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This Raw Vegan Carrot Cake is made with healthy ingredients, and comes together in a food processor. The carrot cake base is sticky and sweet and packed with delicious textures, topped with a creamy coconut frosting!
What is a raw cake?
A raw cake is a no-bake cake that is free from gluten, dairy, eggs and refined sugars. These cakes are generally made with a mix of nuts, nut flours and dried fruits, and alternative sweeteners to sugar such as maple syrup and agave nectar!
Even though this cake is made with healthy ingredients, it is still filled with fats, (natural) sugars and carbs.
If you’re looking for more carrot cake recipes, check out these Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Carrot Cake Overnight Oats or these raw Carrot Cake Energy Balls!
Ingredients in this recipe
- Walnuts: A classic ingredient in any carrot cake, walnuts are the base of the raw carrot cake.
- Coconut (shredded, milk, and oil): This recipe uses shredded coconut in the cake, and coconut milk and coconut oil in the frosting! It offers a natural sweetness, as well as a source of healthy fats.
- Almond flour: Almond flour helps to bind the carrot cake together. However, you can substitute this with more walnuts if needed.
- Spices (Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg): These three spices will help give this dessert that classic carrot cake flavour!
- Orange zest: Optional, but recommended to brighten up the sweet flavours.
- Vanilla: Used both in the cake and frosting to warm up the flavours.
- Medjool dates: Make sure to use medjool dates, as you want them to be sticky to hold the base together!
- Carrots: It wouldn’t be a carrot cake without them!
- Cashews: These make up the base of the frosting. Use raw unsalted cashews for the best flavour and texture.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice gives the frosting that slightly tart flavour like cream cheese.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that will sweeten the frosting.
How to make this Raw Carrot Cake
Mix the walnuts, coconut, almond flour, spices, orange zest and vanilla together in a food processor until crumbly. Then, add the Medjool dates and puree them together. The mixture should be sticky when you press it between your fingers!
Next, add the carrots and pulse just to combine. Then, add the mixture to an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the fridge to set.
To make the frosting, blend the cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and salt together until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture over the carrot cake, and place the pan in the fridge for 4 hours to set.
Optionally top your bars off with walnuts, orange zest, shredded coconut or whatever you like!
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Use Medjool dates for best results. If your dates are a bit dry, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to rehydrate them, and then drain them.
- Don’t overprocess the mixture. You want it to be crumbly in the food processor, but not form into a ball.
- Make sure to use full-fat coconut cream. You just want to scoop the creamy part off the top of the can! Leave the water behind.
- If your frosting seems grainy, keep blending! It can take a good 5 minutes for the cashew cream to become rich and creamy.
More raw desserts to try
If you tried this Raw Vegan Carrot Cake or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Raw Vegan Carrot Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Raw Vegan Carrot Cake is made with healthy ingredients and requires no baking!
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp orange zest (or lemon zest)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Cashew cream cheese frosting
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
- 3/4 cup coconut full-fat coconut milk (just the cream from the top of the can)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the walnuts, shredded coconut, almond flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, orange zest and vanilla extract to a food processor and pulse until crumbly.
- Then add the the dates and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like a crumbly dough. (It should feel sticky when you press it between your fingers.)
- Add the carrots and pulse just to mix the carrots in.
- Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper then scoop the carrot cake dough into the pan spreading it out evenly. Place in the fridge to set.
- Blend all the cashew cream cheese frosting ingredients together in a food processor or high-speed blender, scraping down the sides as needed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. (This may take 4-5 minutes.)
- Pour the mixture into the pan spreading out evenly, then place in the fridge to set for 4 hours.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Use Medjool dates for best results. If your dates are a bit dry, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes then drain them to rehydrate them.
Don’t overprocess the mixture. You want it to be crumbly in the food processor, but not form into a ball.
If you’re mixture isn’t binding together, Add a few more dates.
Make sure to use full-fat coconut cream. You just want to scoop the creamy part off the top of the can.
If your frosting seems grainy, keep blending! It can take a good 5 minutes for the cashew cream to become rich and creamy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/18th of recipe
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 21g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
Amazing recipe!! My fiancé and I made this dessert for my birthday dinner with friends, and It was a big success! Absolutely delicious!
So happy you both enjoyed it!
do you think i can substitute the cashews for something else? like walnuts for example
Hi Leena! You can use any type of nuts that work for you
So far so good! The unchilled version tastes amazing – not sure I can wait the 4 hours!!!
Quick Q – I’ve ended up with a lot of extra frosting – does it freeze well, do you know?
Happy you enjoy the recipe! And yes, these freeze very well! You can store them in a container or a freezer bag.
Hi there! Are there any other nuts/ingredients we can sub for the walnuts?
Hi Amanda, you could use pecans or almonds instead!
You used a ginger in your recept, did you mean fresh ginger or powder ?
Hi Paula, I use powder but you can use either if you prefer fresh!
The perfect recipe for an healthy snack ?
Thank you so much Jessica ?
Your welcome Claudia! So happy you loved the recipe 🙂
How do you cut the squares so neat like the pictures?
Hi Zainab, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it down between each cut
Carrot cake has always been my favorite, yet I’d never tried a raw vegan version of it. That is, until I came across this recipe! Not only is this extremely easy to follow, it’s perfectly light and it tastes amazing! Between the flavor, the texture and the wholesome ingredients, I’m slightly obsessed! My non-vegan family members loved it the same!
Thanks for the review Kala, so happy you loved the recipe and that your non-vegan family members did too! 🙂
Okay I am low key OBSESSED with that frosting- just genius! This whole recipe is brilliant, Jess! And absolutely beautifully shot 🙂
Thanks so much Britt 🙂
Loved it and so easy to make!
Thanks a lot for sharing ✨??✨
Thanks for the review Betina, so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂