Delicious and moist vegan carrot cake. This simple recipe is plant-based (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, and easy to make! It has a sugar-free icing which is furthermore keto-friendly. A healthy carrot cake is perfect for Easter but can be enjoyed on any other day.
What’s your favorite cake? I have a few favorites and carrot cake is definitely one of them. Not only is a vegan carrot cake delicious, but it’s also quite healthy and my recipe is even gluten-free. Carrots contain lots of beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant and so good for us. Carrots make the cake moist, they add a nice orange color and some sweetness.
Do you know anyone who doesn’t like a delicious carrot cake? I love it when it’s a little under-baked and super gooey! This gluten-free carrot cake stays fresh and soft in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, maybe even longer, but I always end up eating it sooner, haha.
Carrot Cake Ingredients
You don’t need a food processor or blender to make this vegan carrot cake. All you need is a large bowl, a grater (for the carrots), and the following main ingredients:
- Gluten-free flour mix: I used a combination of white rice flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. You can use brown rice flour instead of white rice flour. Sorghum flour might work as well. If you don’t have tapioca flour, you could use cornstarch or arrowroot flour. I wouldn’t recommend subbing the coconut flour.
- Ground almonds (almond flour): You can use any other ground nuts (e.g. hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, etc.) instead of ground almonds. Use desiccated coconut for a nut-free version.
- Spice mix: I chose cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. They add a wonderful flavor to the carrot cake.
- Carrots: They should be finely grated.
- Canned coconut milk: You can use full-fat coconut milk (can shaken) or lite coconut milk. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, I would suggest using your favorite plant-based milk with the addition of 3 tablespoons of oil.
- Maple syrup: Any other liquid sweetener like brown rice syrup, agave syrup, etc. is fine.
- Coconut oil: Can be replaced with canola oil.
- Chia eggs: Great as an egg replacement. You will need to mix ground chia seeds and water. Ground flax seeds should be fine too.
- Sugar-free frosting: For the frosting, I simply mixed powdered Erythritol (you can use icing sugar) with a little lime juice and plant-based milk.
A complete list of ingredients with measurements and nutrition facts (carrot cake calories etc.) is in the printable recipe card below.
How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake?
STEP 1: Make the chia “eggs” first. Simply mix the ground chia seeds and water with a whisk in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes. Also, finely grate the carrots. Line a loaf pan (or use an 8-inch springform) with parchment paper or grease it with a little coconut oil. My loaf pan measures 8x4x3 inches (20x10x7.5 cm). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
STEP 2: Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until there are no lumps. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is combined.
STEP 3: Finally, add the carrots and mix everything with a spatula. Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan.
STEP 4: Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. The cake is ready when it has some cracks on top and a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean (some attached crumbs are fine). If you use a small loaf pan, that is deep the baking time might be even 60 minutes. If you use a shallow pan the cake might be done after 40 minutes.
STEP 5: Once the cake has completely cooled, process the Erythritol in an electric spice/coffee grinder until it’s very fine like icing sugar. Put it into a small bowl and add dairy-free milk and lime juice (or lemon juice). Mix with a whisk until the icing is smooth. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of lime/lemon juice. If it’s too thin, add more of the Erythritol. Spread the icing on the carrot cake and decorate with nuts or seeds.
Tips And Variations
Make carrot cake muffins: You can make carrot cake muffins instead of a loaf. Simply add the batter to a muffin pan with paper liners. Bake for only 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can also use a bundt cake pan to make a carrot bundt cake.
Storing: Store cake leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the carrot cake and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frosting: If you want a creamy frosting, simply use vegan cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar/Erythritol and a little lime juice. You can also decorate the cake with marzipan.
Should you give this vegan carrot cake recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I would love to see it! ????
Check out my other vegan carrot recipes:
Vegan Carrot Cake (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 1 cup (160 g) white rice flour (see notes)
- 1/2 scant cup (50 g) tapioca flour (see notes)
- 1/4 cup (33 g) coconut flour (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (45 g) ground almonds (see notes)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- spices to taste (see notes)
Wet ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (375 g) finely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) coconut milk canned (lite or full-fat) (see notes)
- 1/3 cup (110 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 2 tbsp (28 g) coconut oil melted (*see notes)
- 2 chia eggs (2 tbsp ground chia seeds + 6 tbsp water) (see notes)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/3 cup (70 g) Erythritol or icing sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp (21 g) plant-based milk canned (use less if you use icing sugar)
- 2 1/2 tsp lime juice or lemon juice
Instructions
- I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale. Also, watch the video in the blog post for easy visual instructions.
- Line a loaf pan (or use an 8-inch springform) with parchment paper or grease it with a little oil/vegan butter. My loaf pan measures 8x4x3 inches (20x10x7.5 cm). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- To make the chia "eggs", simply mix the ground chia seeds and water with a whisk in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes. Also, finely grate the carrots. If they release a lot of liquid, lightly squeeze them out.
- Meanwhile, add all dry ingredients to a large mixing big bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Then add the wet ingredients (except the grated carrots) to the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk.
- Next, add the grated carrots to the bowl and stir with a spatula until the mixture is combined. Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan.
- Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes. It can take longer (e.g. if using a small loaf pan) or shorter, depending on the size/depth of the baking pan. The cake is ready when a toothpick, inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean (some attached crumbs are fine). Let it cool.
- To make the icing, process the Erythritol in an electric spice/coffee grinder until it's very fine like icing sugar. Mix all icing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk. If the icing is too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered Erythritol (or icing sugar). Smooth the icing on the cake, decorate with chopped nuts or seeds of choice. Enjoy! Read the recipe notes below.
Notes
- Coconut flour: I wouldn't recommend subbing, however, if you want to use a different flour then you need to use more. Coconut flour is very absorbent, therefore, you would need to use at least 1/2 a cup of a different flour instead of coconut flour.
- White rice flour: You can use brown rice flour instead. Sorghum flour might work as well. Also, regular flour or spelt flour should be fine.
- Tapioca flour: You could use cornstarch or arrowroot flour.
- Ground almonds (almond flour): You can use any other ground nuts (e.g. hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, etc.) instead of ground almonds. Use desiccated coconut for a nut-free version.
- Canned coconut milk: If you don't like the taste of coconut, I would suggest using your favorite plant-based milk with the addition of 3 tablespoons oil.
- Maple syrup: Any other liquid sweetener like brown rice syrup, agave syrup, etc. is fine.
- Coconut oil: Can be replaced with canola oil.
- Chia eggs: Flax eggs should be fine too.
- Check the step-by-step photos above in the blog post.
- 2 tsp of cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
- Optional spices: Nutmeg, cloves to taste
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Michelle ISraelyan
Hi Ela!
Happy Holidays!
Thank you for your beautiful recipes. I am wondering, what can I use instead of the coconut oil? Where I am there is no coconut oil. Besides Coconut oil and the sweetener for the frosting, I have everything else!
Thank yoU!
Ela
Hello Michelle and happy holidays!
You could use any other oil, for example sunflower seed oil or grapeseed oil or vegan butter. Let me know how it will turn out. 🙂
Eleni
Hi Ela, insdead of Erythritol What can I use but also not sugar? I am not baking so it New to me)
Thank you)
Ela
Hello Eleni, you can use Xylitol as well. Other than that I don’t know of any other options. Hope this helps 🙂
Marc Hutchinson
Why is there no walnuts used in the recipe?
Ela
I used ground almonds, but feel free to use walnuts instead 😉
Stefanie
Great recipe. Ate it this morning as breakfast without frosting but with homemade nutbutter. Great and only for the smell in the kitchen you would make it !!!
Ela
Very glad to hear that, Stefanie. 🙂 And yes I agree, the smell in the kitchen is amazing, haha 🙂
Hanna
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe Ela! I baked the cake and he has become so perfectly “juicy” and super delicious. I’ll definitely bake this cake again because THIS IS THE ABSOLUTLY BEST CARROT-CAKE EVER 🙂
Ela
Thank you for this wonderful feedback Hanna! It makes me so incredibly happy that you enjoyed my recipe. Sending you much love 🙂
nazokashii
Hi, it’s me again! I said that I couldn’t wait until I could try making another one of your recipes, didn’t I? So today, I tried making this amazing carrot cake – and it truly lived up to my expectations 😀
Just as I did for the banana bread, I tried making it while substituting the rice flour for quinoa flour and the tapioca for potato starch (by weight), as well as using lemon juice instead of lime juice, and using only baking powder instead of both that and baking soda, as that is what I had at hand, and I am happy to say that it still turned out really scrumptious :3
I don’t think I grated my carrots quite as finely as you did, but I still found it to be very lovely and utterly delicious 🙂 The texture was just perfect, and the taste was simply heavenly! I didn’t try the frosting out (yet at least), but that seems very nice as well 🙂 I will probably post a picture or a few tomorrow of it onto Instagram, so that you can see it for yourself 🙂 I didn’t have time to eat it before it went really dark here today, so I wanted some better lightning before I take more pictures, haha xD
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, and I look forward to trying out even more of them in due time 🙂 Hope you’ve had a lovely day, and best wishes into the future, Ela, as well as whoever else might be reading this :)! Oh, and if there’s anyone here who hasn’t tried the recipe yet, it is definitely a must, so just go for it 😀
Ela
Oh wow, you are so amazing! Thank you for this awesome feedback, it makes me so happy. I knew that tapioca starch can often be substituted for potato starch but I never tried it out. I am really excited that the quinoa flour also worked in this recipe, that’s awesome. Now I am looking forward to see how your carrot cake turned out, I will check out your Instagram tomorrow. 🙂 Thank you once again for writing such a thorough review and for being very suportive. 🙂
Eszti
I tried this recipe and it was rally amaizing. My family asked me to bake it again. The best vegan cake I’ve ever had ☺ thank you
Ela
Hi Eszti, yay I am so happy you like my recipe! Did you use all ingredients like stated in the recipe or did you change some of them? So glad your family also liked the cake 🙂
Franziska
Bei mir ist der erste Versuch leider katastophal schief gegangen 🙁 Stäbchen Test schien zu passen (40 Minuten), ich nahm ihn raus, lies ihn abkühlen – holte ihn aus der Form: zack innen noch total wabbelig.
Also dachte ich mir gut probier ichs nochmal für 20 Minuten. Wieder abkühlen lassen – raus: wabbelig.
Nun ist er im Müll… Schade. Das Karotten raspeln war echt fürchterlich D:
Vllt probier ichs die Tage nochmal als Muffins und mit weniger Karotten oder Kokos.
Ela
Hallo Franziska, da muss wirklich irgendetwas schief gegangen sein. Ich habe den Kuchen inzwischen schon mehrfach gemacht und er ist immer gut geworden. Auch bei Instagram kamen bisher nur positive Rückmeldungen. Hast du denn alle Zutaten genauso verwendet wie sie im Rezept stehen, sprich selbe Mehlmischung wie ich (160 g Reismehl, 50 g Tapioka, 33 g Kokosmehl) oder hast du eine andere Mischung verwendet, falls ja welche? Ich würde gerne herausfinden an was es lag. Freue mich über deine Rückmeldung.
Franziska
Die Mehlmischung konnte ich spontan leider nicht so umsetzen, wir hatten stattdessen rein Dinkel-Vollkornmehl. Ich habe leider auch erst im Nachhinein gesehen, dass unten Gramm-Werte für Mehl gewesen wäre, drum gabs gewogene Werte für den Rest – und Tassenwerte für das Mehl. Vermutlich war es einfach zu wenig, oder das falsche Mehl.
Aber es wird morgen einen weiteren Versuch geben! 🙂
Ela
Ja dann lag es wirklich an der Mehlmischung und nicht an meinem Rezept. Gerade Kokosmehl ist sehr schwierig zu ersetzen, denn es speichert extrem viel Feuchtigkeit. Ich hoffe mit der “richtigen” Mehlmischung klappt es besser. 🙂 Anstelle von Kokosmehl muss entweder die doppelte Menge eines anderen Mehles verwendet werden oder aber der Anteil an Flüssigkeit heruntergeschraubt werden. Deswegen empfehle ich ja meine Mehlmischung in meinem Rezept, da es mit der schon mehrfach gut bei mir (und anderen) geklappt hat 🙂
Adriana
I made this cake today and I absolutely LOVE it!!! it’s so fluffy and yummy!! and it’s so easy to make! thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Ela!! 🙂
Ela
Hi Adriana, thank you very much for letting me know that you made my carrot cake and loved the recipe! Makes me very happy 🙂
Susan
I’ll start with the flavor being great. I subbed coconut for the almond. But something seemed off. I used a scale but the rice flour seemed to weigh more than a cup. Maybe my scale was off. It was really dry going in and very light. Again flavor was good. I’ll give it another go with same ingredients next time as you used before making subs.
Ela
Do you meat desiccated coconut or coconut flour? More coconut flour won’t work instead of almond flour, as it’s too drying.
Susan
I used coconut flour. Makes total sense now. It absorbed all the moisture makes total sense now. I was hoping it would work bc I was out of almond flour. I don’t use coconut often so getting used to it again. Thanks!!!
Ela
Thanks for getting back, Susan. 🙂
Nisha / @rainbowplantlife
Such a gorgeous carrot cake, Ela! It’s going on my never ending “to make” list 🙂 Have a great week!
Ela
Thank you very much Nisha! Awww I also have a “never ending to make list”. So funny. 🙂
Tara
Ahhhh this recipe was amazing, I’m not to sure if I baked it long enough (a skewer came out nice and clean after poking the cake) but it was just so nice and I don’t think gooey is the right word but the texture was just to my liking! To be honest ever since you posted that first picture of the cake on your instagram I had been checking your page to see if you posted a recipe yet & I baked it that very same day I saw the recipe. Sooooo worth the wait! I finished the cake all by myself in a matter of 4 days – probably shouldn’t have done but again, so worth it.
The only change I made was that I used plain coconut sugar instead of that fancy stuff for the icing but it worked out perfectly 🙂
Ela
Awwww thank you so much for your wonderful feedback!!! I am really excited that you liked my recipe. Did you make a photo of your cake? I would love to see it.
Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet
Such a creative recipe Ela, you are so good at these cakes! I came looking for the cupcakes but I was distracted by this glorious post. Thank you for sharing sweetie! Dee xx.
Ela
Aww thank you very much Dee! You are such a sweetheart, thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
The Vegan 8
I love carrot cake Ela and this looks wonderful! That frosting looks so creamy and dreamy and so smooth! I didn’t see your note at first on your recipe and I was wondering where the spices were, lol! Glad to see them on there! Carrot cake to me definitely needs all those yummy spices and your version looks wonderful!
Ela
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Brandi! I am glad you like my carrot cake recipe. And yes I agree, these spices are a must. 🙂
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
My bday is next month and I hadn’t even given a thought to cake flavors up until now but after seeing this gorgeous carrot cake all I can think is I need to make it because it is absolutely one of my top favorite flavors too!! Lime juice instead of lemon, I’ve never seen that before. Any reason you chose the less expected citrus? I’m sure it tastes delicious, I am curious to try it now. And the frosting is uber dreamy???? Absolutely beautiful Ela!
Ela
Awww Natalie, thank you very much for your sweet comment! I chose lime juice simply because I cannot buy lemons here (not kidding). When exactly is your birthday? My birthday is also next month, on March 7th. I would love to see your carrot cake version.
Harriet Emily
This cake looks sooooo amazing! Carrot cake is my favourite. The frosting looks perfect too! Such a beautiful recipe <3
Ela
Thank you so much sweetheart! So glad you like my recipe 🙂 Enjoy your weekend ❤️
Ela
I am so sorry the center was still raw. Did you make a toothpick test? Did the batter have a similar consistency as the batter in my video? Maybe your carrots were very juicy and the cake just needed more time in the oven.
Amal
Delicious cake! The ingredients are simple and the preparation method is easy. I will surely make it again, and other recipes from this blog.
Ela
Thanks a lot for your positive feedback, I am glad you like my recipe ????
Lena
Freue mich aufs Ausprobieren 🙂 DANKE!!!!
Ela
Nichts zu danken, ich hoffe der Kuchen wird dir schmecken liebe Lena ????
Karin
Das sieht so saftig und lecker aus, Ela!! Und ist auch von den Zutaten her recht einfach gehalten – wird definitiv bald mal ausprobiert 😀 Wird wahrscheinlich auch mit normalem Dinkelmehl problemlos funktionieren, oder? Das verwende ich am liebsten ^^
Ela
Hallöchen liebe Karin! Vielen Dank, freut mich sehr, dass du mein Rezept ausprobieren möchtest. Dinkelmehl könnte klappen, ich verwende es jedoch nicht, da ich auf Gluten verzichte. Bitte probiere es aus und gib mir Bescheid, ob es funktioniert hat ????
Kirsten
I can not wait to try your Recipe ! That frosting looks amazing and so much healthier being refined sugar free ???? What a perfect carrot cake this is .. Thank you so much for sharing so we can enjoy this too <3
Ela
Thank you Kirsten! Yes I am so happy that the refined sugar free frosting turned out so great. I hope you will like the carrot cake in case you try out my recipe. Much love ❤️
Ayde
Como puedo recibir las recetas en español?
Ela
You could try Google translator 🙂
Eva
Tolles Rezept! Ich werd den Kuchen auf jeden Fall ausprobieren wenn ich wieder zu Hause bin!
Ela
Oh wie lieb von dir Eva, vielen Dank, das freut mich sehr. ❤️