Raw Carrot Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

I am neither raw vegan nor gluten free but I like baking experiments and I’m so glad I gave this one a try. I used almond meal bc that’s what I had and my not-that-high-powered blender – I just soaked the cashews longer and gave them a good long whir and the whole thing came out beautifully after about 2 hours in the freezer. Oh and I used mostly just the coconut cream on the top of a full fat can of coconut milk. Thanks for a great recipe I can feel good about eating and giving to my kid!

Absolutely, worth making! I found another recipe prior to this one-for raw vegan carrot cake. However, after 3 months of studying it, I realized that I was never going to make it. It read like a college thesis. There were so many ingredients and steps. This recipe, on the other hand, was simple and delicious. Thank you for that.

Absolutely great recipe!magnificent,tasty,light, everybody loved it.thank you so much minimalist baker

I made this recipe using a Vitamix. I would not recommend using a blender, and it did double the time spent. Dates would become a thick paste under the blades that was difficult to remove. Once everything was “chopped” by itself, I mixed everything together by hand. This cake ended up tasty, but very dense. I skipped the raisins and I don’t think it needed them. I also skipped one tbsp of lemon juice in the icing as I didn’t want it to taste like lemon. The icing stayed runny like a glaze. I used 30% heavy coconut cream, but perhaps I wasn’t supposed to mix the liquid with it? The recipe didn’t specify. This would make a good date ball, but I think I’ll keep looking for a cake recipe.

Made this for my girlfriend’s 25th birthday. She absolutely loved it. It was so easy to make even with my tiny food-processor. I changed the maple syrup for date syrup so my frosting was a darker beige but absolutely delicious and not too sweet.
I added ground pistachios and carrot food-art for decorations.
I am absolutely obsessed with this recipe and will definitely be making it again!
Thank you!

I made this recipe in our cafeteria yesterday. I doubled it and made two cakes in 20cm tins.
I put a full can of 22% fat coconut cream in the frosting rather then measuring it out.
I then put it in the freezer overnight to set and took it out this morning and hour before cutting it and serving it. Garnished it with roasted walnuts. Awesome cake. Came out very well. A bit too sweet for my own taste as it has soo much dates in it but it went down very well in the cafeteria. Definitely saving this recipe and will do it again.

Hi! I’ve chosen to cook this cake for my husband’s birthday because there’s no oven in the apartment where we’re staying now. The recipe is super easy, fast and the cake turns out delicious! I didn’t manage to get the smooth silky texture of the frosting because my blender is not that powerful I guess, though the frosting turned out tasty anyway. I didn’t use all the dough so I made bars which my kids loved, I’ll use the dough recipe in the future for after school lunch! Thank you so much for the recipe!

My husband made this for my 23rd birthday, we are long time vegans and love raw vegan treats but have never made a full on raw cake before. This was really simple to make and so delicious, will definitely be looking for other raw cake recipes on this page.

This is my favorite cake in the entire world! I make it every year for my birthday! Thank you for this perfect recipe :)

I made this yesterday because it look so good and sounded very easy which it was. I froze it and am having some now, yum! I only had one cup of madjool dates so I added a cup of raisins, soaked them with the dates before blending them all which worked great. I think the maple cream frosting is really good.

Wow I made this totally amazing so easy to make and supper delicious

Very satisfying recipe. Made yesterday and I’m glad I did! Extremely pleased with the outcome. I tastes absolutely delicious!

Thanks so much for sharing this yummy cake filled with awesome ingredients! Looking forward to trying out your other recipes! =^.^=

This recipe is perfect! The most delicious carrot cake I’ve ever had! Easy to make with basically all ingredients being household staples for me. Both my husband and I loved it and my moms mouth was watering as I shared a bite with her via facetime. I cannot wait to share this with everyone I know! Delicious and I can eat this treat guilt free ! Thank you!

I made this yesterday and it’s already gone between my partner and myself. It turned out really well, it was the best after sitting out on the counter for a few hours. I didn’t have as many walnuts as I thought so I subbed about 1/3 a cup with pecans. I also don’t have a high speed blender, just an immersion blender which actually works just fine for blending cashews! it might not be quite and smooth as with a vitamix but its good enough for me. The trick is to start with just a little bit of liquid and then build up, and this recipe didn’t have a lot of liquid so it worked out fine.

This is a great tasty recipe

Good luck trying to put 2 cups of dates in the food processor without breaking it. Mine is a nine cup and I had to cut the dates up first and process them in batches.

Good luck putting the walnuts, dates and carrots in the food processor all together. Again, batches.

Stir together? Folding it all together is the best you will be able to do.

The cake and icing are delicious and a wonderful alternative to my grandmother’s recipe with its oil, eggs, etc.!

I loved this recipe because it was delicious, but also very easy to make with a food processor. I didn’t have cashews, so I used sunflower seeds instead, which still worked out quite well. I subbed in honey into the frosting and added about 1 cup more coconut yogurt than required in the recipe as the mixture was quite thick. This recipe is qite versatile because it can be a dessert, but I am definitely planning on eating it for breakfast! Thanks for sharing this recipe Dana – I would make this again!

Hello from England…I had been waiting to try this recipe for a while and got round to it today. Absolutely brilliant. Made it for my boyfriend and he loved it. Thanks a lot.

Great recipe to get that lovin’ carrot cake feeling! I’m calling mine carrot cake blondies because of the brownie like texture. In frosting I used unsweetened almond milk yogurt and in cake used almond flour. Rest the same. I took a reviewer’s suggestion to add a little lemon zest on frosting and delish!

Made it for the BD of my husband and he loved it!
Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

I made this for the first time yesterday and it’s so healthy and 😋 delicious
I Noticed when I made the frosting and let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours it was a little too tart but somehow the next day (today) it tasted less tart.
I prefer the way the frosting tastes after the flavors settle.
Overall I liked it but will modify it slightly to make it less sweet.

Made this for a vegan lunch and LOVED it! My Mum is allergic to walnuts, so I used half pepitas and half oats for the base and it was still a great texture. We have only just started cooking vegan and can’t wait to try some more recipes like this!!

Thank you for this amazing recipe. The cake was perfect and everyone absolutely loved it!!! All the meat dairy eaters, raw-food-haters said it was great :)

Yum. I did make some adjustments: left out the maple syrup in the frosting, since coconut cream, vanilla and cashews are already naturally sweet. I also only used 1 cup of dates for the cake. It all sounded too sweet for my taste. If you think you need a bit of binder you can use coconut manna instead. Turned them into cupcakes. Delicious.

I made this as a birthday cake and it was delicious it was hard not to over mix it, the topping was also a huge success I will make again very easy!

I freakin love this recipe!!!! I’m making it for the second time. I sliced it up and put it in the freezer (someone had recommended in the comments) and I would def suggest that! A few notes: I don’t have a food processor, but was able to just finely grate the carrots and cut the dates and nuts up well, and hand blend everything . More time-consuming but not impossible. I also don’t like raisins, but used dried apricots. No vanilla, but maple syrup works!

Made this today and I’m super excited to make it again. I put half in the freezer and will be enjoying the other half all week this week. Thank you for the recipe!

Made this today and it turned out beautifully! I’ve been on a huge carrot cake kick lately and this hit the spot! Easy to whip together and a crowd pleaser!

I made this for a family get together and was pleased that everyone liked it, even family members who are traditionally gluten and dairy eaters and don’t understand ‘alternatives’ :) I’m so happy to show others that non traditional desserts can be sweet, tasty, satisfying, and good for you. Thank you for this recipe.

This was delicious and my picky 2 and 4 yo loved it! Surprisingly, I think I liked it even more before adding coconut flour. I think it would be good as energy balls without the coconut flour and raisins. I think you could serve this to dairy eaters and they will be satisfied.

Absolutely delicious! This recipe took me quite a bit longer than 30 minutes, but I had to hand grate my carrots. I would double the frosting next time, as some stated below the recipe amounts gave me a much thinner layer of “frosting” which is kinda the best part! I think I’ll try it with half the “cake” recipe next time to cut out some sugar from the dates and double the “frosting” to make the ratio more like a cheesecake with carrot crust, yum. It turned out so pretty in a spring form pan but would be really convenient to freeze and store in glass baking dish- just cut into bars before freezing and pop one out for dessert when needed! Such a rich treat, thanks for this recipe!

I made this last night, and it is absolutely Amazing!!! Best dessert I’ve made in along while!! Thanks for sharing!!!

I just made this last night, for a vegan colleague, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I tasted some of the “batter” after it was mixed and it was amazing.

My substitutes (due to the shops having a lot of ingredients missing at the moment):
– Coconut flour: I used almond meal as I had it on hand
– Walnuts: I used the suggested substitute of 1 cup mixed raw nuts, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup cashews, 1/2 cup gf oats Blended up really well.

My food processor died after it managed to blend up the dates. I didn’t trust my Nutri Bullet to survive mixing the whole batter so I just did it by hand (literally, used me hands).

My frosting didn’t yield the same amount as your images, perhaps my springform was slightly too big. Next time id maybe increase my quantities.

Once again Dana, your recipes are a winner. I know my colleague will love this cake x

I made it for my sons 1st birthday. Everybody loved it.

Delish!

I made this with almonds and cashews since I didn’t have walnuts (their not one of my favorite nuts so I don’t often have them on hand). I’m eating my first piece after having frozen the batch (in a 9×9 glass dish) and then left it in the fridge for a little over an hour so I could more easily cut through it.

Dense and flavorful, I love the ‘frosting’! Thanks so much for this recipe – I know my husband is going to love it. :-)

I made this delicious vegan treat a couple of days ago. For the “cake”, I was short on walnuts, so I used a blend of cashews, hazelnuts, and almonds.. Phenomenal! For anyone (like me) that don’t have a food processor, a blender works just fine. However, a bit of lubricant is needed. I used half a cup of a lemon honey ginger echinacea juice I had on hand. It will alter the cake-like texture a bit, making it sticky. It appeared soggy, but it maintained the integrity of its crunch. My husband and I have been devouring this cake. It’s SO easy to make! (I wish I could post a picture).

This carrot cake and frosting was so yummy! I brought it to a family event and it was gone by the end of the evening. I used the fine grate side of the box grater for the carrots. The texture was more pudding like. Next time I’d like to try grating the carrots with the food processor to see how it changes the texture. I will definitely be making again and also want to make it into cake balls.

This is so delicious! I swapped 1c of pecans for walnuts and added more spices and some shredded coconut to the cake part. I brought it to a family party and it’s the first vegan item everyone loved and requested again! The frosting tastes much better after it’s been frozen.

Once again, another amazing recipe! I made this as dessert for a dinner party tonight, and everyone loved it and were surprised that it was homemade and healthy. You are hands down my go-to, favourite, most trustworthy recipe supplier. Thank you!!!!

BEST cake recipe hands down! I made this for my grandparents’ birthday and they loved the wholesome ingredients. For the cake, I subbed walnuts with whatever nuts or seeds I have available (cashews, almond, sunflower/pumpkin seeds etc) and coconut flour with grounded oats and it still taste wonderful!

I ran out of walnuts, so I substituted a cup of gf oats and it worked out perfectly. Also to note, I used my ninja blender (no food processor) and it was okay, more mixing by hand but fine!

A real crowdplease and easy to get people involved with simple steps and a short cooking time.

Yeah, This cake recipe is the best cake recipe on the planet… No added sugar
No gluten… just nice things
And an incredible texture stab a piece with a fork no crumbs! Turn your fork upside down viola it stays put.
I make a variation of this cake every week, It’s an extremely versatile recipe… My last one I used figs and pecans and added zucchini. Lemon zezt is amazing in the frosting and the seeds blend well for salicylic acid and more of a bite

I made this raw carrot cake for my husband’s birthday and it was fabulous! We both loved it. I made mine in 3 very small springform pans. This is truly an amazing recipe. I will be making this cake again and again. It has been added to my favorites list. Such a healthy recipe that you can actually feel good about eating. I think this means that you can have your cake and eat it too, total bliss! Thank you for sharing your recipe Dana.

I prefer this raw recipe more than baked carrot cake. I love that it’s so moist and flavorful. It’s now my boyfriend’s favorite dessert that I’ve ever made. Thank you for the recipe!

Hi Dana
This is the second time I have made this cake as a birthday cake. Both times vegans,non vegans and everyone in between loved it. This time i use half walnuts and half ground almonds for the cake and it came out very well. Like all of your recipes,substitutions work well if the general theme of what is being produced is followed.

Thank you for all that you do for all of us!
M

I don’t have a food processor so I made this with my Breville blender. I found that if I blended (lightly pulsed) the ingredients for the cake individually or in small portions, then mixed them together by hand at the end, it worked really well!! Such a treat, thank you for the delicious (and healthy!) recipe. I will definitely be making this again.

I made this cake yesterday. It is soooo delicious. My husband said it was the best cake ever! Thank you so much for the recipe!

I made this for our family gathering using a GF oat crust. I topped it with a cream cheese/whipped cream/honey layer. It was LOVED by everyone! Thanks so much!

I made this while testing your various carrot cake recipes for an Easter party, and I was surprised to find that I liked this better than even the straight forward baked and frosted option! It was absolutely delicious, definitely tasted like carrot cake and while the texture wasn’t exact, it was so close it was hard to believe this was raw and refined sugar free! I also found it was a great breakfast, particularly before a work out– gives a good boost of natural sugars and carbs, as well as some protein from the nuts, and didn’t make me feel sick while I was jumping around in dance cardio class. Great for dessert, breakfast, and pre-workout? This is a MAJOR winner!

I don’t have a food processor so I made this in a Vitamix and it turned out great! Dough slightly more pasty than you’d get in a processor but the flavour was still delicious so don’t let that stop you from making this! I used 2tbsp maple syrup in the icing instead of 3 and found it plenty sweet.

Would definitely make again!

I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while and finally bit the bullet and made it. Its Valentine’s Day. What better day to make a cake for my hubby. I struggled a bit with the food processor. I’m not sure mine was big enough. It’s an 8 cup, but it just made it. I’m far from a decent cook, but the cake came out great! The icing was delicious. I can’t wait for hubby to come home and try it. He’s been teasing me about my vegan lifestyle, but I think this is just the thing to show him that I can make yummy stuff!

I may have skimped on the dates. I wasn’t packing them in the measuring cup. The cake isn’t sweet like I expected, but has a great flavor and texture. I used almond flour instead of coconut flour (its what I had) and followed the recipe exactly other than that. I definitely give it two thumbs up.

This was amazing. My 12 yr old son and I made it tonight. He was very skeptical because he loves regular carrot cake but I am slowly trying to introduce vegan foods so I wanted to try it. We both thought it was great and it is a dessert I feel good about giving him! We do not have a food processor and did everything with a Vitamix.

Yum!! Very pleased. I followed the recipe almost exact and I used coconut cream for the frosting. Everybody loved it, planning on making it again soon. Better than regular carrot cake!

Absolutely delicious. I made this yesterday for our anniversary and it’s so good. I don’t have a food processor, so I had to use our blendtec to make it, and in my impatience with small batches I over blended it so it came out more like dough consistency after adding the flour. However, after freezing, it makes for an incredible cheesecake-y carrot-cake cookie-cake type consistency and we both are devouring it with pleasure. I did add a little agave and a touch more vanilla to the icing per our palates, but that’s just preference. Thank you for an incredible recipe I will definitely make again!

I make this every single weekend and take it throughout the week as my breakfast. I made a few additions to mine…I like to add unsweetened shredded coconut to the base and chia seeds. I also zest a bit of lemon into the cashew frosting and it’s perfect!

I love Carrot Cake and I have tried so many different recipes – vegan and non-vegan – and this is by far my new favourite. It was just SO GOOD. (I have never commented on a recipe before but I just had to). Thank you for this recipe (and lots of other great ones, too)!

First night I made this… my MR ordered me a food processor on amazon THAT evening. It was quite a feat to make with nothing but an old blender and worn out bullet mixer but seriously made going plant based and gluten free something we could proceed with. One comment of needing a processor the next time I attempted it and one was at my door 2 days later. Haha

One Q, though. It says a “high speed blender’ for the icing. I’m guessing this is something even a good processor can’t quite get creamy? I tried in my mid level and even my bullet. Seems I will need to dirty a mixer regardless?

ohh and also saved a bit of the “dough” and made raw cookies out of them. just formed them and popped them in my dehydrator for a bit. warm, delicious, carrot cake cookies!

Sooo delicious! I cut the recipe in half ( it’s ALL for me haha). I used the leftover carrot pulp I had after juicing and it turned out perfect. Thank you!

Thank you so much for this amazing website. Your recipes are always delicious – always! I have yet to try one that my family hasn’t loved. You make healthy vegan food look insanely gorgeous and appetizing. I made this carrot cake for our family’s Christmas party and everyone (meat eaters and vegan alike) gobbled it up. My children actually prefer a treat like this one to typical “cake” and I’m so thankful for your recipes to help me get a little more creative! :) You’re amazing. Merry Christmas!

I did it! very good cake. waiting for next occasion to repeat it.

Another delicious recipe!! Made last night and my family and I adore the cake. We love carrot cake and find that to normally buy a slice from a bakery they are dry and simply not that tasty. This cake is super moist, perfectly spiced and delicious with the frosting. This will be my go to recipe for carrot cake :) Bravo Dana, You’ve done it again!!!!

My first attempt making the vegan carrot cake I started late in the evening so I had to use Almonds because I couldn’t find raw cashews however it turned out really good the icing was dark and a little more texture than I wanted but the taste was truly amazing.

I made this yesterday and cut into it today, it was absolutely divine! I cannot wait to make it for the many tables I will sit around during the upcoming holiday season, this is a winner for sure!

This was a huge hit with my friends, and such a stunning cake. I followed the recipe exactly – had to stop myself from eating all the cashew cream before putting it on the cake. It was my first time working with dates and I think I used a little too many and over-processed them – still learning! But it was delicious nonetheless. Can’t wait to try it again :)

Best and easiest carrot cake ever! I see this becoming a staple in our house. Thanks for another great recipe Dana!

It was delicious!!!! Thank you!

This is so delicious. I made it twice, the first time I did not grind the dates enough so it was a little crumbly, but still so tasty. I use less walnuts than the recepie and I love it

This was a great recipe! I have a small food processor so I had to mix everything in batches (a large one is going on my holiday wishlist), but it was still really straightforward and easy! Turned out really well. The cake texture was indeed quite light. You’re the best, Dana!

Literally just finished making this and had to come on to say how amazingly delicious it is! I made mine into cake balls and put a dollop of the frosting on top of each one. They look super cute, all ready for coffee morning tomorrow! Thanks for the great recipe!

This cake is amazing! This is my first raw cake and won’t be my last!
I added grated apples to the ‘batter’ and used Tofutti instead of coconut cream for the frosting.
Thank you Dana for such an inspiring recipe!

Thank you for the easy and delicious seasonal dessert recipe. I made it for my daughter’s first birthday. After searching high and low for a cake recipe that was free of eggs (she’s allergic), wheat, and refined sugar, this one arrived in my mailbox just in time! Because the dry ingredients are blended down to a meal, she was able to eat it with the few teeth she has. A perfect special occasion treat for small children!

This was absolutely amazing. I’m not vegan but would consider it if I could find recipes like this for all my favourite things! I’ll be telling my family to give this a try ;-)

Thanks

I made this the other day for dessert to share with a co-worker! It is delish and feels so healthy putting it into my body. Pairs really well as dessert after your recipe for The Best Vegan Enchiladas from your cookbook. They WERE the best! And so is this cake! I’m obsessed with your recipes!

This recipe is delicious! I made this cake and took it to work and my colleagues devoured the whole cake in less than an hour (I think a few people had seconds!)
All the flavours blend together so nicely. Everyone was so surprised there was no refined sugar, and it just had dates etc. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe – will be making this one again soon. :)

As always, it was delicious. My very much not vegan husband even suggested that we make it for our daughter’s birthday party. Safe to say it was a hit!

I loved this recipe. Made it last night for our Halloween lunch today. Not only it was a hit but I feel like this was the best Raw cake I’ve made. I made little changes but nothing major, and the cream “cheese” AMAZING. As usual, your recipes are great and I would just like to say Thank you!

All your recipes just work and this is another fantastic one. Made it last night for dessert for the family and was a hit with them all. Served with raspberries and a dollop of ice cream for my husband. So healthy – makes you feel good inside after eating. Thank you – keep those yummy recipes coming.