Single Serve Carrot Cake Jars
This single serve carrot cake jar is moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with a sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting. Ready to eat in under an hour, it’s great for a party or when you just don’t want to share!
Love single serving cakes? Try our chocolate chip protein cookie cake and single serving protein pumpkin cake, too.
Carrot cake might be one of the best desserts of all time, right next to our one bowl chocolate chip cookies and lemon truffles, of course. Yet, as much as we love carrot cake, we don’t always (or have the time) to make an entire cake from scratch. So, we make single-serve carrot cake in a jar instead!
Just combine the ingredients, portion, and bake. In less than an hour you’ve got little cups of heaven just begging to be eaten. You just might never go back to full-sized cake again.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions for this recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
For the Cake
- Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener – Feel free to use brown sugar or coconut sugar if you prefer.
- Light Olive Oil – Coconut oil or avocado oil will also work.
- Carrot – Use whole carrots, and shred them at home. Do not use pre-shredded store bought carrots as they don’t have enough moisture to add to the cake. Use leftovers to make Moroccan chickpea stew or ham and split pea soup for dinner, too.
- Eggs – These add structure, helping the cake hold together.
- Flavor Enhancers – Vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger create the sweet, spiced flavor we look for in carrot cake.
- Gluten-Free Flour – This forms the base of the cake batter. If you don’t need this recipe to be gluten-free, regular all-purpose flour will also work.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – These act as leaveners, helping the cake rise and become soft. We prefer to use baking powder that doesn’t contain aluminum.
Optional Mix-Ins: If you want this carrot cake recipe to be exactly like a full-size version, feel free to fold chopped nuts, raisins, and coconut flakes into the batter, too.
For the Frosting
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese.
- Butter – We use salted butter, but unsalted butter works too.
- Powdered Sugar (Confectioner’s Sugar) – This melts into the batter, making it perfectly sweet.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a subtle vanilla taste.
How to Make Single-Serving Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Before you begin, be sure to preheat your oven, and grease your mason jars with cooking spray.
Note: We like to use six eight-ounce mason jars for adult portions and four-ounce mason jars for mini portions or kids’ sizes!
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk the golden monk fruit sweetener, oil, shredded carrots, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
3. Fill the mason jars. Pour the cake batter into the greased jars, filling them ⅔ of the way full. Be careful not to overfill, or the batter will overflow!
4. Bake. Arrange the jars on a baking sheet. Then, transfer them to the oven until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Prepare the frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
6. Beat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat again to combine.
Note: If the frosting is too loose and doesn’t form light peaks, add in an extra ½ cup powdered sugar. Mix until the frosting is stiff enough to form light peaks.
7. Frost. Allow the carrot cake jars to cool completely. Then, frost them with cream cheese frosting or your frosting of choice.
8. Toppings. If desired, top each jar with course sparkling sugar, cinnamon, carrots shreds or pecans. Then enjoy!
Common Questions
Absolutely! You can leave it off completely. Or, swap it for buttercream frosting, meringue frosting, whipped cream, or a dash of powdered sugar.
Leftover jars will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If possible, store them without the icing, making sure to seal the lid tightly or cover the jars.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Single Serve Carrot Cake with Frosting (Gluten-Free) Recipe
Equipment
- mason jars (12 – 4 ounce jars or 6 – 8 ounce jars)
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 2 cups peeled and grated carrots, lightly packed (about 3/4 pound or 3-4 large carrots)
- 1 1/4 cups golden monk fruit sweetener or brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light olive oil or avocado oil
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (without aluminum)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounce brick cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 2- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Spray generously the inside of 12- 4 oz mason jars or 6- 8 oz mason jars with nonstick cooking spray. Place the greased mason jars on a rimmed baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, stir together the shredded carrots, golden monk fruit sweetener, oil, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger until smooth.1 1/4 cups golden monk fruit sweetener, 1/2 cup light olive oil or avocado oil, 2 cups peeled and grated carrots, lightly packed, 4 eggs, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Add in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir until combined.1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder (without aluminum), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Pour the batter into each mason jar until it is 2/3 full. The batter should not come up to the neck of the jar. Don’t overfill the jars, otherwise, the batter will overflow.
- Bake the 4 oz jars for 25 minutes and 30 min for the 8 oz jars or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Remove the jars from the oven and let them cool.
- When the cakes are cooled, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. If the frosting is too thin and does not form light peaks, add in 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix until the frosting is stiff enough to pipe on the cakes or spread with a knife.8 ounce brick cream cheese, room temperature, ½ cup butter, room temperature, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Enjoy the cakes immediately or store the frosted cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you enjoy this Single Serve Carrot Cake in a Jar? We’d love it if you left a rating and review to let us know, and don’t forget to tag us in your recreations on Instagram!
Hi,
I am reading that we shoulld not be using mason jars in the oven. They can shatter. Please tell me which mason jars do you use ?
Thank you,
Maha
Hi Maha,
I have not heard that before. I have never had a problem with the jars cracking in the oven. The jars are made to get extremely hot while canning so I guess I never thought about it. I am not sure which brand I use as they are hand me down, but I am assuming they are Ball or Kerr brand. I hope you enjoy these carrot cakes.
OMG!! Those sound and look amazing!! Next week is Spring Break here and this is the perfect recipe to make with my daughter! I can’t wait!! Thanks for the easy recipe.
Hi Natalie! Thank you so much. I really hope you two enjoy making them next week. They are so cute and fun!