Vegan carrot cake is a quick and easy one layer cake with simple everyday ingredients.
Vegan or not, this is one of the best carrot cakes you can bake because it has the perfect balance of spices, sweetness, and moisture.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Growing up in Italy, I never had carrot cake. It’s not a thing. But shortly after moving to England as a student, I tried my first slice at my college cafeteria. And you guys, it was love at first bite 🥰.
So I gathered a group of friends, and we went on a quest to find the best carrot cake in the country (UK).
We rented a car and headed north, towards Snowdonia, a breathtaking national park with scenic peaks in Wales.
While the scenery was gorgeous, the weather was not. It was pouring rain for the whole trip, and being soaking wet after a long hike, we were forced to stop at a tiny village called Beddgelert ☔️.
It was there, unexpectedly, in a cozy café called Y Bistro yn yr Hebog that I had the best carrot cake I ever tasted. True story!
With this recipe, I wanted to recreate a similar carrot cake: moist, tender, aromatic, packed with carrots, and sweet but not overly so.
I developed it a few years ago when I was still vegan, so it doesn’t include eggs. Since then I made this recipe over 50 times, and it still is my absolute favorite carrot cake recipe.
You might want to serve it with some vegan cream cheese frosting. And if you are in the mood for more easy baking I can recommend our vegan apple cake, healthy banana bread, or vegan lemon cake.
Let me know what you think because I am really really curious.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Carrots: it’s best to get fresh carrots and grate them at home to get the best carrot cake texture. Pre-grated carrots are often dry and can make your cake dry.
- All-purpose flour (plain flour): substitute half whole-wheat flour for half all-purpose flour. We haven’t tested gluten-free but some of you guys did (see comments) and it worked well.
- Sugar: we recommend white or brown sugar.
- Milk: we use almond milk. Substitute any other milk, including soy, oat, or rice milk.
- Oil: we recommend olive oil. Substitute avocado oil or any other neutral-tasting vegetable oil like canola and sunflower oil. For oil-free, substitute the same amount of apple sauce.
- Spices & Aromas: cinnamon, grated nutmeg, freshly grated ginger, all-spice and vanilla extract. Don’t skimp on the spices!
- Baking powder and soda: try to use both. Baking powder is for rise, baking soda is for tenderness and color.
- Walnuts & Raisins
- Frosting: we make it with vegan butter and cream cheese, powder sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
Important tip on baking pans
This cake bakes best in an 8-inch square baking pan (20 x 20 cm).
You can also use a 9-inch square baking pan (23 x 23), in a 9-inch round cake pan (23 cm), or an 11×7-inch rectangular baking dish (28 x 18 cm).
You can also make it in a muffin, donut, and cupcake pan, reducing the cooking time to 20 to 25 minutes.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake
Step 1: Grate the carrots.
Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Butter the sides of your cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Wash and peel the carrots, then grate them with the small holes of a box grater or a food processor with a grating attachment. Set aside.
Step 2: Mix the batter.
To a large mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, grated nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until well combined.
Add almond milk, olive oil, vanilla extract, and grated ginger and stir until barely combined (15 seconds). Don’t over-mix it. The batter should be pretty dense.
Chop the walnuts with a knife or pulse them in a food processor, then fold them in the batter with grated carrots and raisins.
The batter should be pretty thick, the carrots will release moisture while baking.
Step 3: Bake.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 340°F or 170C for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly dry.
Let the vegan carrot cake cool down in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it onto a wire rack and cool down completely, for about 2 to 3 hours.
Step 4: Frosting is optional.
To a bowl, add vegan butter, softened at room temperature, the grated zest of one lemon, and the vanilla extract. Whisk with a hand mixer until the butter is creamy.
Add the vegan cream cheese and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Store in the fridge.
Add frosting when cake has cooled down. Garnish with chopped walnuts, pistachios, or coconut flakes and enjoy.
Variations
- Blender cake: here’s a carrot cake where all ingredients are mixed in a blender. It’s called torta camilla.
- Carrot donuts: You need donut molds, fill them, and bake them at 340°F or 170°C for about 20 minutes.
- Carrot muffins or cupcakes: Transfer the vegan carrot cake batter to a 12-piece muffin pan and bake in a preheated oven at 340°F or 170°C for 20 to 25 minutes.
Tips
Oil: We recommend olive or avocado oil because they are healthier than most other oils, but you can substitute any other vegetable oil for olive oil.
Oil-free: Substitute apple sauce in the same amount.
Sugar: You can reduce the sugar by half and still get a delicious carrot cake.
Grating the carrots: Make sure the carrots are grated with small or medium holes in a food processor or with a box grater for perfect melt-in-your mouth texture.
Don’t overmix batter: overmixing makes the cake heavier and less tender.
Baking time: Depending on your oven, It will take 45 to 55 minutes.
Check at the 45-minute mark by inserting a skewer in the center. If the skewer comes out mostly dry, the cake is ready.
Let it cool down: Carrot cake needs cooling at room temperature for at least 2 to 3 hours before you can apply the frosting and slice it.
The cake will be even tastier the next day as the flavors have time to meld and develop.
Cream cheese: In the US, some good ones are VioLife, Kite Hill, Daya, or store brands like Aldi and Trader Joe’s. In Europe, we use VioLife and Simply V.
More Easy Vegan Baking
If you tried this vegan carrot cake recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Vegan Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Box grater with small holes or food processor with grating disk attachment.
- 8-Inch square baking pan (20 cm) or 9-Inch square baking pan (23 cm), 9-Inch round cake pan (23 cm), or 11×7 rectangular baking dish (28 x 18 cm).
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon all spice optional
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup olive oil or another vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 2½ cups carrots finely grated
ADD-INS
- ¾ cup walnuts chopped or pulsed in food processor
- ½ cup raisins
FROSTING (Optional)
- 2 ounces vegan butter diced and softened at room temperature
- 1 lemon the grated zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 340°F or 170°C. Butter sides of your cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper.Grate 2½ cups carrots with the small holes of a box grater or a food processor with a grating attachment. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon all spice, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Whisk until well combined.Add ¾ cup almond milk, ⅓ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 inch ginger (grated) and stir until barely combined (15 seconds).Don’t over-mix it. The batter should be pretty dense.
- Chop ¾ cup walnuts with a knife or pulse them in a food processor, then fold them in the batter with grated carrots and ½ cup raisins.The batter should be pretty thick, the carrots will release moisture while baking.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 340°F or 170C for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly dry.Cool down in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it onto a wire rack and cool down completely, for about 2 to 3 hours.
- To a bowl, add 2 ounces vegan butter, softened at room temperature, the grated zest of 1 lemon, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk with a hand mixer until the butter is creamy.Add 4 ounces vegan cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Store in the fridge.Add frosting when cake has cooled down. Garnish with chopped walnuts, pistachios, or coconut flakes and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- All-purpose flour: substitute half whole-wheat flour for half all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: you can use white or brown. You can cut the sugar in half without affecting texture.
- Almond milk: substitute any other milk including soy, rice, and oat milk.
- Olive oil: substitute another vegetable oil like avocado, sunflower, or canola oil. For oil-free use the same amount of apple sauce.
- Walnuts: substitute pecans.
- Raisins: substitute chopped dates or cranberries.
- Grate carrots finely for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Avoid overmixing to keep the cake light.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, checking doneness at 45 minutes with a skewer.
- Let the cake cool for 2-3 hours before frosting. Flavors improve the next day.
- You can also bake batter in a muffin, donut, and cupcake pan, reducing the cooking time to 20 to 25 minutes.
- Vegan carrot cake stays fresh for days and tastes even better after a day.
- Store it without frosting at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- With frosting, refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months, preferably without frosting, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Cutting before freezing makes it easier to serve.
Nutrition
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Followed recipe but used powdered ginger, cake & frosting were so delicious, will definitely make again! Thank you!
Fantastic, Bruno” I’m very happy you enjoyed the cake 💪
Kindest,
Louise
I made it with Hazelnut oil (healthier than Canola) and I used Date sugar.
Thank you
This was the best vegan carrot cake recipe. I made it for my husband’s birthday and everyone loved it alot. I didn’t add ginger coz i didn’t have it but still it was the best. It’s our new favourite cake. Thank you recipe creators 🥕🍰🧁😍🤤😋
Wonderful, Dhruvi!! I’m super happy your family liked the carrot cake.
Thank you so much for your kind message.
All the best,
Louise
Easy and gorgeous. I made it for a friend’s birthday party and everyone loved. I am not a skilled cake maker. But this came out perfectly. In the printed version it would be helpful to mention the walnuts more prominently in the ingredients. Also some advice to people who make this – After you put the grated carrot aside don’t forget about it! I had the cake the oven and was beginning to clear up when I found the bowl of gated carrots still waiting to be added., So got it out of the oven, out of the baking tin, back into the mixing bowl, mixed in the carrots and back into the tin, then back into the oven. And it still worked brilliantly.
Hi Pam,
That’s fantastic- I’m so happy you managed to save the cake, what a dramatic baking session! 😉
Thanks for your tips, Pam, and for taking the time to leave a comment. We highly appreciate it.
All the best, Louise
This recipe is so good! The cake turned out very delicious and it was easy to make it!
Hi Nancy,
I’m so delighted you liked the carrot cake, and that is was easy to make!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, and have a wonderful week ahead.
Kindest,
Louise
So many thanks for this recipe. I am sensitive to eggs and have been unable to eat dairy my entire life. My husband loves to bake but in the conventional way. He finally said that a vegan dessert was “very good”. I can’t thank you all enough for posting recipes that are easy and actually taste great. Thanks so much again.
Hi Mandi-Lee,
I’m so happy that you and your husband enjoyed baking and eating the carrot cake 🙂
Thank YOU for following along, it’s our absolute pleasure to have you here.
Have a wonderful weekend when you get there.
All the best,
Louise
Just made this cake here in Montreal, but with gluten free modifications (used 100gr of Bob’s 1:1 flour, 50gr oat bran, 50gr brown rice flour, and to the wet I added 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and for the frosting I used Earth Own cream cheese) and it was fabulous! Thank you! Hope to see more recipe videos on YouTube xoxo
Hi Victoria! I’m so happy to hear that you liked the carrot cake – especially with the gluten-free changes. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment!!
Oh, we’re on YT 5x a week now, but under a new name: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4pEAoO0u3xM7HKNdtwliiA
Cheers, Nico
Could I use all gluten free oat flour? The same amount that’s listen? Might this work with zuchinni instead or carrots?
Hi Marisa, thanks for your comment. We haven’t tried making the carrot cake with oat flour, but one reader made it before and liked the result (while stating that it was a more compact cake).
As for zucchini, we haven’t tested this ingredient, please let us know how it turns out for you is you test this. Have a wonderful Monday. Kindest, Louise
Thanks! I don’t see that comment. Do you know how much oat Flour they used ?
Hi Is the cake baked at 170C in a fan oven or a normal oven?
Hi Georgina,
We bake the cake at 170°C normal oven 🙂
*****Hiiii. All the way from Namibia! We loved the cake. But was womdering if i can cut down on the amount of sugar? Will
It effect the bake?
Ps.
I wanna give 5stars but my phone screen just womt let me tap!
Thanks for the message Jamie-Lee 🙂
Yes you can use half the sugar if you wish (that’s 1/2 cup or 100 grams). The cake will be less sweet and less moist.
Maybe start reducing down to 3/4 cup or 150 grams and see if you like that 🙂
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Nico
Hi there!I’m baking my way through your amazingly delicious and easy to follow dessert recipes. I have just made the carrot cake for the first time and am absolutely delighted with how perfectly it turned out. The step by step guide helps enormously and the handy tips are so useful. I’m not a natural baker and have always lacked confidence in this area of culinary skill Now I’m creating perfect apple cakes, lemon tarts, chocolate cakes and incredible custards!
Thank you for this treasure trove of vegan recipes!
Hi Rebecca! Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a comment, that makes us so happy to hear! I’m delighted you liked the carrot cake and the step-by-step guide. It sounds like you’re becoming quite the professional baker with that list of recipes, I’m impressed! Well done, and thanks for your support – it means a lot to us.
Take care, Nico.
Hi there! This recipe looks great! Not too many ingredients either. Questions: could i use olive oil instead? Do you think it would alter the taste in a not-good way? Also, if I were to use a cupcake/muffin pan, what would you recommend for baking time? Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi JP, thanks for commenting. Yes, we tested this with olive oil and it works wonderfully, so I change my previous recommendation where I told you it wouldn’t work with olive oil (apologies about that). As for the baking time, have a look at our carrot cake muffins here with baking times and sugar-free options: https://theplantbasedschool.com/italian-carrot-cake/#variations I hope that helps! Cheers, Nico
Thank you for your reply! Didn’t get a notification that you had replied, and just noticed while checking out this site/page again after a long time! Appreciate it :). The reader who posted a question after mine, and along with your reply, has helped me decide to use applesauce instead of the oil, so I will give that a try. Thanks!
Hi JP, thanks so much for getting back to us. I’m happy to hear you feel like trying the cake. Let us know if you have any more questions and happy baking. Kindest, Louise
This looks incredible! I would like to cut the oil because I am trying to diet. I was wondering if I could replace the oil with applesauce and still retain the moistness in the cake?
Hello Heidi! I’m so happy you feel like making the carrot cake. Yes, you can indeed replace the oil with applesauce – I use a 1:1 ratio. Hope that helps. Cheers, Nico