This is the Best Vegan Carrot Cake you’ll try! The spices are spot on, it’s incredibly moist, fluffy texture and super simple and easy to make!
VEGAN CARROT CAKE
I couldn’t believe how delicious this vegan carrot cake turned out! I imagine you will all love it as much as my vegan lemon cake! It is so perfectly moist, yet still fluffy and soft and made without any added oil. I promise you this cake tastes incredibly high fat, but is oil-free (minus the frosting, of course).
The secrets to this wonderfully moist and rich tasting and easy carrot cake is the combo of applesauce and molasses. The molasses is key here. Not only does it provide great depth of flavor, it also add incredible richness and moisture.
With the exception of the frosting, this oil-free vegan carrot cake itself is also refined sugar-free. So it is a much more healthy carrot cake than you’d typically see, but tastes ever bit indulgent, I assure you!
If you do not absolutely need gluten-free, please make this cake asap. But for those needing gluten-free, that version is coming!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
For this healthy vegan carrot cake, you’ll need to gather all the plant-based ingredients. All of them are easy and simple to find.
- Regular white all-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
- Salt
- Pure maple syrup
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract
- Carrots
- Walnuts: optional
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN CARROT CAKE
Step 1: To a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 2: To a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Step 3. To another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients and whisk well.
Step 4: Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just mixed. Do not overmix. Add the batter to a square 8×8 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick spray.
Step 5: Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out completely clean from the center. Mine was perfect at 34 minutes. It should be a gorgeous golden color, as pictured, risen well and smelling fabulous!
Cool the cake 1-2 hours minimum until completely cool before frosting.
CARROT CAKE FROSTING
I chose to use my delicious vegan vanilla buttercream frosting. I know a lot of people like the classic cream cheese frosting, so if you like, I’d suggest replacing the milk called for in my buttercream frosting with lemon juice instead to give it a tang.
MORE VEGAN CAKE RECIPES
- Vegan Gingerbread Cake
- Easy 7 Ingredient Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Funfetti Birthday Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Best Vegan Carrot Cake (Oil-free)
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (224g) regular all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup (240g) pure maple syrup
- 3/4 cup (180g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons (40g) regular (not blackstrap) Grandma's brand molasses. You can find this brand at most grocery stores and places like Walmart, Target, etc.
- 4 teaspoons (20g) apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) shredded carrots
- optional: crushed walnuts for topping on the frosting
- FROSTING: See directions below
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, This is exactly how this recipe was tested, so follow my grams. Since we all measure differently, weighing ingredients is so important. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessons room for error. You never need cups or to compare them to the weights, just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- To a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Whisk very well.
- To another large bowl, combine the syrup, applesauce, molasses, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients, add the carrots and then use a large spoon (not a whisk!) to gently fold the ingredients from the bottom together until just mixed. Do not overmix. The batter will be fairly thick, but smooth. Do not be tempted to add more liquid, as the cake is very moist.
- Add the batter into the prepared dish and gently smooth out the top with the back of the spoon.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out completely clean from the center. Mine was perfect at 34 minutes. This cake is very moist, so you do not want to remove it until the toothpick is totally clean! It should be a gorgeous golden color, as pictured, risen well and smelling fabulous!
- Cool the cake 1-2 hours minimum until completely cool before frosting.
- I chose to use my delicious vegan vanilla buttercream frosting. I know a lot of people like the classic cream cheese frosting, so if you like, I'd suggest replacing the milk called for (1 tablespoono) in my buttercream frosting with lemon juice instead to give it a tang.
Tastes good, plenty sweet. Baked 37 minutes, toothpick came out clean but center isn’t completely done. After thought after it had cooled I put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Maybe a 9 x 9 pan next time or go for 45-50 minutes I baking time. Fun recipe to try. I used my scale to weigh ingredients.
Do you think this would work with light spelt flour. I just made your cinnamon muffins…AMAZING!!!
Very good! I used the Forks Over Knives vanilla bean frosting (basically dates, cashews and vanilla extract). Turned out great! Thanks Brandi, as always.
So glad to hear this Mark!
I made this recipe and subbed the apple sauce with crushed pineapple which turned out delicious. I did notice that the cupcakes had a baking soda flavor. It seems like a lot of baking soda for such a small batch of cake. Anyways it still turned out great! No one seemed to notice, but I will try it with flax eggs next time or maybe just vinegar and see how that rises. Thanks for another delicious recipe Brandi! <3
Hi Molly, so glad it was delicious! I’ve not had mine ever taste strong of baking soda or heard this feedback before. I’m wondering since you made it different with pineapple than the called-for applesauce, maybe that had an effect. I would definitely try it as written too because the applesauce gives a lovely flavor to the carrot cake flavor and spices. I don’t know about flax eggs, the cake works perfectly with the applesauce, the flax may make it more dense. Are you allergic to applesauce…since it seems you are wanting to sub it…
This is delicious!! I didn’t see a GF version, so I decided to sub out the flour with King Arthur GF measure for measure flour, and it worked wonderfully! I did use your gram weights to ensure success – thanks so much for providing those! The only other change I made was to add 1 teaspoon of baking powder. This is seriously my new favorite cake! Even my husband loved it and he normally doesn’t like gluten-free baked goods. Thanks Brandi for a wonderful recipe!
It came out smelling delicious but taste -wise it needs more of the spices to be like a traditional spiced carrot cake. Still a good base recipe for an oil free cake. Definitely would use it again.
Hi Lisa! Hmmm, did you add all the spices I list because this is a very well spiced cake. It calls for a good amount of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. In fact, it calls for more than traditional carrot cakes and taste perfectly spiced to me. You can always add more spices though if you like it extra heavy on the spices!
Going to try to double this and make ut a double layer cake! Wish me luck!
This has become my favorite cake! Always moist and delicious . It’s worth every ingredient.
Hi
Thank you for the recipe. Just wanted to say that conversion from cups to grams are completely wrong.
What? No, they are not wrong. This is my recipe I created, tested and weighed. My grams are exactly what I use to weigh and test my recipes. I’ve done it this way for many years. Everybody measures with cups differently, which is why I list my gram weights and strongly suggest to make the recipe following them. Follow my gram weights for accurate results as indicated under NOTE.
I just discovered your amazing recipes. Amazing! I’ve made the coffee chocolate chip muffins and cornbread. The best gluten free, egg free baked goods I’ve ever made. I’d love to make gluten free egg free carrot cake for this Thanksgiving. Just checking to see if you’ve perfected a gluten free version? Please 😉
This is the most amazing recipe! I have made it so many times for birthdays and holidays, and make them into muffins too. So so good!
This was great. Soon to be a regular favorite
What would the gf opinions be? Could I sun apple sauce for banana?
I have not tested this with banana or gluten-free, so I really don’t know.
This carrot cake is so delicious! I’m not a vegan and do indulge in the butter/oil/sugar/egg laden treats occasionally and this cake is still awesome! Quick to prepare and perfectly spiced, I tossed in some raisins to suit our taste preference but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Moist and just lovely. Will be making on repeat, thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
Absolutely delicious. I added crystallized ginger and topped it with a cream cheese frosting. I can’t wait to make this cake again.