Vegan Carrot Cake Gluten Free Recipe

What’s your favorite cake? I have a few favorites and carrot cake is definitely one of them. Not only is a vegan carrot cake delicious, but it’s also quite healthy and my recipe is even gluten-free. Carrots contain lots of beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant and so good for us. Carrots make the cake moist, they add a nice orange color and some sweetness. Do you know anyone who doesn’t like a delicious carrot cake? I love it when it’s a little under-baked and super gooey! This gluten-free carrot cake stays fresh and soft in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, maybe even longer, but I always end up eating it sooner, haha.

Carrot Cake Ingredients

You don’t need a food processor or blender to make this vegan carrot cake. All you need is a large bowl, a grater (for the carrots), and the following main ingredients:

Gluten-free flour mix: I used a combination of white rice flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour. You can use brown rice flour instead of white rice flour. Sorghum flour might work as well. If you don’t have tapioca flour, you could use cornstarch or arrowroot flour. I wouldn’t recommend subbing the coconut flour. Ground almonds (almond flour): You can use any other ground nuts (e.g. hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, etc.) instead of ground almonds. Use desiccated coconut for a nut-free version. Spice mix: I chose cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. They add a wonderful flavor to the carrot cake. Carrots: They should be finely grated. Canned coconut milk: You can use full-fat coconut milk (can shaken) or lite coconut milk. If you don’t like the taste of coconut, I would suggest using your favorite plant-based milk with the addition of 3 tablespoons of oil. Maple syrup: Any other liquid sweetener like brown rice syrup, agave syrup, etc. is fine. Coconut oil: Can be replaced with canola oil. Chia eggs: Great as an egg replacement. You will need to mix ground chia seeds and water. Ground flax seeds should be fine too. Sugar-free frosting: For the frosting, I simply mixed powdered Erythritol (you can use icing sugar) with a little lime juice and plant-based milk.

A complete list of ingredients with measurements and nutrition facts (carrot cake calories etc.) is in the printable recipe card below.

How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake?

STEP 1: Make the chia “eggs” first. Simply mix the ground chia seeds and water with a whisk in a small bowl, set aside for 5 minutes. Also, finely grate the carrots. Line a loaf pan (or use an 8-inch springform) with parchment paper or grease it with a little coconut oil. My loaf pan measures 8x4x3 inches (20x10x7.5 cm). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

STEP 2: Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk until there are no lumps. Then, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is combined.

STEP 3: Finally, add the carrots and mix everything with a spatula. Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan.

STEP 4: Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes. The cake is ready when it has some cracks on top and a toothpick, inserted into the center, comes out clean (some attached crumbs are fine). If you use a small loaf pan, that is deep the baking time might be even 60 minutes. If you use a shallow pan the cake might be done after 40 minutes. STEP 5: Once the cake has completely cooled, process the Erythritol in an electric spice/coffee grinder until it’s very fine like icing sugar. Put it into a small bowl and add dairy-free milk and lime juice (or lemon juice). Mix with a whisk until the icing is smooth. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of lime/lemon juice. If it’s too thin, add more of the Erythritol. Spread the icing on the carrot cake and decorate with nuts or seeds.

Tips And Variations

Make carrot cake muffins: You can make carrot cake muffins instead of a loaf. Simply add the batter to a muffin pan with paper liners. Bake for only 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You can also use a bundt cake pan to make a carrot bundt cake. Storing: Store cake leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the carrot cake and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frosting: If you want a creamy frosting, simply use vegan cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar/Erythritol and a little lime juice. You can also decorate the cake with marzipan.

Should you give this vegan carrot cake recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I would love to see it! ????