Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: WW Healthy Low Fat Carrot Cake with Pineapple and Cream Cheese Frosting
If you are looking for a low calorie, low fat, healthy carrot cake that is moist and delicious this is the carrot cake recipe for you!
I've been a carrot cake lover for as long as I can remember. The problem with most traditional carrot cakes is that they are heavy, sweet and packed with fat.
A typical homemade carrot cake recipe, like this one, contains a cup or more of oil and two cups of sugar—with each serving weighing in at a hefty 819 calories and *36 WW Freestyle SmartPoints. Yikes!
This moist carrot cake is a light and healthy alternative thanks to a generous amount of crushed pineapple. It is one of the best carrot cakes I've ever tasted.
Moist and not too sweet, it was a huge hit with the entire family when I served it up for Easter Brunch.
WW Carrot Cake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Carrot Cake?
According to my calculations each slice of cake has 206 calories and:
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
8 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
8 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
An amazing bargain when compared to most carrot cakes. You could also shave off more points by using Splenda or Truvia (affiliate link) in place of the sugar in this recipe if you wanted.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was adapted from one I saw in Weight Watchers Best-Ever Desserts: 150 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Bars, Breads and Tarts (affiliate link).
I made the following changes to the recipe from the original:
- Instead of making a traditional 2-layer cake, I baked the cake in an 8-inch spring form pan instead. This created taller single layer cake that took 35 to 40 minutes to bake.
- I used all purpose flour instead of cake flour.
- I increased the amount of canned crushed drained pineapple from 8 ounces to 20.
- I made a half batch of icing and spread it only on the top of the cake.
The recipe calls for ½ cup apple butter, which adds sweetness, spice and moisture. Though I haven't tried it yet, I think applesauce would be a fine substitute.
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WW Friendly Carrot Cake
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WW Moist Healthy Low Fat Carrot Cake with Pineapple & Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 1-½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup apple butter (or applesauce)
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1-½ cups shredded carrots (about 3 or 4)
- ½ cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
- 4 ounces light cream cheese
- ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray an 8-inch springform pan (affiliate link) with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on high speed until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce the speed to low. Beat in the apple butter and oil just until blended.
- Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.
- Stir in the pineapple, carrots, raisins and walnuts until well combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Release the springform pan (affiliate link) and place the cake on a rack to completely cool.
- To make the frosting, in a medium bowl, with an electric mixer (affiliate link) on high speed beat together the cream cheese, confectioner sugar, yogurt and vanilla until smooth, about 1 minute. Place in the fridge until ready to frost the cake.
- Place the cake on a serving plate. With a narrow metal spatula, coat the top of the cake evening with the frosting. Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the cake, if desired.
- Cut into 16 even wedges.
Recipe Notes
Source: Weight Watchers Best-Ever Desserts: 150 Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Bars, Breads and Tarts (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you liked this WW Friendly Carrot Cake You Might Also Like:
- Enlightened Carrot Cupcakes
- Skinny Carrot Zucchini Bars
- Low Fat Carrot Cake Smoothie
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Maggie
How can u get these recipes
I’m very interested
Diana Satterfield
thank yyoupu Martha. i jave used a recipe each week since starting my journey in Jan. each one I like I take to my meeting, of course always giving you credit. all of my partners in this journey cant wait to see what i bring. TJANK YOU !!!!
Dorinda
This is delicious! My hubby who is a carrot cake lover couldn’t tell the difference - The frosting is yummy but mine came out a little runny for my liking but that is easily solved. The cake would be just as yummy without it ?
RHEA BORJA
Do you think it would be OK to leave out the sugar and canola oil and increase the amount of applesauce? We prefer our cakes less sweet, and it seems that the applesauce and pineapple would naturally sweeten this cake. Thank you.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Rhea, I haven't tried it so can't be sure. If you do try it, please let us know how it turns out for you. ~Martha
Robbie B
This was delicious!! I bought my carrots already shredded and used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. Very moist and chunky almost like a fruit cake. I definitely will make again!! Thank you!
Susan McVey
I made this dessert yesterday for my book group. I liked it very much and the others in the meeting all asked for a copy of it so I would rate it as a five star recipe. I did use applesauce instead of apple butter in the recipe. I also increased the amount of cream cheese and powdered sugar in the icing because I made the dessert in a 9 X 13 pan rather than in the springform pan. It increased the point value in the recipe builder to 12 SP in the purple plan for 1/12 of cake. I felt the amount of icing was just right.
Judy Silekis
Can you use baby food carrots instead of shredded carrots. It is something my mom did for ages and her carrot cake always won awards at Church bake sales and that was her secret ingredient. She also used baby food banana in her cake. It made it so moist where shredded carrots can dry out a cake Would appreciate your thoughts.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Judy, I haven't tried this recipe with baby food carrots, but think it would work well. Sounds like your mom knows best! If you try it would love to know how it turns out for you!
Sheila Ursula Wyeth
Wowser! DE-licious! I had 3 people beg for the recipe.
Sue Thielking
This cake was delicious! I increased the shredded carrots to 2 cups and did not use the oil, and used Swerve instead of regular sugar for the cake and the frosting. I also made it in a Bundt cake pan. I'm not sure how the changes I made effect the point value, but it was really good and tasted like the real deal!
Sara
Usually I try to follow recipes exactly, the first time. I made some subs in this. I used Truvia for baking, Swerve confectioners, and fat free cream cheese, Bob Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, and no nuts (allergy). I made two 8 inch layers and frosted, My family LOVED this and so did I. I used to love the silver palate carrot cake, but all that oil and sugar, next time I am adding a little shredded coconut, Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
Pattie
Made this into cupcakes. I used monk fruit instead of sugar also cut oil down by increasing apple sauce. Added a few extra raisins and walnuts. I did it for a friend’s bday. She just started WW. I taste tested one and WOW!! I had not added frosting even. I could eat these like a banana bread! So yummy.
Michelle
Delicious! The entire family enjoys this cake.