I make this hearty Carrot Cake recipe more than any other dessert since it’s a hit with everyone! I usually make it as an 8×8-inch, one-layer square cake, but see Notes for instructions on baking muffins, a loaf or as baked donuts.
- 1½ cups nondairy milk
- 4 ounces pitted dates (7 to 8 Medjools or 14 to 16 Deglet Noor), chopped
- ½ very ripe banana, sliced
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
- 1¾ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1½ cups grated carrots (2 to 3 medium)
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 ounces walnuts, chopped (about ½ cup; optional)
- Vanilla or Lemon Frosting (optional; see recipe below)
- Place the nondairy milk, dates, banana, ¼ cup raisins, and vanilla into a small bowl, and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the dates can soften).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Grind the oats into flour with a blender. Transfer to a medium bowl, and whisk in the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Place the milk, dates, banana, raisins, and vanilla in the blender, and blend until smooth.
- Stir the date mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Fold in the grated carrots, ½ cup raisins, and walnuts (if using).
- Spoon the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is medium brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving plain or with frosting.
To bake a standard loaf, decrease the milk by ½ cup, line a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, and bake at 325°F for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is medium brown. Let cool completely before serving.
To bake as donuts, see the instructions below (under the photo of the frosted donut).
- 5 ounces pitted dates (8 to 9 Medjool or 16 to 18 Deglet Noor), chopped
- 3 ounces raw, unsalted cashews (about ¾ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
- ¾ to 1 cup water
- Place the dates, cashews, and vanilla into a blender. Add ¾ cup of water. If the water doesn’t completely cover the dates and nuts, add more just until it does. Set aside for at least 45 minutes (so the dates and nuts can thoroughly soften).
- Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides a couple times. If your blender has a tamper, you may want to use it. (Add a little more water if the mixture becomes too thick to blend.)
For firmer frosting, chill for a couple hours before using.
Above: To make baked donuts, spoon batter into a non-stick donut pan, filling to the top and smoothing batter flat. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If you press on the cake lightly and it bounces back a bit (instead of staying indented), it’s likely ready. These continue to set up as they cool.
Cool for 5-7 minutes before removing the donuts from the pan (if left in too long it will be hard to get the donuts out). Using a fork or knife, gently go around the donuts (outside and inner circle) to loosen them from the pan. Even though we’re using a non-stick pan, we are not using any oil so we need to help them out a bit. After loosening the edges, invert onto a cutting board (shake a bit if still not coming out the first time) and let cool at least 5-10 minutes more before serving plain or with frosting. Makes 10 to 12 donuts.
Please click here to visit my Amazon kitchen store with all my favorite products (appliances, pans, kitchen tools, food items, and books). When you make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase and your support!
very good! Thank you ; a keeper
A terrific nut substitution is Macadamia for every nut in this recipe. Its flavor melds well with both carrot and vanilla. And its Omega 3 profile is healthier than an any other nut.
Ener-g makes a sodium free baking soda. I haven’t used it yet…looking for it…maybe Whole Foods?
I was asked to bring a carrot cake for family Christmas dinner. You are my ‘go-to’ chef and I found this. I doubled this recipe and baked it in a bundt pan. Oh my goodness, not only did everyone (I’m the only plant-based eater) LOVE it, but I went home without having any extra! It was all eaten that night. Cathy, this is really yummy and I thank you for all of your healthy and fabulous recipes that I (and others!) enjoy so much. Hope you had a wonderful holiday season!
Yay! 🙂 Thank you Kathleen!
Kathy, if using oat flour, will the amount be the same? And if I want to double this recipe (thinking about making a 2-layer cake), is there anything that needs to be done differently? I’m not a baker so I do apologize for the silly questions ^_^. Thank you in advance!
Ground oat flour is the same measurement as whole rolled oats. I think just doubling the recipe is fine. If you’re concerned, just make two separate bowls of batter, one for each layer. 🙂
Thank you so much! I can’t wait to make this for my husband’s birthday next Mon! =D
Cathy, I just ate 9 carrot muffins. 9. Yikes, hurts so good. These are absolutely amazing! Perfection! 🙂 I think I better reserve any of your baked goods for birthday and Christmas alone or I’m in trouble!
Hi Cathy 🙂
Cant wait to try the carrot cake – what does 1-3/4 cups mean? 1 or 3/4 cups or 1+3/4 cups?
Thanks 🙂
– Maria
One cup plus 3/4 cup. 😉
How long will the vanilla frosting keep in the fridge?
It’s nut-based, so I wouldn’t keep it too long; maybe up to 5 days?? 🙂
Made this for my mums birthday. Really good carrot cake. And also really easy. Thank you very much
Hi Cathy,
What would you substitute for the oats (for those with an oat and gluten allergy)? Thanks, looks wonderful.
Any kind of flour would likely work fine; many use quinoa flakes (I’ve not tried this). 🙂
With no oil how do they not stick to the paper cupcake liners?
I’ve found regular paper liners to be inconsistent; some stick and some don’t. So just to be safe you can use parchment paper liners. 🙂
Made this tonight in an 8 inch square pan. Absolutely delicious, moist and spicy. I must say I used the shred holes on my grater not the small ones for grating and it turned out fine.