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.
Carrot Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 8 to 10 (or makes 12 muffins) 1x
Ingredients
- 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)
Instructions
- 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 Vanilla or Lemon Frosting.
Notes
If you’d like 12 cupcakes or muffins, bake in a muffin pan with parchment paper liners at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
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).
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 recipe, 1 piece
- Calories: 187
- Sugar: 17.3g
- Sodium: 18mg
- Fat: 5.7g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7g
- Carbohydrates: 32.9g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 4.7g
- Cholesterol: 0
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 Vanilla or Lemon Frosting. Makes 10 to 12 donuts.
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). 🙂
Hi,if replacing with a GF option that is already flour(as opposed to flakes ) would you still use 1 3/4 cups? It looks delicious !
Yes. 🙂
Thanks!
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. 🙂
I happened to find parchment paper liners and they didn't stick at all. These are absolutely freakin' delicious! Wow!
I cut 3 or 4 " square parchment paper and put in cupcake pan with a glass or jar.
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.
Made this in an 8X8 pan lined with parchment paper. Baked it for 55 minutes, as it seemed too wet to take it out of the oven at 45 minutes. Cooled it in the pan on a rack -- when cut, it was very gooey and pretty much inedible. Could that possible be the result of not taking it out of the pan? Or did I grind the oats too long in the blender? Very sad, as we had looked forward to a nice treat.
Hi Carolyn, I'm sorry to hear this. 🙁 It sounds like your leavening powders may be old (baking powder, soda). I would try it with new ones, grinding the oats a bit less, and taking it out to cool sooner. Most of my baked goods will be moist right after baking (which is why I don't use the toothpick test), and do best when completely cooled before serving/cutting (since I don't use oil or butter or other fats). A metal baking pan will also bake this up a little firmer/less moist than a ceramic or silicone pan, which don't conduct heat quite as well. Good luck!
My six year old and I made this today. We love it! Your recipes are a great way for us to teach our children that treats can come in a healthy form. We're having the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow :).
Yay! 😉
HI Cathy! I just made your carrot cake recipe as muffins! Super delicious ! I do have a question regarding the vanilla frosting as pictured in your cookbook. When I made it... it was tan colored. How did you get yours so white? I followed instructions exactly as written. Thank you!
The photo lighting probably made it look a little lighter. Very thoroughly blending helps, using raw cashews helps, and I've also heard of people blanching their dates to remove the skins (although I've not tried this).
Hi Cathy!! I made this today and it was absolutely delicious. The icing came out perfect and incredibly yummy. Based on a suggestion that I overheard in one of your cooking classes, I added a little shredded coconut ... maybe 2 tablespoons and I used 1/3rd of a whole vanilla bean.
I love your cookbook!!! Thank you for making it so much easier to follow this lifestyle!
Best,
Julia
That's great! Thanks for the comment, Julia! 😉
I agree! Made this for my birthday and my husband and I were blown away! So so wonderful. Thank you so much!
These were absolutely delicious and the best looking cupcake I've ever made!
My daughter made me this delicious cake with the vanilla cashew frosting for my birthday. She served it with sugar free So Delicious vanilla bean ice cream and assorted fruits. Everyone really liked it. 🙂
Can I use oat flour instead of grinding my own? And if so is the measurement the same?
You probably can; I have not tried it, but it shouldn't be too far off. 🙂
Pearl Pearlman here wishing i could bake for Jewish HOliday of Passover beginning Friday 30 th of
March for one week and cooking regularly for Passover is all meats chichen oil etc. Who has a recipe log for Passover desserts and plant based foods step by step too.
Hi, I have no idea, but maybe search online for "vegan Passover food" and see what comes up. 🙂
Wow my husband said this was the best recipe for carrot cake I had ever cooked in 44 years🤗 my daughter forgot the cupcakes for our grand daughters birthday so I shared my carrot cake muffins with lemon icing with them. I had iced them and they froze well icedvas well. Thanks this makes no sugar, salt and oil so much easier to dd. Been one month no sugar salt or oil and weaning off the meat slowly. Thanks again JoAnn
I have made this cake every weekend for the past month. And it is so fantastic with the date frosting! My non-vegan co-workers love it! Since I ues the Vitamix blender, I just thew all of the ingredients in and vola, all blended and no need to make flour out of the oats. Then I hand stirred in the non blended items. No mess all done in the Vitamix. I did follow the 15 minutes of soaking. I learned a quick method to soak cashews and dates in hot water. So I microwaved the water for 2 minutes. I believe the Vitamix is the only blender that can blend hot water. I would not try this in other blenders. Bon appetite!
This is so good! I made it into muffins and didn’t use frosting. I can’t believe how sweet it tastes. I will definitely be making these again and again.
Hi, I’m about to make this delicious treat and want to do lemon frosting. Do I still put the vanilla in the frosting or is it substituted with the lemon?
You could do either really, but I think I usually do the lemon instead of the vanilla. 🙂
It doesn’t seem like the cake would have as much fat as stated with only plant milk, oats and small amount of walnuts. Does the fat and calorie content include frosting?
It includes nuts but not frosting. I double checked the nutrient breakdown and it is correct. The calories are mostly from the following (greatest to least): oats, walnuts, raisins, dates, and soy milk. (The recipe does not break out fat by ingredient, as it does with calories.)
Love all your recipes, Cathy! Subbing 1/4 cup applesauce for the 1/2 banana should be fine, or? Thank you!
Thanks Susi! 🙂 I'd opt for the banana first, since it's less wet. This is a pretty moist cake.
Do you think I can use the carrot pulp after juicing carrots or will it be too dry?
I wouldn't; it would be too dry likely, and it also will have all the flavor juiced out of it. If you still want to try, you could make muffins and do 1/4 or 1/2 the batch using the carrot pulp.
Thanks Cathy. That's what I was thinking also but wondered when you said it was a moist batter.
We are eating this by a fire wow Cathy this is sooooooo good Thank you for all you do. xo Everything recipe i have made from you has been so on point !
Yay! Thanks Nancy! 😉
OMG! Outstanding! Made it with the lemon frosting. I’m hoping my husband doesn’t eat the entire cake tonight. Every one of your recipes is amazing. Thank you!
Thanks Nancy! 😉
Hi, Cathy! I made this today and it is the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! This is a cake for savoring. Thank you for another winner! 🙂
Thanks Carol! 😉
Hi! I have failed before using a cup measurement in cooking (because in Europe we use grams), so can you please give me how to calculate the cup in your recipes🙏☺️ Thanks!
Hi Eve, you can use this page as a reference for converting measurements. 🙂
This cake was delicious! I baked it in a 9" X 9" pan because that is what I have and decreased the baking time by 10 minutes. It turned out perfectly - moist and delicious! I also made the vanilla frosting - wonderful for a topping! I may cut that recipe in half next time as I didn't need all of it.
One other minor correction - the sodium listed is 18 mg./serving but with 2 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda, my calculation came out to 208 mg. per 1/10th of the cake. I'm thinking that 18 mg. was a typo? It's not a deal breaker for me as this is a treat, not an everyday dessert, but it could be problematic for some.
Thank you so much for your recipes!
Thanks Jean! 🙂 The sodium is because it's figured with sodium-free baking powder and soda, since this is an SOS-free blog/recipes.
I can’t eat banana. Is there anything I can substitute?
You can just leave it out, or use 1/4 cup applesauce. 🙂
Do the muffins freeze ok? Can you freeze them with the frosting on? Or should I freeze them without the frosting?
Yes, very well. I would freeze them w/o the frosting (although I've never tried with it, hmm; could work, not sure). 🙂
I made these muffins along with the cashew cream frosting. They both have just the right amount of sweetness without being icky sweet. Will be making these again for non vegan company this weekend. Super recipe. Thank you for making the cookbook.
Thanks Patrick! 😉
OMG!!! This cake and frosting was yummy!!! This is my first compliant dessert and you made it so easy for me to follow. I made it for a friend’s mom’s 92 year old birthday. Now looking forward to trying the Split Pea and Yam Soup. Thanks Cathy!
Thanks Carola! 🙂 Ooh, love that soup!
I chose to make cupcakes instead of a cake and they turned out beautifully. The texture and moistness was perfect. I will make these again, but I'll eliminate the cloves (which I had already reduced) and use half as much nutmeg. The cloves were overpowering, we thought. But, still, a wonderful recipe. Thank you!
Definitely making these… wish the recipe was for fewer cupcakes so I don’t eat a dozen all by myself!!! They look amazing!
Hi Alisha, you can cut the recipe in half if you like; I've done this. 🙂 They also freeze well.
I used to make carrot cake in two 8 inch round pans, and do a two layer cake with frosting in the middle. Would this be possible with this recipe, or would I need to double the ingredients?
Hmm, I think I would use this recipe as is and bake in 2 rounds (so thinner layers), or do 1.5 times the recipe and do this. I made it once as a two-layer/2x the recipe, and it was too heavy, since it's just a heavy cake anyway. And so the frosting didn't hold up well between the two layers.
I think I'll try 2 six inch layers for my birthday. It's not like we're having a big gathering. Its my go-to cake for celebrations.
This carrot cake is wonderful! My husband can’t have any sugar but really has a sweet tooth. I made this into muffins. He loved them. They are moist and sweet. Thanks!
Thanks Arleen! 😉
I made this recipe after seeing you make it with Chef AJ on May 11,2020. It turned out delicious. It did not leaven at all. When I make it again I am going to leave out the baking soda which did nothing. I will use the baking powder even though they were the exact same height when they came out as when they went in. My baking powder is new. I baked it as muffins and donuts. Thank you for the recipe I will be making this regularly. I also made the cashew frosting but just used powdered sugar. It was thin but really good.
It doesn't really rise much, but it should still be cooked through after cooling. 🙂
Cathy, I’ve been craving Carrot Cake, but whenever I see a recipe and look at the large amount of oil, I just won’t do it. Found your recipe and like others of yours I have tried, it is a great recipe and the spicing was so good.
I used a topping that was like a sauce but similar to your cashew frosting. It did great. Sometimes you just need something sweet to finish off a meal that is “compliant”.
Thanks!
Marie
Thanks Marie! 😉
This is really good! I didn't use the frosting. The second and third days are even better!! Great recipe. I froze the rest so I can take some out a little at a time and have it as a special treat. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Thanks Dawn! 🙂 I just froze some cake with the frosting, and it froze and thawed really well. I wasn't sure the frosting would hold up, but it did. 🙂
If I don’t have dates, could I substitute with dried apricots or pear? That’s what I have in my pantry?
You can, but it won't be as sweet; dates are very high naturally in sugar. You could try a half batch with apricots or pear and see if you like the result instead of doing a whole batch. 🙂
I made this cake following Cathy's recent cooking demonstration with Chef AJ. It was so easy to make and very delicious. I am not the most experienced baker but this could not have been easier. Thank you, Cathy. Just saw your note above about freezing the cake with the frosting. That's great news because I froze a lot of it without the frosting. For the frosting I will probably use less dates next time and more lemon. Best wishes to you.
Thanks for the comment, Nirvano! 😉
This is a great cake. I have friends and family with allergies and its great to know there is a cake I can make that we can all celebrate with. Thanks for a brilliant recipe.
Made the carrot cake. Has been a HUGE hit with the family. Thank you for sharing. I skipped the frosting.
Oh good! Thanks Bujji! 🙂
What provides the acid to react with the baking soda & baking powder to create rising? I just baked this & it is flat as a pancake & took over an hour to cook.
Hi Ellie, I made this recipe so long ago, and wasn't thinking of acid/alkaline balance, so I guess there isn't one. But back then I tried it with just soda, with just powder and then different amounts of both, and came up with these amounts, which has worked great (judging by most of the comments and feedback). It is a dense cake and will not rise much, but it still should be cooked all the way through (cut/serve only after completely cooling). If you are finding that yours is not, I would get some new leavening (powder and soda) in case yours is old. Beyond this, I find metal pans are slightly better for baked goods (compared to ceramic or silicone). You could also try it with store-bought oat flour, which will give you finer flour, and thus might rise a little easier. Hope this helped. Try it again; muffins are good too! 🙂
I’m interested in making your recipe as donuts. Would you have a specific brand name recommendation for purchasing a silicone donut pan? Thanks!
Hi Ray, I do not. I think any silicone pan would work. 🙂 I only have a metal nonstick donut pan.
Thank you!
These are the best carrot cake muffins I ever had. I had to restrain my husband from eating them all at once. I love your recipes. Everything I have made from your cookbook has turned out excellent and I appreciate the fact that they are sos free. Thank you❣️
Thank you so much, Rose! 🙂
I made these as cupcakes and they were delicious! I froze 4 and they thawed out perfectly. This is my husbands favorite desert but I haven't been able to find a recipe without tons of sugar until now. I will make the cake version for his birthday, he's so excited!
That's great! 🙂 Thanks Melinda!
Hi Cathy,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I know it's an oldie, but it's a goodie. I made it as cupcakes over the weekend and my family loved it. I am thinking of making it again for a birthday party this Friday and I have a couple questions, thank you in advance!
- how do you think this would work as two 6 inch cakes with a layer of frosting in between?
- how do you think it would work to use full fat coconut milk for the milk? I used oat milk for the cupcakes but the birthday party doesn't care about low fat and I thought using coconut milk could make it feel more like a traditional cake?
Thank you so much!
Hi Natalie, I tried this cake once as a 2-layer cake and found it to be too heavy (the cake) and the frosting could not hold up between the layers (since there's not saturated fat in it). RE the coconut milk, I think it will make it too moist; but if you do use some, maybe only 2-3 T?? Let us know how it goes! 😉
Hi Cathy,
I made this recipe for Valentine's Day and my family loved it. I plan to make it in a bundt cake pan next week for a birthday. My family is requesting pineapple be added and no nuts this time. Any suggestions on how/how much pineapple to add and should I double the recipe to fit the pan? Also, oven temp/time? Thanks!! Love your website and cookbook.❤
Susan
Hi Susan, I'm not sure this recipe would work in a bundt pan, although have never tried it. Bundts are really tall, so I'd be worried that this already dense cake might not cook all the way though, especially with the added wetness of pineapple. You could look at instructions for recipes of fruit cake to see how they bake such a tall but dense cake. Maybe the solution is to bake at low temp (325F) covered for longer?? A "cheater" way to do it might be to just bake a short/single recipe's worth in the bundt then separately a round cake layer, then put the bundt on top of the round cake before frosting. This way you'll assure that it gets cooked through. Make sure your bundt is nonstick; even with this, I would worry it would stick w/o any oil on the pan. Hmm, tricky! Good luck! Let us know how it goes. 🙂
Thanks Cathy, for answering my question about the bundt pan. I think I may just use one of your original suggestions of an 8 x 8, loaf or cupcakes and make my life easier 😉 About the pineapple though, how much should I add? Do I need to adjust any of the dry ingredients to accommodate the added pineapple? Thanks!!
I would hold back on some of the nondairy milk to make room for the pineapple, then add any more milk gradually. Or maybe 1/2 cup in place of the raisins, if it's drained?? 🙂
Hi Cathy, Can I replace some of or part of the milk with soda water to make it rise? Or any other suggestion? Thank You.
Hmm, not sure, as I've not done that before. But if you try it and it works, let me know. 🙂 Everything in this cake is heavy, so it's not going to rise much.
I made this today with the vanilla frosting and it was so good!! Thank you for sharing all of these delicious recipes!!!
You're so welcome, Beth! 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I have date syrup but not dates. Can it still work for recipe? If so, how much syrup is equivalent?
Hi Lauren, I've never used date syrup, but I looked online and found this guideline: "Start by subbing a teaspoon and a half of date syrup per regular sized date (such as a Deglet) or 1 tablespoon of date syrup per Medjool as they are much larger." Since date syrup is more toward liquid, you may want to decrease the amount of nondairy milk as well, then add more as needed to reach a batter consistency while mixing everything together.
Thank u! I will try and let u know if works
I made these as muffins and they are so delicious that they don't even need the frosting!! Thank you for another great recipe!!