This gluten-free vegan carrot cake recipe is hands down incredible! Takes 15 minutes to prep, uses simple ingredients and has the perfect texture.
It's easy to make a moist droolworthy cake when you follow the right recipe! You will not believe this carrot cake has no butter, oil, eggs, dairy or gluten!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
This recipe was originally published on 3/24/16
We are carrot cake obsessed and this easy recipe did not disappoint! The hardest part (read I'm lazy) is grating those carrots. So grate a lot, and save them because you will want this over and over again, especially if making my carrot cake smoothie or carrot cake overnight oats.
It seems that veggie filled desserts are something I excel in. My chocolate zucchini cake (which is also vegan and gluten-free) is a HUGE hit with my readers! And after the success of this carrot cake, I can't decide which I like best!
Ingredients
The flavor in this recipe for vegan carrot cake is insanely amazing. With a pillowy soft texture and perfectly moist middle, good luck having only one slice!
The basis of this cake is mostly whole foods. I tested and trialed different combinations of things to get the perfect flavor and texture that you'd find in a regular carrot cake, just a vegan and gluten free version! Here's what I ended up with:
- Gluten-free flour blend - oat flour and almond flour are used in place of all purpose flour to keep this carrot cake recipe gluten free.
- Sugar - this is a cake recipe after all! And in this case cane sugar tastes best. You can use coconut sugar instead but it will give you a deeper flavor that won’t be as sweet.
- Baking powder - essential for the chemistry of the cake, don't skip it!
- Spices - a blend of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are used to create the classic carrot cake flavors. Adjust the seasonings to your flavor preferences. Even sprinkle in a little nutmeg if you prefer!
- Applesauce - this helps to make the cake moist, while also giving it a natural sweetness.
- Milk - use any milk you want, but canned coconut milk has more fat than others so it will make this cake much more moist and sticky. Make sure to select a dairy free milk to keep the cake vegan.
- Apple cider vinegar - another important ingredient necessary for the chemistry of the cake.
- Grated carrots - grate your own carrots, about 2 medium-sized carrots, with a box grater, or with an attachment on a food processor.
- Optional chopped nuts - if you use the nuts know your cake will be a little more sticky and moist due to the fat content of the nuts so you may want to add less milk.
- Optional toppings - see below for ideas, including my cream cheese frosting recipe.
How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake
As I mentioned, the hardest part about making this vegan and gluten free carrot cake is grating those dang carrots. Once that's done, here's what you'll need to do:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour into an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.
- Bake.
- Decorate as desired (or don't!) and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This cake is scrumptious as is. It is, after all, the very best vegan carrot cake recipe ever. But even the best recipes can benefit from some extra flavor or a pretty presentation.
Try the following:
- Frosting! The classic frosting for carrot cake is Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting or vanilla.
- If you're frosting the cake, make sure to let it cool completely first. I like to make the frosting fresh while the cake is baking.
- Add some shredded coconut on top of the frosting.
- Spread some homemade Coconut Butter on a warm slice of unfrosted cake.
Also, I don't know about you, but when it comes to cake I need something to wash it down with. And my go to is Silk Cashew milk, creamy and thirst quenching and complements this vegan gluten-free carrot cake perfectly!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Preparation Tips
- You can cut out the ginger and cloves and just use more cinnamon if you prefer.
- Watch the fat content of the milk you use, you don't want it too high or the cake will be too sticky and moist.
- To grate the carrots, you can use a handheld cheese grater. But better yet, if you have food processor with a grating attachment be sure to use that to save yourself the effort!
- When you're grating the carrots, grate a few extra and make No Bake Carrot Energy Balls with the leftovers!
Baking Tips
- When making carrot cake with oat flour and almond flour you need accuracy measuring for the right texture, which is why I include precise weights.
- If you don’t have a scale, then you can purchase this fairly inexpensive one.
- If you prefer to measure, then measure the flours by scooping your measuring cup into the flour versus spooning it into it. This is how I measured when getting my weights.
- This cake is finicky due to the moisture the carrots give. Make sure to look at the notes in the recipe before you bake!
- This recipe makes 10 gluten free carrot cake cupcakes! Just pour the batter evenly into a prepared muffin tin and bake.
- You'll need to reduce the baking time though to around 25 minutes, but keep checking until a toothpick comes out clean.
Storage tips
Whether you want to make this gluten free carrot cake recipe ahead of time, or (less likely) need to store leftovers, here's what to do:
- Vegan Carrot Cake will stay fresh if sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- You can also keep it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- If you want to save this even longer, wrap the cake well in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer safe airtight container and freeze up to three months.
Common Questions
What makes something healthy, cake, cookies or salad for that matter, is what you put inside of it. If the ingredients are mostly whole foods, and foods that you'd eat on a regular basis, then heck yes it's healthy!
A couple adjustments from traditional cake make this gluten free dairy free cake recipe on the healthier side. Regular white flour was replaced by a gluten-free combo I made up of oat and almond. While gluten-free doesn't make something healthy, the oat and almond flour are nutrient rich. Also, the fat from the butter was replaced by the almond flour.
Either using a cheese grater (watch those fingers!) or with a grating attachment on a food processor.
Dairy free Cream Cheese Frosting is used to frost this carrot cake. However, you can use vanilla or any other flavor you like.
Store carrot cake in an airtight container either on the counter, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer.
Carrot cake will last at room temp for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to a week, and in the freezer for 3 months.
Yes, you can freeze carrot cake! Wrap the cake in plastic wrap then store in an airtight freezer safe container.
Carrot cake can be too crumbly for a number of reasons. One reason is already solved in this recipe, carrots can sometimes affect the gluten in cake mix which can make it crumbly. But, since this carrot cake is gluten free naturally, you shouldn't have that problem.
Also, make sure to accurately measure your ingredients (see tips), and not over mix or over bake your cake.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
This carrot cake recipe isn't the only gluten free vegan cake up my sleeve! Check out these other plant based cakes:
Incredible Vegan Carrot Cake (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup oat flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 1 cup cane sugar , see note
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon , see note
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger , optional (see note)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves , optional (see note)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
- ¼ cup cashew milk , or other dairy free milk of choice (see note)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups grated carrots , about 2 large carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans , optional (see note)
To top, optional:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
- Put flours, sugar, baking powder, seasonings and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to mix and break up any clumps.
- Make a little well in the middle and add in the apple sauce, milk and vinegar.
- Mix again to combine and get a smooth batter.
- Fold in the carrots and nuts.
- Pour into a square or round cake pan (8 or 9 inches will work). Bake for about 35 minutes, start checking at 32, a toothpick should come out clean with a few crumbs on it. If you are making cupcakes start checking at 25 minutes. My cupcakes took around 28-30.
- Frost or eat as is!
Notes
- I trialed these with many different sugars and cane sugar gave the best flavor. You can use coconut sugar but it will give you a deeper flavor that won’t be as sweet.
- You can add another ¼ cup of sugar if you want it sweeter especially if you don't use frosting.
- You can cut out the ginger and cloves and use more cinnamon if you want to cut down ingredients and simplify.
- You can use any milk you want but canned coconut milk has more fat than others so it will make this cake much more moist and sticky.
- Nuts are optional, if you use them your cake will be more moist due to the fat so you may want to use 1 tablespoon less milk.
- This makes ONE layer of cake. If you want a multi-layer cake make sure to multiply the recipe by however many layers you are making.
- This can be made as 10 cupcakes. To make these as cupcakes bake between 25-30 minutes, start check at 25.
- Nutrition info does not include the frosting and or nuts.
- Servings are based on a square pan and cutting it into 16 square pieces.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
Holy moly!!!!!! I am drooling! That whipped frosting - I could eat it by itself. Delicious recipe and absolutely gorgeous photos!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Ceara!! I may have eaten a little bit of frosting with the spoon 😉
Jenn
Well, doesn't this look simply dreamy!?! Peanut butter is the bomb and I can see how it would make this carrot cake super luscious! That frosting though.....dying. Would lick that straight from a spoon and have no shame! If your family and neighbors are tired of eating cake, you may ship one this way and I will eat it for them!!! 🙂
veggiesdontbite
Hahaha!! I wonder what the post office would think! Yes, I did eat the frosting with the spoon...oops. Thank you lady!!
Kristina
CRIPES girl, this sounds amazing. and is oh so cute - I love the carrots! I might just have to make this as a second dessert option for Easter brunch. or into cupcakes... OOOH I seriously cannot wait!
veggiesdontbite
Haaaa!! Thanks so much friend!! You can totally do cupcakes. I did a few. Start checking them at 15 minutes. And you can never have too many desserts!! Slurp!!
Dina
It looks delicious and tastes delicious . Every body loves carrot cake!!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!! Hopefully everyone will love it Saturday!
The Vegan 8
Friend, it looks just beautiful!! Yay! LOL, you are so funny! Carrot murder, bahaha! I'm glad that I was able to help be there for you and bounce off ideas, because at the end of it all, you got this yummy freaking carrot cake! Looks so good and I'm glad you used 3 spices in it for major flavor, kapow! I love the frosting too, I use my sweet potato chocolate pudding as frosting as well..potatoes like I always say are a magical ingredient! SO happy you finished it and I know the birthday party will be a success too!
veggiesdontbite
Awe! Thank you so much lady!! I swear if I didn't have you to scream text to I would have lost my marbles...I wish you were closer so you could come have some at the party!! The funny things is I have my next cake in my head already. LOL! But there's no way it can be as hard as this one. And brilliant on your sweet potato pudding moonlighting as frosting!! Double yum!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen
I Love carrot cake and this carrot cake definitely fits into my lifestyle! I love your frosting and the colour!!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much Jessica!!
Linda @ Veganosity
I've been waiting for this! Yep, I'm one of those weak people, but it's mostly because I don't mind gluten, so I don't try as hard. Call me a gluten-free underachiever. 😉
Seriously, your cake looks amazing, and that frosting is killing me. Since it's made with potatoes, could I eat it all without guilt?
veggiesdontbite
Ha!! Thank you Linda! You are anything but an underachiever!! The best thing about all the great food blogs is that there is something for everyone! I loved your cake and I wished we were closer so we can have a giant cake party! And yes. You can eat it all. It's guilt free too 😉
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, adding peanut butter to carrot cake is genius!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Becky!! We dip our carrots in peanut butter over here a lot!
Trish
This HAS to be made, and soon. Wowza that looks incredibly delicious! Wish I was your neighbor! Where do you live again? Lol.
Whenever I've doubled a cake recipe to make two tiers it never comes out right. But you did just that, correct? My son is turning 15 at the end of April and he requested a vegan cake. Bless his heart I thought; he wants me to be able to enjoy birthday cake with him and his friends!!! Uh, no, not for me, turns out two of his female friends are vegan. Sigh.
Now that I've gotten over that slap in the face, this cake looks perfect as my son loves carrot cake. Of course I'll have to do a trial run 😉 So back to my original question; just double the ingredients? I'm somewhat "challenged" when it comes to baking.
veggiesdontbite
Ha Trish! Is that what I have to look forward to?? LOL So, I actually made the cake twice. Mostly because I only have one springform pan. This cake isn't huge, so you could probably get away with doubling it. But I haven't tried. I do agree though that it sometimes turns out off when I try and double! Perhaps do a trial run normally and see what you think!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's so nontraditional and goes against all my carrot cake desires, but is totally works and looks amazing! Just add chocolate and I think it would win cake crown :O DELISH!!!! You're going to make the Easter bunny proud!
veggiesdontbite
Oh girl, it's SO good!! It's just a little hint of peanut butter. And the spices go so well with it!! I know you'd love it!
Sarah
I love carrot cake! ...and then you added peanut butter. And made it gluten free. Basically, this is life changing!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Sarah!! It really is so tasty!
Sarah
Wow this is such an interesting recipe! Honestly, serious props to you for being able to make a vegan + gluten-free cake AND it looks delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!! It wasn't an easy feat, that's for sure. But it turned out awesome and I know the party guests will love it!
Tina Jui | The Worktop
Great job putting together this recipe! So much thought went into it. And wow, that frosting sounds divine.. I cannot wait to give it a try!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Tina! Yes, SO much thought and work. But well worth it!!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
Peanut butter and carrot cake combined? Yes please! My favourites!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
Wow this looks so incredible! And i won't even feel that guilty for eating two slices (okay three!), with all those good ingredients! That frosting is to die for!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Michelle! With as much work as I put into this one, I'd love you to devour it all! LOL!