Home » Recipes » Desserts » Raw Vegan Carrot Cake
Jump To Recipe 9 reviews posted Apr 3, 2020 by Jessica Hoffman
This Raw Vegan Carrot Cake is made with healthy ingredients, and comes together in a food processor. The carrot cake base is sticky and sweet and packed with delicious textures, topped with a creamy coconut frosting!
What is a raw cake?
A raw cake is a no-bake cake that is free from gluten, dairy, eggs and refined sugars. These cakes are generally made with a mix of nuts, nut flours and dried fruits, and alternative sweeteners to sugar such as maple syrup and agave nectar!
Even though this cake is made with healthy ingredients, it is still filled with fats, (natural) sugars and carbs.
If you’re looking for more carrot cake recipes, check out these Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes, or these raw Carrot Cake Energy Balls!
Ingredients in this recipe
- Walnuts: A classic ingredient in any carrot cake, walnuts are the base of the raw carrot cake.
- Coconut (shredded, milk, and oil): This recipe uses shredded coconut in the cake, and coconut milk and coconut oil in the frosting! It offers a natural sweetness, as well as a source of healthy fats.
- Almond flour: Almond flour helps to bind the carrot cake together. However, you can substitute this with more walnuts if needed.
- Spices (Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg): These three spices will help give this dessert that classic carrot cake flavour!
- Orange zest: Optional, but recommended to brighten up the sweet flavours.
- Vanilla: Used both in the cake and frosting to warm up the flavours.
- Medjool dates: Make sure to use medjool dates, as you want them to be sticky to hold the base together!
- Carrots: It wouldn’t be a carrot cake without them!
- Cashews: These make up the base of the frosting. Use raw unsalted cashews for the best flavour and texture.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice gives the frosting that slightly tart flavour like cream cheese.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that will sweeten the frosting.
How to make this Raw Carrot Cake
Mix the walnuts, coconut, almond flour, spices, orange zest and vanilla together in a food processor until crumbly. Then, add the Medjool dates and puree them together. The mixture should be sticky when you press it between your fingers!
Next, add the carrots and pulse just to combine. Then, add the mixture to an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge to set.
To make the frosting, blend the cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and salt together until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture over the carrot cake, and place the pan in the fridge for 4 hours to set.
Optionally top your bars off with walnuts, orange zest, shredded coconut or whatever you like!
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Use Medjool dates for best results. If your dates are a bit dry, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate them, and then drain them.
- Don’t overprocess the mixture. You want it to be crumbly in the food processor, but not form into a ball.
- Make sure to use full-fat coconut cream. You just want to scoop the creamy part off the top of the can! Leave the water behind.
- If your frosting seems grainy, keep blending! It can take a good 5 minutes for the cashew cream to become rich and creamy.
More raw desserts to try
- Raw Key Lime Pie Bars
- Raw Salted Caramel Slice
- Raw Vegan Raspberry Cheesecakes
If you tried thisRaw Vegan Carrot Cakeor any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along onPinterest,InstagramandFacebookfor even more deliciousness!
Raw Vegan Carrot Cake
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.9 from 9 reviews
- Author: Jessica Hoffman
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Raw Vegan Carrot Cake is made with healthy ingredients and requires no baking!
Ingredients
Scale
Carrot Cake
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp orange zest (or lemon zest)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Cashew cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
- 3/4 cup coconut full-fat coconut milk (just the cream from the top of the can)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the walnuts, shredded coconut, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest and vanilla extract to a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
- Then add the the dates and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like a crumbly dough. (It should feel sticky when you press it between your fingers.)
- Add the carrots and pulse just to mix the carrots in.
- Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper then scoop the carrot cake dough into the pan spreading it out evenly. Place in the fridge to set.
- Blend all the cashew cream cheese frosting ingredients together in a food processor or high-speed blender, scraping down the sides as needed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. (This may take 4-5 minutes.)
- Pour the mixture into the pan spreading out evenly, then place in the fridge to set for 4 hours.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Use Medjool dates for best results. If your dates are a bit dry, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes then drain them to rehydrate them.
Don’t overprocess the mixture. You want it to be crumbly in the food processor, but not form into a ball.
If you’re mixture isn’t binding together, Add a few more dates.
Make sure to use full-fat coconut cream. You just want to scoop the creamy part off the top of the can.
If your frosting seems grainy, keep blending! It can take a good 5 minutes for the cashew cream to become rich and creamy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/18th of recipe
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. I only recommend products that I know, trust and love!
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posted by Jessica Hoffman on April 3, 2020 (updated March 8, 2022)
29 Comments Leave a Comment »
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29 comments on “Raw Vegan Carrot Cake”
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Ashlee — Reply
Made these and loved them! Brought them to work and was surprised that everyone wanted to try and loved them too.
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Kim — Reply
I can’t wait to try this. I put in the freezer for part of the setting, refrigerator time. I hope that doesn’t mess it up. I need it done sooner than 4 hours!
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Hope you enjoy Kim!
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Robin Blake — Reply
Loved this healthy cake and about to make it for 2nd time.
1st time topping wasn’t as firm as I’d like, so will need to make some adjustments this time.
Measurements are in cups, teaspoons etc which in most cases is ok, but I’d prefer weights for ingredients such as dates, cashews etc.-
Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Happy you enjoyed!
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Amanda Leigh — Reply
I used silicone molds to make round little desserts and they came out adorable. This recipe is amazing!!
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Glad you enjoyed Amanda!
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Sharney Ferguson — Reply
Absolutely beautiful and easy to make. Definitely saved as a regular make.
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
See AlsoGlaze | Julie BlannerThanks Sharney! So happy you enjoy the recipe!
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Maïla — Reply
Amazing recipe!! My fiancé and I made this dessert for my birthday dinner with friends, and It was a big success! Absolutely delicious!
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
So happy you both enjoyed it!
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leena — Reply
do you think i can substitute the cashews for something else? like walnuts for example
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Hi Leena! You can use any type of nuts that work for you
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YVR Mama — Reply
So far so good! The unchilled version tastes amazing – not sure I can wait the 4 hours!!!
Quick Q – I’ve ended up with a lot of extra frosting – does it freeze well, do you know?
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Happy you enjoy the recipe! And yes, these freeze very well! You can store them in a container or a freezer bag.
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Amanda — Reply
Hi there! Are there any other nuts/ingredients we can sub for the walnuts?
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Hi Amanda, you could use pecans or almonds instead!
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Paula — Reply
You used a ginger in your recept, did you mean fresh ginger or powder ?
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Hi Paula, I use powder but you can use either if you prefer fresh!
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Your welcome Claudia! So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
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Zainab — Reply
How do you cut the squares so neat like the pictures?
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Hi Zainab, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it down between each cut
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Kala — Reply
Carrot cake has always been my favorite, yet I’d never tried a raw vegan version of it. That is, until I came across this recipe! Not only is this extremely easy to follow, it’s perfectly light and it tastes amazing! Between the flavor, the texture and the wholesome ingredients, I’m slightly obsessed! My non-vegan family members loved it the same!
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Thanks for the review Kala, so happy you loved the recipe and that your non-vegan family members did too! 🙂
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Britt B — Reply
Okay I am low key OBSESSED with that frosting- just genius! This whole recipe is brilliant, Jess! And absolutely beautifully shot 🙂
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Thanks so much Britt 🙂
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Jessica Hoffman — Reply
Thanks for the review Betina, so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
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