).
   Insert a toothpick, tester or thin knife and make sure it comes out dry.

You can also turn these into carrot cake protein muffins – use a 12 cup muffin pan and bake for about 22-25 minutes.
Or, as suggested by one of the reader’s, mini loaves!

Why do you cover protein powder carrot cake bread with foil?

We cover the carrot cake protein bread when baking to prevent the top from browning and burning before the center is cooked though.

Protein powder is very heat-sensitive and can make protein powder baked goods brown a lot quicker than normal.

This way the center will have enough time to cook, and keep the top safe too!

For the Cream Cheese Icing

The protein powder cream cheese icing is probably the easiest part of this carrot bread recipe.

All you need to do here is whisk together the ingredients – cream cheese, protein powder and almond milk – in a bowl! Use a hand mixer if you need.

Can you store Protein Powder Carrot Cake Bread?

This moist and super healthy carrot cake protein bread keeps really well in the fridge or freezer – I tried this out for real. 

It makes a great healthy breakfast carrot bread, dessert, snack or postworkout treat!

You can keep the protein powder carrot cake bread out at room temperature for hours with icing – or 3 days without icing – in an airtight container.

To store the carrot cake in the fridge, use an airtight container and it will last for about a week. I kept my loaf for 6 days (until it was finished) in the fridge, and it was EXACTLY as soft and moist on the last day as it was on the first.

To freeze the protein carrot bread, cut it into slices, wrap each slice in plastic wrap, and place them in a freezer-safe zipper bag.
You can even store the whole carrot cake loaf bread itself , but be sure to let it thaw before you slice.

Can you make Low Calorie Carrot Cake Protein Loaf with Matchstick Carrots?

You want to use freshly grated carrots for this carrot cake protein loaf cake; The pre-grated matchstick carrots you get in the store are not as moist and would give you different results

What Protein Powder to use for Protein Carrot Cake Recipe

I made this carrot protein bread with a whey-caesin blend unflavored and vanilla protein powder from Quest Nutrition, so I really recommend using the blend because it bakes perfectly well and does not give a dry loaf (like others might).

Since I haven’t tried the pea protein or other plant based ones, I can’t say how those would work here.
Update from reader’s comments: One reader has successfully used 30g Pea Protein + 1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal in place of 45g Unflavored Protein Powder.

Make sure you use a stevia or monk fruit sweetened protein powder if you want a proper sugar free recipe.

Alternate Ingredients for Low Calorie High Protein Carrot Cake

I strongly recommend using the ingredients listed as is – and these brands – since I can assure the moist protein carrot cake with those. There’s some options you can try, but I haven’t tested all these variations, so I can’t say how your loaf might turn out.

Here’s a replace x with y list if you want to try some substitutions:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Use all purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free baking flour in the same amount by weight
  Update from working with a reader: ½ cup Oat Flour + ½ Whole Wheat Flour
• Unflavored Protein Powder: More flour, and reduce milk to about 6 tablespoons
  Update from reader’s comments: One reader has successfully used 30g Pea Protein + 1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal in place of 45g Unflavored Protein Powder
• Vanilla Protein Powder: Needed, but you can use a regular whey instead of whey-caesin
• Applesauce: Mashed Banana
  Update from reader’s comments: This substitution has been successfully used!
• Greek Yogurt: Coconut Yogurt (this would also make the recipe dairy free – since there’s no milk or buttermilk in here)
• Almond Milk: Any regular milk
• Maple Syrup: Regular Maple Syrup or Honey, but the recipe will not be sugar-free anymore.
• Coconut Oil: Melted Butter
  From reader’s comments: Pumpkin Puree

Some more Healthy High Protein Baked Goods:

• Best Ever Protein Powder & Yogurt Banana Bread
• Chocolate Protein Banana Bread
• Fat-free Protein Pumpkin Bread
• Chocolate Chip Almond Flour Banana Bread
• Mini Peanut Butter Banana Breads (Vegan)

Or maybe a Protein Cake Recipe:

• Simple Vanilla Protein Cake
• Protein Banana Cake with Vanilla Protein Frosting
• Gingerbread Cake (Oil Free, Sugar Free)
• Protein Pumpkin Cake
• Protein Apple Cupcakes

The Best Protein Carrot Cake Loaf you’ll Ever Have!

4.91 from 10 votes

Print recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 12 slices, ⅔” thick

Calories: 126kcal

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Post-Workout

Cuisine: American, Easter

Moist, Sweet and healthy, this really is the best Protein Carrot Cake Loaf you’ll ever have! A low calorie high protein healthy carrot cake bread made with unflavored and vanilla protein powder and moistened with Greek Yogurt and Applesauce – low fat and sugar free Easter dessert or post-workout treat!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 120g
• ½ cup Vanilla Protein Powder, Whey-casein, 45g
• ½ cup Unflavored Protein Powder, Whey-casein, 45g (see post for sub)
• 1½ tsp Cinnamon
• ¾ tsp Ginger Powder
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• ⅔ cup Unsweetened Applesauce, 160g
• ½ cup Almond Milk, 120ml
• ¼ cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt, about 56g, Room temperature
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup, Sugar-free recommended
• 2 Tbsp Melted Coconut Oil
• 1 Egg, Room Temperature
• 1⅔ cup Grated Carrots, 197g, from 3 medium

Protein Cream Cheese Icing:

• 2 oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese, Softened, 56g
• 3 Tbsp Almond Milk, 45ml
• 1½ Tbsp Vanilla Protein Powder, about 8g

Optional Mix-ins:

• ⅓ cup Pecans/Walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8½” x 4½” loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In medium bowl combine whole wheat pastry flour, unflavored protein powder, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, whisk together applesauce, almond milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, coconut oil and egg.
• Add dry mix to wet, and gently fold until just combined.
• Add grated carrots (and any mix-ins) and fold to combine.

  DO NOT OVER-MIX or protein powder and gluten will from wheat flour will make the cake dense.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes, covering with a foil tent after 30 minutes. Mine took about 60 min.

  A toothpick inserted into center should come out dry.
• Cool for 15 minutes, then lift out of pan using the lining. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For icing: In a small bowl whisk together softened cream cheese, almond milk and protein powder until smooth. Or use a hand mixer.

  Spread over loaf, slice and serve!

Notes

Recipe adapted from my Chocolate Protein Banana Bread, my Protein Pumpkin Bread and Ambitious Kitchen.

•  
• See blog post above for alternate ingredients and storage suggestions.
• Nutrition details are calculated using products recommended below, and without any mix-ins or toppings.

Product Recommendations:

• Quest Nutrition Multi-purpose Mix Protein Powder
• Quest Nutrition Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder
• Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup
  • Use code HAYLSKITCHEN for 15% off your order

Nutrition:

• Yield: 12 slices, ⅔” thick | Serving size: 1 with icing
• Calories: 112 cal
• Fat: 3g | Saturated fat: 1.8g
• Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 2.8g
• Protein: 9.2g