These keto-friendly carrot cake scones are the perfect addition to your spring baking. Tender and easy to make, and they have only 4.2g net carbs per serving.
Carrot Cake Scones? What a fun idea. Don’t mind if I do!
When I was growing up, scones were just scones. I loved them, but they tended to be quite plain. Any variety consisted of the addition of some currants or berries, but that was about it.
Then Starbucks brought scones into the mainstream and made them incredibly popular. And increasingly more interesting, with all sorts of creative flavors.
And I love making healthier, low carb versions. I’ve got the classics, like Keto Scones with Blueberries. And then I have some with more unique flavors, like my popular Keto Maple Pecan Scones.
Add these to your list of Keto Easter Recipes for a delicious Spring brunch!
Why you will love this recipe
Fans of my Keto Carrot Cake will adore these scones. They have the perfect tender consistency with that undeniable carrot cake flavor. And the cream cheese drizzle really takes it up a notch.
I will be the first to admit that carrots are not a low carb vegetable. But as with almost anything, a small amount can go a long way and lends flavor and authenticity to keto recipes.
This recipe contain only three quarters of a cup of shredded carrot. Spread out over 12 delicious keto scones, that adds less than 1g of carbs per serving.
Definitely keto-friendly at that rate!
Reader Reviews
“These are SO good! I made the recipe exactly as written (but just halved it), and although my decorating skills are usually quite mediocre, I managed to make these look like yours, and it so made my day!! Yay 🙂 ” — Anu
“Whoop whoop!! Made these today…it’s like getting a carrot cake but with half the effort and in half the time. Fantastic. Thanks Carolyn for another A+ recipe.” — Mel
“Just made these, and OMG YUM!! I love carrot cake and the flavors in these are perfect! I have never made scones before, and these were a breeze. Thanks!!”– Nicole
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: I like to use almond flour for a scone-like texture, but if you want to go nut-free, you can use sunflower seed flour instead. See my tutorial on making your own sunflower seed flour.
- Shredded coconut: The finely shredded coconut helps give the proper texture to these carrot cake scones, but if you aren’t a fan, use another 1/3 cup of almond flour.
- Chopped nuts: Add some walnuts or pecans for a classic carrot cake texture.
- Sweetener: Scones don’t need a lot of sweetener but it does help give them the right flavor. I like granular Swerve for the scones and powdered Swerve for the drizzle so that it’s not gritty. Be sure to check out the Sweetener Options section for more possibilities.
- Baking powder: Keto baked goods require more baking powder than conventional recipes so make sure you add it all in.
- Carrots: A little bit of shredded carrot gives these scones flavor and authenticity.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese frosting makes them taste even more like classic carrot cake.
- Heavy Cream: Thin out the frosting with some heavy cream so that you can drizzle it over the scones.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, cinnamon, cloves, salt, vanilla extract.
Step-by-step directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, walnuts or pecans, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
2. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the shredded carrots. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla extract, and stir until the dough comes together.
3. Form the scones: Turn the dough out onto a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and form into 2 low, flat circles about 7 inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 6 even wedges. Gently lift the scones with a spatula, and spread around the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake the scones: Bake at 325ºF for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely on the pan.
5. Prepare the drizzle: Beat the cream cheese with the sweetener in a medium bowl with the cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
6. Decorate the scones: Cut a small tip off from the corner of a ziploc bag. Spoon the frosting into the bag, seal, and then pipe decoratively over the cooled scones.
Expert tips
The smaller you can shred your carrots, the better. They don’t need to be drained or squeezed out at all. They add moisture to the recipe and give them a wonderful texture that is a cross between scone and carrot cake.
I recommend lining your pan with a silicone baking mat. They protect the bottoms of keto baked goods like scones and cookies a little better.
Sweetener Options
You can use your preferred sweetener in the scones themselves but the texture may change a little. Sweeteners like BochaSweet or allulose will make them softer and more cakey. Allulose may also make them brown faster so keep your eye on them.
For the drizzle, you need a powdered sweetener or a liquid extract like stevia. If you use a concentrated extract, you may not need to add as much cream to thin it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carrots are not technically keto friendly. However, they are acceptable in a recipe like this, where a small amount is spread over a large number of servings. The carrots add only 0.6g of carbs to each scone and are unlikely to affect your state of ketosis.
This carrot cake scone recipe has 7.4g of carbs and 3.2g of fiber per serving. That comes to 4.2g net carbs per scone.
Unlike most scones, these have little more moisture from the carrots. So in this case, I recommend refrigerating them in a covered container for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to two months. Wrap them up tightly to avoid freezer burn.
More keto Easter brunch ideas
- Keto Coffee Cake
- Bacon and Brie Frittata
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Keto Breakfast Casserole
- Keto Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins
Keto Carrot Cake Scones
Ingredients
Scones
- 2 1/2 cups (280 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (26.67 g) shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup (39 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) Swerve Sweetener, or other granular sweetener
- 2 1/2 tsp (2.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.13 tsp) ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (96 g) shredded carrots, loosely packed
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Drizzle
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp Swerve Confectioners, or other powdered sweetener
- 1 1/2 tbsp (1.5 tbsp) heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
Scones
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, walnuts or pecans, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Stir in the shredded carrots. Add the eggs, butter and vanilla extract, and stir until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a prepared baking sheet, and form into 2 low, flat circles about 7 inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 6 even wedges. Gently lift the scones with a spatula, and spread around the baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove, and let cool.
Drizzle
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener, cream and vanilla until smooth.
- Cut a small tip from the corner of a ziploc bag. Spoon the frosting into the bag, seal, and then pipe decoratively over the cooled scones.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Hi I can’t wait to make these. Have you tried to freeze these? I want to make them ahead for Easter.
Thanks
BEYOND delicious!
Made these scones this morning and they came out amazing!
Didn’t have cream cheese so instead used your icing for the vanilla scones and it worked out great. Also eliminated the coconut and added more almond flour (as you suggested). Super easy to make and tastes like sheer indulgence!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe – will be making again 🙂
I have coconut haters in my family, is there anyway to substitute the coconut?
Leave it out or add a little more almond flour.
Could these be made with coconut flour? I know that they would need more moisture.
No, unfortunately coconut flour does not make very good scones. I have some recipes that include a little coconut flour but it can’t be the base flour.
Carrot cake was always my first choice favorite cake! I was happy to find these! I finally made them yesterday and wow! They do not disappoint! You are so talented, Carolyn. Thank you so much. I haven’t baked much in my life successfully, so little tips like the ziplock bag are so helpful and fun.