The best low carb carrot cake recipe now comes in miniature! Just in time for your healthy sugar-free Easter celebrations.
So I had a rather strange interaction on Facebook the other day, and it really got me thinking. Someone was upset with me for posting my low carb skillet cookie on The Low Carb Keto Diet Page, because they don’t feel that this diet should include sweets. I explained my philosophy, if you will, that low carb indulgences help me stick to my healthy diet but that everyone needs to do what is right for them. This did not help, apparently, and I was suddenly being accused of hiding behind a fake persona, being paid by large corporations to promote artificial sweeteners. It got very strange very quickly, with many of my wonderful readers jumping in to my defense, and me doing my best to explain. This individual was having none of it and I ended up deleting the thread in order to defuse the situation.
But it really got me thinking, because I like to be as upfront as possible. I don’t hide behind a fake persona and I certainly don’t use artificial sweeteners. I do have a number of brands I work with, and I do my utmost to disclose my relationships very clearly. I am not trying to hide anything; I do actually make money from this blog. Recipe development isn’t cheap, my friends, and turning it into a thriving business has allowed me to do what I love and help support my family. It also allows me to continue to provide solid low carb and keto recipes to my readers free of charge. I see that as a win-win.
Swerve Sweetener is one of my brand relationships, and it’s one I cherish very much, because it developed organically out of mutual admiration and respect. I like to say we “grew up together”. Back when I was a wee blogger making a few measly cents and Swerve was a wee sweetener company trying to make a name for itself, we somehow connected over Twitter. They sent me some samples and it was an instant hit for me. It was the one erythritol-based sweetener that did not give me the cooling mouth sensation and it provided the right sweetness and the right consistency for my baked goodes. I liked it so much that I started telling everyone about it and I became something of an unofficial (and unpaid) spokesperson. My blog and Swerve seemed to take off at the same time, both of them becoming great resources for the low carb community. So when Swerve found itself in a position to pay for recipe development, I was their first choice. It’s a small operation, and they are wonderful people doing wonderful work. And it’s delightful to me that they think my work is wonderful too. It’s just as a true brand partnership should be.
So yes, Swerve does pay me for several recipes per month, one of which gets a “teaser” post here to direct you to the recipe that lives on their site. But when I recommend it to people as the best low carb sugar replacement on the market, that isn’t money talking. That’s me, my true feelings. No hiding, no faking. Nothing artificial here.
And now, just in time for Easter…for all you low carb carrot cake lovers!
Please see my Low Carb Mini Carrot Cake Recipe on Swerve Sweetener
And check out my blog post HERE.
Serves 4. Per serving:
Food energy: 244kcal
Total fat: 21.93g
Calories from fat: 197
Cholesterol: 46mg
Carbohydrate: 4.95g
Total dietary fiber: 1.81g
Protein: 5.45g
Erythritol: 17.5g
Christina Smith says
You and your recipes rock. Don’t let the trolls get you down or make you feel like you need to explain yourself. You are amazing and generous. I appreciate you and your recipes so much. Can’t wait to buy your book.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Christina!
Kate says
Am also a devoted Swerve user. Do you think they will ever come out with a brown sugar replacement? I emailed them this question but never got an answer. (Also emailed Lily’s about white chocolate chips and never heard from them either).
Carolyn says
I have been bugging both of those companies for the very same things! Swerve has worked on a brown sugar replacement but apparently the equipment to make it is costly. I am not sure if it’s going to happen but I sure hope so.
Mary says
Gosh I am surprised you didn’t get a reply from the people at Swerve. I live in Australia and cant get that brand here so I emailed and they very promptly kindly sent me links to online stores in the USA where I could buy the product. I have ordered from Vitacost and they were very prompt in dispatching my order. Looking forward to trying the Swerve and Lilys baking choc chips
Carrie says
Not to plug a different brand, because I love Swerve, but Sukrin does have a brown sugar alternative which is wonderful. You can also mix a teeny bit of molasses into Swerve and make your own!
Sandy Munn says
I love your recipes. I’m sure facebook wonders about all the people that I’ve blocked in the past year but when I have someone start running me down about my opinion, I don’t answer back, I just block them! I have a right to my opinion, also!
Carolyn says
You do indeed, Sandy. I agree with your opinion!
Candace @ Cabot says
You have described the most authentic and most transparent blogger/brand relationship, one that benefits the brand, the blogger, and the consumer. These are the kinds of partnerships that will stand the test of time…and trust. I love working with brands who truly understand the value of a long and genuine partnership. So much better than the brands that throw money at bloggers with big numbers for a mention or recipe who have no real connection to their product.
Also…that cake!
Carolyn says
Aw, thank you Candace. I love my Cabot cheese too and am trying to turn the whole of Portland into Cabot lovers. 😉
Carrie says
I love Swerve and go through bags and bags if it. I actually met them at Expo West this year and had my Bob’s Red Mill gear on. We had a mutual admiration society moment and talked about you as a blogger we have in common. Honestly, Carolyn, without your recipes, I couldn’t stick to this way of eating. There will always be the person who wants to wear a hair shirt and “suffer for the cause”. I personally think that’s silly. Thank you for the time and care you put into your recipes and blog. If you weren’t making a living with it, you wouldn’t be doing it and we would all have to live with the lack.
This recipe is going in my mouth TODAY!! :0)
Carolyn says
Thanks, Carrie. Yes, there are people who will never be happy unless they are suffering!
Lisa says
Sounds like someone with more issues based in fantasy than reality. I once made a dumb joke on a FB group thread about Olive oil and some random woman went completely off the plot about it. Apparently she was an “authority” on Olive oil and even after explaining it was a joke, and then explaining what a joke was, she wouldn’t let it go. She actually got much more bizarre so I blocked her and deleted all that I wrote. I love what you do and it’s made a significantly huge improvement in my life and my battle to eat healthy, lose weight and keep my glucose under control. So a great deal of gratitude is sent your way.
Christine Sheedy says
Carolyn first of all I love every recipe that you post and thank you for posting them for free.
Second you always state if the post is sponsored and that the opinion is yours.
Third I am glad that you are supporting yourself with this blog doing what you love. It shows.
Tonnia Williams says
I want to thank you for all the recipes you develop for your blog and for Swerve. I am not offended (why should I be?) that you get paid for the work you do to bring us free, yes, FREE, recipes. As a matter of fact I think you are quiet blessed to be able to make some money doing something you like and I get to benefit from your work. I am also a fan of your mini desserts and will most likely purchase any cookbook you develop. Thanks again for your recipes and your hard work.
Carolyn says
I do feel very blessed, Tonnia. Thank you!
Sally says
Thank you for all your recipes and for turning me on to Swerve. Your recipes make my life easier, more enjoyable and I have family members and friends who are amazed at how good the cakes, cookies, pies, etc. taste. I get requests to make them for holidays, birthdays or just for taste of it. We appreciate all you do and you are always upfront with your information. You have made baking and cooking fun again for our family. Thanks and keep it up – I give everyone who asks your website.
Jodi says
Never delete a thread because of a person’s stupidity! Better to block that person and let it end 🙂 Now as for this little carrot cake…just what I was looking for to make for Easter for the diabetics in my family.
Carolyn says
Hope you love it!
Linda says
I love that you’re doing some small desserts. I’m the only low carber in my family. I can’t eat all of a regular sized dessert by myself before it spoils or I get bored with it. So, it’s great to have scaled down recipes that work well for one person.
And I’m grateful that you use Swerve. It’s the only sugar replacement I use because it’s the only one without an aftertaste. I usually add a touch more stevia than they include in t heir mix because it still has a bit of that cooling thing for me.
And I agree completely with your philosophy. I got into that same argument with someone who insisted that my low carb diet was unhealthy and I must do this diet plan full of “healthy” foods that I know spike my blood sugar. She actually said that I didn’t have the right to choose for myself because she knew what was best for me. I unfriended her.
As for the idea that sweets are automatically bad, it seems to me that if I’m using the same ingredients for a sweet dish that I’d use in a savory one, why would it be wrong to make the sweet one? Yeah, there’s more sweetener in it than I’d use in a savory dish, but that’s it. But there are purists out there who think if it’s fun, if it tastes good, if it’s a treat, then, by definition, it must be unhealthy. I say, “Fie on them.” We only pass through this moment once. I’m not going to live the rest of my life without fun food because some Puritanical food moralist thinks I should.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Linda. I know a lot of people feel the way we do, otherwise my dessert recipes wouldn’t be so popular! But people get very dogmatic about the right way to do anything, including a diet. 🙂
Pam Harrell says
Carolyn….we love you!
Carolyn says
Thank you! <3
Kim says
Carrot cake is my FAVORITE sweet treat. Thank you for developing your wonderful recipes. I tell everyone I know that is “low carbing” or interested in changing their diet about your website. AND anyone that has been eating this way (baking in particular) knows that it is by no means inexpensive. I am happy to have found your site and am thankful for your affiliations which allow you to contribute to a lifestyle that would be hard to adhere to for those of us that “need” our sweet treats.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Kim. I truly appreciate it.
Briana Thomas says
Looks amazing, Carolyn! Just a heads up – I have a mini carrot cake scheduled to go out soon too! Mine isn’t low carb, though. 😉
Carolyn says
Great minds, and all that! 😉
Guinan says
We can’t even buy Swerve here in the Netherlands, so I couldn’t feel duped one way or the other. However, I do not think you should have to explain yourself like this, we all know that this blog takes up considerable time and effort and it’s only right that you should be compensated in some way. How better than just telling the truth?
Promotion or not, we your readers are eternaly grateful for all you do. Besides, we are realy competent to make up our own mind about what we buy.
I wouldn’t worry too much about that attack, some people just need to bite into something and feel important when they get a reaction. Some are also just a penny short of a pound and I’m just grateful most of us are not like them and have better things to do than troll the internet.
Keep up the good work and let the crazies stew in their own fat. 😉
V. says
I agree wholeheartedly. Carolyn, you provide a tremendous gift to those of us who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, and bless you for that, and all of the wonderful recipes given to us for free. THANK YOU!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Guinan! And one of the things I always try to do is help readers figure out how to use whatever sweetener they prefer. I don’t expect us all to have the same preferences.
Becky Potterbaum says
I love this. Yes Carolyn you are SO appreciated and a true pioneer. I refer your blog ALL THE TIME. Keep up the great work!
My favorite sweetener is Trim Healthy Mama’s Gentle Sweet as my hubs has headache with swerve or plain stevia. Somehow he tolerates the combo in Gentle Sweet well. And it’s no fun to bake things he can’t eat so I order it in and have it on hand. It does give a really nice taste to chocolate.
It’s so nice to have these great options for sweeteners. I remember back in the day about 15 years ago when I was trying to cut carbs and stevia wasn’t even a legal sweetener. It was considered a supplement and it tasted funky. We’ve come a long way! 🙂
Carolyn says
You’re right, we have come a long way and I too am happy for all the sugar-free choices!
VHM says
Carolyn, I notice you use 3-4 small ramekins. You also mention using 2 small ramekins and having only a double layer cake.
Can you use one 8″ cake round and have a single layer cake? Will measurements be about the same?
Carolyn says
For an 8 inch cake pan, I think you’re going to need do double the cake layer. It comes out really thin in the ramekins, which is perfect for a mini cake but might be too thin for an 8 inch cake.
Linda says
You led me to discover Swerve, and now it is the only sweetener I use. Thank you, and thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Jennifer says
I love that you make money doing this blog. Because here I am using your recipes and blessing your name while I do. You should make money!
Just this week I made your Swerve sweetened condensed milk, added butter and shredded dried coconut. It makes the BEST ‘mounds’ filling ever. Lilly’s chocolate for dipping. Hope they pay you too.
Kate says
Sounds like your filling, minus the coconut, would be like a buttercream egg, one of my favorite things in the world. How much butter did you add to the recipe?
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Jennifer says
Oh, I’m sorry, I just put some in until it tasted right and had a good texture. What I love is
the flavor added to these coconut candies using the sweetened condensed milk.
Jan says
There is a recipe for condensed milk? Where do I find this?
Your blogs are my lifesaver For health reasons I must eat low carb, sugar free, low sodium and cholesterol as well as low fat. I take your recipes and tweak them to reduce fat and sodium and I am once again satisfied I have control over my health.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BLOGS
Carolyn says
Here’s my recipe for low carb condensed milk: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/10/magic-cookie-bar.html
Jennifer says
Look under vanilla ice cream, or in search.
I never have fresh milk in the house so I make it with silk coconut/almond milk and cream.
Canned milk might work well too. The sweetened condensed milk with Swerve is addicting.
Marv says
Careful Jan, you’ll want to eat it all right off the stove!
Sue says
I, too, use Swerve and love your recipes that contain it, but the cost of this sweetener has become almost too high to continue using, almost doubling from some distributors. Also, the bag weight has gone from 16 ounces to 12 ounces.
I’m highly disappointed as Swerve has become a staple in my low carb lifestyle but I will be shopping for a more affordable sweetener.
Carolyn says
Hi Sue. The bag did indeed to go 12 ounces but the price is supposed to be lower along with it. Typically $8.99 instead of 11.99. Sounds to me like some distributers are gouging you! Where are you getting it? I would reach out to the folks at Swerve directly to let them know this. They wouldn’t be happy about it.
Erica says
I get it on Vitacost for like $6.
Gloria Hensley says
I found it from Horrocks Market for $7.89? Not sure about the cents, could have been .69 or whatever. I live in Michigan and I don’t know what you might have in your area. But maybe if you check it out online. Some stores don’t even carry the granular, and Amazon just kept backordering for about 3 months – so I started checking out more avenues, and hurray! found Horrock’s Market in Lansing.
Diana Peters says
Ha ha ha I was just at Horrock’s in Grand Rapids and noticed the Splenda size had gone down. And yes the price was 7 something… but Horrocks can be a little pricy on some items, which is what I assumed was happening here. Gonna have to see what Meijer is charging.
Carrie says
We dabble with low carb and are always taking steps to move more fully into this way of eating. We made the skillet chocolate chip cookie and I consider it a huge “win”, as our kids loved it. Sweets and treats are one of our last frontiers to conquer for low carb living, so thank you for posting that. Our children have a better, healthier treat option. Looking forward to trying the carrot cake next!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Carrie!