The holiday season is upon us and I’ve been dreaming of sharing an easy snack cake to have around if you happen to be hosting family or friends this time of year. You know, the kind of cake that is justifiable as a “snack” or “breakfast” because it has fruit and vegetables in it. Yes! That kind. Let’s bake, shall we?
This 1-bowl recipe starts with a flax egg for binding and mashed ripe banana for some natural sweetness and moisture. Then come tasty ingredients like brown sugar, grated carrots and apples, and cinnamon.
For dry ingredients, we went for a blend of almond meal or flour, oats, and our gluten-free flour blend, which kept the cake fluffy, tender, yet perfectly moist. Chopped walnuts add a bit of crunch and nutty flavor.
After a quick bake in the oven (and the painstaking minutes of letting it cool), it’s time for cake! While delicious on its own, it’s elevated with a simple cashew lemon maple frosting (recipe below)! Swoon.
We hope you LOVE this cake! It’s:
Tender
Flavorful
Packed with fruit + vegetables
Subtly spiced
Easy to make
& SO delicious
This would make the perfect cake to have on hand for gatherings or lazy days spent with loved ones this holiday season. It would also be delicious come spring! Basically, it’s perfect year round for just about any occasion.
If you’re into cake, also be sure to check out our Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake, 1-Bowl Vegan Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake, 1-Bowl Pumpkin Cake, and Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cake!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Carrot Apple Snack Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 3 ¾ Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (if avoiding oil, try subbing a little nut butter or applesauce)
- 1/3 cup mashed very ripe banana
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or sub coconut sugar, but it’s not as sweet and the texture may be more dense)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk (or other dairy-free milk)
- 1 heaping cup (packed) grated carrot
- 1/2 cup finely grated apple
- 2/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup almond meal (or flour)
- 1 heaping cup gluten-free flour blend
- 1/4 cup raw walnuts (chopped // for topping)
FROSTING optional
- 1 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked in very hot water for 30 minutes)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (melted // optional – helps the frosting firm up when chilled)
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or sub light // if avoiding coconut, sub almond or rice)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup (plus more to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl (by mixing water and flax seed and letting it rest for 5 minutes). Also preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish or similar size pan.
- To flax eggs, add olive oil, mashed banana, and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Next add brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
- Add almond milk and stir. Then add grated carrot and apple and stir.
- Add oats, baking soda, almond meal (or flour), and gluten-free flour blend and stir to combine (see photo). You should have a thick but pourable batter – add more almond milk to thin if needed or more gluten-free flour or almond meal to thicken.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and top with crushed walnuts. Bake for 40-45 minutes on a center rack or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When you press on the top, it shouldn’t feel too spongey, so don’t be afraid of over-baking! The GF blend just takes longer to bake than glutenous cakes.
- Remove from oven and let rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Then gently lift out of the pan and let cool completely on a wire baking rack or flat surface. The longer it cools, the more airy and light the cake becomes.
- OPTIONAL: While this is happening, you can make your frosting by adding soaked, drained cashews, coconut oil, coconut milk, lemon, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a high-speed blender and blending on high until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness or tartness as needed by adding more maple syrup or lemon juice, respectively. Then refrigerate to firm. Wait to frost the cake until frosting has thickened (about 2 hours), and the cake has cooled completely.
- Store completely cooled leftovers loosely covered at room temperature up to 3 days, 5 days in the refrigerator (if frosted, it does need to be refrigerated), or in the freezer up to 1 month. Best when fresh.
Video
Notes
*Recipe heavily adapted from my Carrot Apple Muffins!
Swati JAIN says
I do not like the raw oats texture in the cake. Can I replace it with something? Further can I use all purpose flour as I am not gluten free? Do I need to take care of something?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Swati, we think it might work to blend the rolled oats into oat flour, but we haven’t tried it. We also haven’t tried this recipe with regular all purpose, but we think it would work to use it to replace the GF all purpose. Let us know how it turns out!
Carolina says
for the frosting, if i don’t have full fat coconut milk, can i use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That should work!
Carolina says
can i use an egg instead of flax egg?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Carolina, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! Let us know if you give it a try!
Sophie Wilson says
So delicious!!! Super healthy asleep :”)
Left out maple syrup
Used cocnut sugar
Made for a friend’s birthday, went down a treat! Used a circle tin
Nicole says
This is the healthiest cake I’ve ever had yet so yummy nonetheless! Magical. I only had a spring form cake pan (not sure on dimensions but biggish) and it took about an hour to bake. I wanted to use up the whole banana so I had an extra couple tbs or so, used sunflower oil instead of olive, and added about 1/4 tsp ground ginger, a splash of vanilla and 1/4 cup golden raisins. I used oat milk in the icing and added extra lemon juice and maple syrup. It turned out really well, thanks so much for the recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole! Thanks so much for sharing!
Margaretha says
This recipe is sooo good and wholesome and just right for adding nutrients to help our immune systems during this difficult virus time…..and of course to indulge in from time to time for that bit of sweetness!! I am busy making your curry potato soup at the moment. Thank you so much for your delicious recipes!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you are enjoying our recipes, Margaretha! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Julija says
I made the snack cake yesterday and it is already all gone! Turned out great, however I made a few modifications to the recipe. Because of the covid-19 situation I was unable to restock on flaxseed (a miniature horror, if you ask me), beginning my alternations by using chia eggs instead of flax eggs. Secondly, I completely omitted sugar as well as maple syrup and only added 2 tbs of coconut syrup as my sweetener. I did not make a gluten free version, thus I used spelt flour (only 1/2 cup). Despite using less flour I still had to add a bit more almond milk to make the batter thinner. Love your recipes and your work!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing, Julija! So glad you were able to modify based on what you had available!
Angelica says
Can I sub ground dates in place of the maple syrup and sugar in this recipe, and if so would it be the same amount? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Angelica, we haven’t tried that, but it might work. We’d recommend subbing 1:1. Let us know if you try it!
Kristina says
Now during quarantine I finally have time to rate all your amazing recipes (so sorry I didn’t rate before!). Your blog became a very important part of our daily cooking. We are cooking recipes from the blog at least once a week, so thanks in general for all the amazing work!! This cake turned out so delicious. I used two real eggs instead of flax egg and spelt flour instead of gluten free flour and it turned out well.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
So great! Thanks for sharing, Kristina!!
leslie patino says
can you substitute the gluten free flour for nomal flour?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Leslie, we haven’t tried that, but a few other readers have done so with success. Let us know if you try it!
Andrea says
Delicious! I recently started baking gluten free and hadn’t had good results until I made this cake. I’m super happy with this recipe and I’m excited to try more things using your gluten free flour blend.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea! xo
Amanda B. says
Stress-baked this during COVID-19 and it was delicious! I didn’t have any ripe bananas, so I subbed applesauce, and also subbed half of the olive oil with applesauce. I also didn’t have any plant milk and was too lazy to make some, so I just used water. I think next time I will reduce the brown sugar a little bit. Loved the walnuts on top! Perfect afternoon snack, and loved the simple ingredients.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda! Thanks for sharing!
Jasmina says
This recipe is amazing!!
So full of flavors, and even my friends that are used to “classic white sugar dessert” loved it!
I had to make it two times in one week :D
First time, I used spelt flour instead of gluten-free blend.
Second time, I even used coconut flour instead of almond (didn’t have almond! In this case I used 1/4 of the measure, added 0.5 more flax egg, a bit more apple and milk), and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar (but added 2 add’l spoons of maple syrup).
Worked great both times!
And the cashew topping is an absolute must!!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Jasmina!
Sandra Y. says
So good. So good. So gooooood! Love all your recipes, videos and your dedication to put such great content for us. Super fan!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Sandra! xo
Lindsay says
I used two regular eggs instead of the flax eggs and used all purpose flour instead of gluten free flour and it turned out great! Not too sweet so its perfect for breakfast or as a snack. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Lindsay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Debbie says
This cake is delicious! So moist and flavourful and the icing is the best!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
Allison Smith says
I have made this cake four times now, the first two times, I was a good girl and didn’t “tweak” the recipe. First of all I put canned crushed pineapple that has been DRAINED of its juice, I have made the flax egg with the linseed and some of the pineapple juice, I added 30 grams of desiccated coconut exchange for the same amount of flour and have used (this time) wholemeal spelt flour (Previously I used white spelt flour) I also reduced the sugar content to 100 grams. The cake cooks so beautifully, when you remove it from the oven it looks like it has come out of a cookbook. I hope you don’t mind me changing your recipe, it is a great one to have when you want to make a cake that is on the “healthy side”
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Allison! Your tips are helpful.
Elizabeth says
Delicious! I am constantly looking for tasty, health-conscious quick breads for my breakfast on the go. This fits the bill! I substituted flax eggs for 2 real eggs and reduced the amount of brown sugar to make it more wholesome for breakfast. Also, I didn’t have almond flour so I used homemade oat flour instead. It turned out wonderfully! Thank you MB!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Elizabeth. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Chris McClellan says
Dana, I LOVE your recipes and this one is a new favorite! I made some alternations based on what I had in the house (subbed real eggs and organic wheat flour, left out the frosting but added raisins and dried cranberries)…moist delicious and great any time of day. My man took it on a boys weekend bike trip, and everyone loved it for breakfast and as a snack!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
So kind! Thanks, Chris! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful! Thanks!
Adrienne says
Delicious!!I omitted the banana because I didn’t have any, I also used 3 eggs. Baked for 22 minutes. I appreciate not using pineapple!!Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Melissa says
I made this last night, and my kids ate it while still warm, with the frosting. Both loved it, and so did I! I felt I added too much lemon in the frosting, as I wanted to not overpower the taste of the cake. Day 2 I had it again, and it was still so good! I enjoyed the frosting today more than yesterday, as I added a bit more maple syrup. Thanks again for a tasty treat that I feel good about eating (two types of fruit and a veggie in here, and cashew frosting, win!)
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad to hear you and your kids enjoyed it, Melissa! Thanks for sharing! xo
Connie Mussett says
It pains me when people change a recipe and then rate it down when they’re not happy with the result. This is a beautiful recipe as it is. Follow the recipe.
Allison Smith says
I changed the recipe and the cake has turned out great!
Camelia says
Hello, could o just use regular flour instead of the flour blend? Thank you!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Should work, yes!
Annie says
This looks delicious. Could I replace the sugar with more maple syrup or more banana?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
It will affect the texture, so you may need to adjust the dry ingredients. We’d suggest adding more maple syrup vs banana. Let us know how it goes!
Spencer says
These were SO amazing! We subbed almond milk for coconut in the icing and it was delicious. Also used 1 1/4 whole wheat flour and only 1/4 cup almond flour which worked out well. Lastly we only used 1/4 cup sugar and it was a perfect amount! Such a great recipe and definitely going to be making in the fall. We will be posting our review on @sundaybanter on Instagram!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for sharing!!
Ross says
I cannot eat cashews. Do you have a substitute?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Ross, we’d say try coconut whipped cream, coconut butter, or something more similar to this instead. Hope that helps!
Snowpea says
Love the flavor! Mine came out a little gummy. Would i be able to use all almond flour?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm, not sure that all almond flour would work while keeping this vegan. However, if you’re able to sub eggs for the flax eggs I’d say almond flour could work.
Helen Rooney says
Hey, I’m making these for a friend but they hate banana – anything I could use as a substitute?? Can you taste the banana in the final product?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Helen, we don’t find the banana flavor to be noticeable, but you could try subbing pumpkin puree or applesauce! We haven’t tried it though. If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Shelaki says
Great recipe! Since I am cutting back on fats, I substituted oat flour for the almond meal and also replaced half the oil with applesauce. All worked out well.
I also made a simple glaze with the juice of a lemon and equal part organic sugar, which was perfect!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Great – thanks for sharing!
JI CHANG says
This turned out delicious and also tastes healthy! I added some cardamom to the mix. Please keep posting these clean, delicious vegan recipes. I love your cake recipes!
Christina says
I´m too excited about the result. The Cup Messurement is still confusing, but it smells so good – hope it tastes the same. Greetings from Germany
Paris says
Hello! I am a college student living abroad, and I do not own an 8×8 pan. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to adapt this recipe to bake in either a loaf pan, 13×9 pan, or into muffin molds? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Paris, we would recommend using a muffin tin and baking at 375 for 32-36 minutes as we do in this recipe. Hope that helps!
Nora says
I made this and it was to die for. The frosting was nice but honestly the cake stands on its own, too. Also I left half of each recipe (carrot cake and frosting) unbaked and froze them, I’m going to defrost and bake/frost at the end of the month for a friend’s party. I will let you know how that turns out.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad you enjoyed it, Nora! Thanks for the lovely review! We are excited to hear how it turns out for your friend’s party!
Nora says
FYI I froze the batter in a loaf pan for about a month, took it out a day beforehand and baked it, it was just as delicious! The frosting also froze well and there was no discernible difference from the unfrozen quality.
Sharon says
Cake and frosting turned out great. I subbed applesauce for oil, used coconut sugar and Lankanto sugar free syrup, and used spelt flour and almond flour. The cake was only slightly sweet, but I am accustomed to that. I have had a few flops with subbing sugar with sugar free, and subbing for white flour in recipes so was very happy this worked. Your recipe and directions were right on. Thanks!
Phoebe says
This is more than 10 ingredients, eg not minimalist. I’m on this website because ingredients overwhelm me and I turn to the easy solution. Please honor your about /motto section.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Phoebe, our recipes fall under one or more of the following criteria, but not necessarily all: 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl, or 30 minutes or less. If you are looking only for our recipes with 10 ingredients or less, you can find them here. Hope that helps!
Dana says
I’m thinking of making this cake for my daughter’s bunny-themed first birthday. Do you think it would work to double the recipe and make two rounds to stack or should I stick to your other carrot cake recipe? Is the frosting too drippy for a tier cake? This one looks so delicious, but it seems like it might be a bit heavy to stack. Thoughts?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Dana, we think the other carrot cake would work better for a stack as you are correct that this one is a little more dense. Hope that helps!
Susan says
After initially seeing this snack cake a few months ago, I’ve made it many times for my household and friends. It is quite a few ingredients, but I have them almost memorized at this point. As I have one in the oven now, I thought it was time to comment. “I just love it.” It’s quick, one bowl, healthy and delicious. Something I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Susan. We are so glad you are enjoying this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Jay says
Can we make them into cupcake style? Would that be possible, just less time in oven?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jay, we haven’t tried that, but think it will work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how to turns out for you.
Yumyumz says
Love this recipe! Only problem is I’ve noticed the frosting turning a pinkish color in certain spots. Any idea what that could be from? Maybe the walnuts?
Sarah Goffin says
Hi, I was wondering what I could use as a substitute for the gluten free oats. I did some research and discovered that gluten free oats contain the protein avenin, it is an essential part of oats (as gliadin is with wheat). Oats will never be gluten (ie avenin) free [even if they are described as gluten (i.e. gliadin) free]. 1:5 (20%) of people with Coeliac disease react to pure uncontaminated oats i.e. they react to oat avenin. This discovery worried me, what would you suggest?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Sarah! Another reader uses quinoa flakes in place of the oats. That may work?
Margie says
Hi Dana this will be the third time I have baked your Spiced Apple Breakfast Cake and it has been a delicious success each time!!! BUT I think you should re name it All Day Apple Spice Cake cos it’s so good!!!!?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hah! We’re glad you have enjoyed it, Margie :D
Izzy says
Great recipe! We were snowed in in Seattle last night and all my housemates had to cancel their Friday night plans so I baked this cake to share while we watched movies. It tasted amazing but I had some texture difficulties on my end:
1) I didn’t have an 8×8 pan, so I used a deep pie pan. The cake was starting to burn around the edges and it passed the toothpick test after about 25 minutes, so I took it out and let it sit until cool. The center of the cake hadn’t actually cooked, so it was very gooey in the middle, but most of the cake was a great texture, perfectly moist. I’m going to try a lower temperature next time.
2) I couldn’t get the cashew icing to the creamy/glaze texture pictured. I soaked the cashews for 30 minutes in super hot water, but I think I might try soaking them longer next time.
Also, I subbed whole wheat flower for almond meal and it was fantastic. I also added more like 2/3 c. banana with great results.
Lindsay S. says
I make your Carrot Apple muffins all the time and love them! They are a bit sweet for a healthy snack for us though, so could i leave out the sugar all together or will that affect the texture too much? I think the fruit & maple make it plenty sweet but don’t want a gummy or un-cake-like texture. Thanks!
Neiicy Bennett says
I made the recipe and it was AWESOME and fluffy and moist. And I used part oil part applesauce to cut down on how much oil I used. My battery was a little thick so I added water and it came out just fine ! Finally I did a recipe right lol
Sara Wall says
I used ripe pears instead of the banana and completely eliminated the brown sugar. I did add 1c in stead of 2/3c oatmeal to compensate for the reduced dry ingredients and it turned out great!
Carolyn says
First time baking with an egg replacement. I decided to try this recipe with a chia seed egg. I also used rice flour instead of GF flour and the almond meal, and dark brown sugar. I have a convection oven and it tends to bake more quickly so I pulled it out after 30 min. I think the rice flour made it too sweet and I wasn’t crazy about the texture, not sure if this was from the chia egg? I do love the that its packed with fruit and veg, if I made it again I would try with a different flour combination.
Tori says
So excited to try this! Wondering if quick oats might work instead of rolled? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, quick oats should work fine!
Tee says
This was so easy to do. I am doing it every other week. First I made it per instructions. Received a big thumbs up from hubby. I made it with carrots and coconut because I didn’t have enough apple, still awesome. A recipe you can’t go wrong with.
Davilyn Eversz says
Well, I am a experienced cook….it took me about 30 minutes prep time. I did not make the icing, these are to be used as breakfast muffins.
I used 1/2c tahini instead of the 1/4c oil called for. 1/3c each of coconut flour, brown rice flour, AP, Einkorn. Cashew milk was used as the non-dairy milk but I had to use about 1-1/4c to get the mix to a proper consistency. Used apple pie spice in place of cinnamon – 1 tsp. Omitted banana. Used coconut sugar and syrup. Used Cosmic, yellow and lunar carrots. Fuji apple.
As muffins, cooked 30 minutes@350 in my Breville oven. Came out very moist.
I think next time I would add canned organic pineapple and instead of all cashew milk, 1/2 cashew and 1/2 pineapple juice.
They were a little bland, good, but looking for more punch in the taste so I think the pineapple might add that. I did add 1/4c each diced pecans, walnuts and pepitas.
Thank you for the recipe, it is a keeper.
Melanie says
How did it come out with the pineapple juice? Would you write out the recipe? I would like to try it your way.
Allison Smith says
I have made mind with pineapple and I drain a can of crushed pineapple, and add that to the batter, I also use the pineapple juice to make the flax egg (and the left over juice I drank it – yum), I also substituted about 30 grams of the flour with some coconut.
Katie says
Delicious! Trying to cut back on oil so substituted with unsweetened applesauce, so moist and not too sweet, my boyfriend and I fought over the last piece!
Sarah says
This is one of the best things I think Ive ever made! Thank you! I seriously love this recipe and feel so good about eating the ingredients. I use coconut sugar and didn’t find it too dense, and I like it without the frosting. The 2nd time I made it, I subbed grated zucchini for apple, and this worked quite nicely. Thank you so much for your beautiful recipes. I love everything I try from your site!
Jenifer says
I’m looking at making this for my family but my sister is allergic to cashews. What else could I use in place of this for the icing?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jenifer! I’d try coconut whipped cream, coconut butter, or something more similar to this instead. https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-cream-cheese-frosting/
Chris Walker says
Excellent recipe! Thank you for another great recipe. The entire family enjoyed this dish.
Danni says
Would the recipe turn out if I substituted real eggs for the flax eggs? And pumpkin puree for the mashed banana?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes!
Sam says
I made this for dessert on Christmas! I used applesauce instead of banana and i passed on the Icing. It’s SO good! We ate it again for breakfast the next day ??
Also, just got your Everyday Cookbook for Christmas and can’t wait to dig in!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We hope you LOVE the cookbook, Sam!
Carol says
It’s yummy. I made it without the frosting for my kids for breakfast. I substituted honey for brown sugar and added a couple tablespoons of shredded coconut and dried cranberries. I also used pear puree in place of oil. I ground the oats to a course texture and used in place of gf flour a 1/3 cup whole wheat, 1/3 cup brown rice, 1/3 cup all purpose, &1/4 cup coconut flour.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great! Thanks for sharing, Carol!
Dani says
thanks for sharing. i was scrolling through looking for ways to take out the sugar so my kids could also have for breakfast!
Lennie says
This is such an amazing recipe! I followed the instructions to a tee and the texture, taste and flavour were perfect to my liking. It was my first time to try a frosting that’s dairy-free and oh wow it’s so yummy. I highly recommend making the frosting which was so easy to whip up anyway. Well done Dana! Thank you for all your great recipes.
Jennifer Blose says
This is maybe the best recipe you’ve ever done and thats saying something since I love all your stuff! The frosting is so perfect!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer!
Jessi says
Hi, I am on a low-fiber diet. Anyway to cut back the 3.6 grams of fiber/slice in this recipe??
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I’d say the oats are probably the main source of fiber. So try subbing that out for almond flour or more GF blend!
Shalyn Eakin says
I just made this and the only substitute I used was raw cane sugar for the brown sugar. I thought the cake was delicious! The frosting was OK and tasted good with the cake. I haven’t found a vegan frosting that I love, but this is the best I’ve had so far! Very yummy so thanks for sharing :)!!!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing!
Margie says
Wow this turned out great!!! It’s so lovely and moist, not too sweet and I want to eat it all day long!!! And it’s gluten free!!! Thank you Dana for sharing your wonderfully healthy recipes…..
Maria Theresa Stadtmueller says
Made this today, only sub was all-purpose since I didn’t have gluten-free flour (and don’t have a gluten problem anyway). WONDERFUL! Very dense and moist, delicious, easy! Great with the cashew frosting. Definitely a keeper!
Cassie Autumn Tran says
Even though I have only heard of snack cakes recently, I wish I enjoyed them more throughout my life! My mother did allow us to treat ourselves with a slice of coffee cake in the afternoon or early in the morning as a mid-day snack, but I always found a way to sneak into the kitchen and slice myself a few extra pieces! I guess that’s the main problem with cakes and I–what should be a snack or a dessert turns into a meal because the slices that are indicated as a serving size are just so small! But anyways, I’m sure that anything with more richness, aroma, and comfort will allow myself to moderate my portions, LOL! Since your recipe includes carrots and apples, I can be sure that I’m incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet and feel more satiated from the extra fiber!
Brenna Bruce says
Mine turned out very strange… used coconut sugar, and like the recipe warned, it was very dense. Was so perplexed by how doughy it was… had to bake it for like an hour and a half because it was inedible. Turned out very dense and doughy (maybe I put too much fruit?). My rec- do not use coconut sugar, as that was the only thing I did differently. Flavors were perfect though!
Indra says
Followed the recipe and it’s very tasty. It’s a bit more denser than I usually like my carrot cake. The frosting is very good. First time I’ve made that as well.
Becky says
This was more like a bread than a cake. Sadly it was dry and heavy and in my opinion, not nearly carrotty enough! The cashew cream cheese icing was good tho!
Sue says
Dana, this is deliciou!! Thanks for all the effort you put into your blog. I appreciate you.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
You’re so sweet, Sue!
Caren says
Hi Dana! Well you did it again!! The best gluten free carrot cake ever. I used 2 small eggs and reduced the almond milk a little. I have celiac so I had to use gluten free oats and found that they didn’t cook enough so next time I think I may blend them up for a few seconds. I absolutely love your recipes!! Can’t thank you enough!! Caren
Jennifer says
Wow! We are new to vegan cooking/ baking and made this for a party the other night. It was SUPER easy and delicious. The “frosting” I made is off a bit. Even people who eat vegan regularly loved it but thought the frosting was off. I will try again as I am brand new. But the cake is super moist and just all around yummy. Stuck the leftovers in the fridge and had for breakfast the next day! Wow!!
Anna says
I made this last night and it was delicious. I love the added apple which makes it extra moist. And I love the one bowl. I followed the directions exactly as is with flax meal egg and all. I probably could have cooked it to 45 mins instead of 40 mins but my boyfriend says its delicious the way it is. I make a lot of almond milk so I have lots of almond meal to use so loved having that in the recipe. I even made the cashew icing and I say that because organic cashews are expensive so I indulged (the icing reminds me of your raw cheesecake recipes, I have made the snickers one which was rich and wonderful). I thought the icing was good and my bf thought it was great. I think for the next time I will add some walnuts or pecans and perhaps a bit more cinnamon. great recipe!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Irina says
Just made them and they were really delicious.!! Moist and fluffy. The best vegan muffins I made till now.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks, Irina!
Evelyn says
Just made this using tahini instead of olive oil and it turned out delicious! Also added a little but of ginger and nutmeg. Thank you for the recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Great! Thanks for sharing, Evelyn!
cb says
made these and replaced the oil for a tbsp of almond butter, also used spelt flour instead of the blend. Turned out really great.
Thank you for this recipe.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing!
Dani says
I made this using normal wheat flour. The cake was very dense. I also finely grated the Apple and the carrot. Next time I would definitely use the large grater attachment and try to find a gluten free blend out replace more almond flour for flour.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing!
Lizzzj says
My bf HATES carrots but doesn’t mind carrot cake and he loved the flavor of this one! The cashew cream frosting was so good too- I may have eaten some with a spoon. The only thing is that the texture of mine came out dense and a little gooey. I followed recipe as is and used King Arthur gluten free all purpose flour. Any idea how I can make it more airy and fluffy?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I’m not sure about the king arthur blend. That might’ve been the reason it wasn’t as fluffy?
Jeff says
I have a couple of questions. Would coconut oil work in place of olive oil? I’m thinking of using white whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour instead of the gluten free flour. Would that work? Thanks.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
That should work! Let us know if you give it a try.
Fran says
This recipe looks great for breaktime at work. Only thing may not be opened to substitutions as I used Yogurt instead of the milk and an egg instead of the banana. It came out a bit dry and I also see all the oatmeal flakes throughout the cake. Its still ok to eat but your looks soo juicy!
I topped it with yogurt just so its not so dry.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm, I’ve not tried those substitutions and can speculate that’s where the texture went dry. Glad you still enjoyed the flavor!
JohnB says
Great recipe, thank you! I added raisins, fresh grated ginger, and one egg plus the flax egg that is already part of the recipe. Frosting was excellent! We added a couple of soaked dates to that and got a very creamy and smooth result from the Vitamix. Will make this one again!
Nima says
Amazing recipe! I made this for lunch as our friend with lots of intolerances was visiting us. I made a few changes to adapt to the ingredients I had. I used self-raising gluten free flour, white sugar instead of brown, oat milk instead of almond milk and walnuts instead of cashews as he is allergic to the last ones.
Everyone loved it even for being a gluten free cake! Only the frosting didn’t come up with the right texture because of he walnuts I imagine, but the flavour was good so we put it on top anyway to add a bit more mosture to the cake.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Nima! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers. xoxo!
stephanie drisdelle says
I made this into muffins and they are THE BEST carrot/apple muffins I have ever made! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks Stephanie! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers. xoxo!
Donna Burke says
I have an food intolerance to banana could you suggest a replacement for it I would love to try this.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Applesauce, perhaps?
Petra says
Hi Dana
I would really like to make this healthy and obviously delicious cake for my baby girl’s 1st birthday:)) But I would like to replace walnuts with almonds. Should that work also?
Thank you very much for your answer. All the best, Petra
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, that should work nicely, Petra!
Louize says
I skipped the walnuts completely and it was still delicious – they are just added o at the end as decoration.
I also switched oats for quinoa flakes, maple syrup for date syrup and used a mix of coconut and corn flour!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks, Louize!
emory says
Meh.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Did you make the cake? Any way we can help troubleshoot?
Becky says
This is dreamy. I used spelt flour instead of the gf blend and coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and it turned out perfect. This is the first time I have tried making a frosting from cashews and it is delicious! I LOVE sweet recipes that aren’t sugar filled. I can’t stop eating this.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks, Becky!
Ernalee Shannon says
Hi, love your recipes! Here’s my question:
With the Carrot Apple Snack Cake recipe it calls for rolled oats. Are these to be used as flakes
not ground up to make flour?
Thanks so much!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Just oats! Rolled oats.
Ernalee Shannon says
That’s simple. Thank you!
Jeff says
What is a prepared baking dish? Does that mean an oiled 9×9 metal pan ?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, either an oiled or parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish.
HappyCyclist says
This is fantastic recipe just as is. Thank you for sharing!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing! If you made it and loved it, would you mind leaving a rating next time? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xo!
Tacinca Davis says
Should I peel the apple before grating it?
Jeff says
I don’t think it’s necessary.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Not entirely necessary, but if you prefer a less textured cake, peel prior to grating!
Yael says
What is the equivalent of flax egg to a real egg?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
1 flax egg = 1 small chicken egg.
Yael says
This cake looks really but I am wondering exactly what about this do you consider minimal. The cake has 15 ingredients and the topping six more. Not exactly minimal in my mind. Maybe you’re thinking about just one bowl?
It does look quite good though.
hellestorm says
10 minutes of work for delicious cake? I think that’s minimal!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
It’s a 1 bowl recipe. All of our recipes are either 1 bowl, 10 ingredients, or 30 minutes or less.
Roseanna says
When you read the recipe it seems like there’s loads to do but I made this last night and it really is just chuck it in a bowl and bake. I would say it is minimal as most of the ingredients, most people will already have yknow? Give it a try it’s really tasty!
Roseanna says
I used plain flour, added some dried fruit I had lurking around, added mixed seeds, used chia seeds & water instead of flaxseed (not vegan but didn’t have any eggs either!) , didn’t use any maple syrup & used sunflower oil instead of olive. It came out delish! Only reason I didn’t leave 5* was because I felt the banana took away from the carrot & apple. I had mine with a bit of biscoff spread & almond butter and it was divine
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks, Roseanna!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Roseanna!
Laura says
Hi Dana! I live in Buenos Aires, and I don’t have many of the ingredients listed here.
Can I replace:
The maple syrup for more sugar?
The gluten free flour for normal flour?
Thanks!!! :)
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Laura! You can replace the maple syrup with honey (if not vegan) or agave nectar.
And you can replace the gluten free flour with spelt or unbleached all purpose.
Good luck!
Sara Cook says
Can I omit the almond flour? What would I use instead? I want to make this for lunch boxes but school needs to be nut free.
HappyCyclist says
Why not be daring and just give it a try using whatever flour you have in your pantry. All purpose will not ruin it.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I’d say replace the almond flour with a 1/2 and 1/2 blend of oats and GF blend.
Gillian says
My little 21-month old daughter is allergic to all treenuts, pumpkin seeds and coconut. Do you have another frosting you could suggest? Thini instead of cashews? And what about the coconut to firm it up – whatelse can do that?
I’m going to make this tonight. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Gillian see the recommendations above! Hopefully one of those will help.
Karin Itming-Bigler says
Do you think its possible to skip the gluten free flour and just make it with almond and oat meal?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm, good question. I haven’t tested it that way. But if you try it, let us know how it goes!
Karin Itming-Bigler says
I would like to skip the flax eg and use flax seed meal, how many spoons do you think??
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
I’d recommend making the flax egg. It only takes a few minutes and helps bind the cake.
Gemma says
Instead of flax egg, can I use an egg? Is that a silly question!?
Nicole says
I have the same question! Would like to make with real eggs, please and thanks
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Not a silly question. 1 flax egg = 1 small chicken egg.
Holly says
Could I replace banana with apple sauce ? I can’t stand bananas haha. TIA x
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
You can give it a try! Let us know how it goes.
Tee says
I made this carrot-apple snack cake. I was caught without apples and improvised. I switched it out for shredded coconut. It was a homerun. My husband gave it two thumbs up.
Jessica says
If you don’t want to use flax eggs, how many eggs do you use?
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
1 flax egg = 1 small chicken egg
Louize says
This sounds delicious, but I wonder what I could use to replace the oats as I am intolerant to them…
Regina says
I have used rolled milet in recipes in the past, don’t know if you can get it in your local health shop, and I don’t know if it would work here.
Sara Cook says
I use quinoa flakes in replace of oats, as i am also intolerant. you can buy on amazon or your health shop
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for the help Regina and Sara – those are great recommendations!
louize says
yes, thank you, I can certainly find quinoa flakes here… I will go shopping tomorrow!
And thanks Dana for the fantastic recipes – you have me constantly running to the kitchen to try new things – and this is from someone who could go a month or more without cooking before!
Ilona Kostyk says
Could I substitute almond meal with coconut flour or any other type of flour? We don’t have it in the city.
Meghan says
You can make it! Grind up some almonds in the blender. Don’t overdo it or they turn into a nut butter…you want a course meal.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes! I’d recommend grinding up raw almonds into meal – that should work!
Nathalie De La Cruz Aquino says
I did it and it worked well! :)
gabriela says
Oh must try this. Can I substitute the gluten free flour blend with coconut flour or all purpose flour?
amber says
Hi, I was wondering the same thing, and discovered on her GF flour blend recipe, that it says “…in general, use in place of all purpose or whole wheat flour in a 1:1 ratio.” :)
Linda says
Hi, I will make this cake. My daughter is allergic to cashews, is there a substitute?
marylynn sabiston says
I made this cake but switched out the Almond flour and used Quinoa flour, a gala apple instead of green and added 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut to cake … no icing –Awesome!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Gabriela – I would recommend subbing the GF blend with all purpose or spelt. Coconut will be too absorbent.
Amber, that’s correct.
Linda – I’d try coconut whipped cream, coconut butter, or something more similar to this instead. https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-cream-cheese-frosting/