Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

This vegan gluten-free carrot cake is a 1-bowl recipe which means it’s super simple. It’s perfectly moist, sweet, decadent and light at the same time. Carrot cake is truly the perfect spring dessert. If you need a healthy dessert for Passover, Easter or to simply make to enjoy for fun, this carrot cake is going to be your new favorite treat to make.

Recipe Details:

  • Made with almond flour + gluten-free all purpose flour: almond flour is a great gluten-free flour to mix with gluten-free all purpose flour because it helps to make the baked good not as dense. The fat content is in almond flour also helps to make this carrot cake moist
  • 3-ingredient cream cheese frosting: this vegan gluten-free carrot cake is paired with dairy-free cream cheese frosting you can make in two minutes. All you need is maple syrup, vegan cream cheese and vanilla extract.
  • No processed sugar: the recipe only uses coconut sugar, a great lower glycemic sugar than white sugar
  • 1-bowl: made in 1-bowl, this recipe has a very easy clean-up. Simply add the wet ingredients first, then the dry ingredients, then mix. Once combined, add in the carrots.

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix all of the wet ingredients together in a bowl, then add the dry ingredients.

2. Add in shredded carrots, then combine the batter. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper to prevent any sticking. Grease the loaf pan if you don’t have any parchment paper.

3. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

How do you make the cream cheese frosting?

4. Once the carrot cake is fully cooled (about 2 hours), add the homemade cream cheese frosting on top. You need cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Just mix it it until combined and spread on top!

5. Add cinnamon and pecans on top of of the frosting for some crunch. If you don’t have pecans you can use walnuts.

Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Will my friends and family enjoy this vegan gluten-free carrot cake?

Yes! You won’t believe this carrot cake is made without eggs, regular sugar or flour. It is possibly to use healthier better-for-you ingredients and still have a delicious dessert. Everyone who has tried this carrot cake has fallen in love with it and they always ask for the recipe. Make this for the holidays, bring to a family gathering, to a brunch with your girlfriends or to serve to guests when they come over. Everyone is going to love it, I promise.

Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

What makes this carrot cake healthier?

This carrot cake has almond flour + gluten-free flour instead of regular white flour. Almond flour is great because it won’t spike you blood sugar in the same way that white flour would. It is also a great source of healthy fats. I use flax eggs instead of regular eggs and flax is packed with omega 3’s, fiber and protein. Other healthier ingredients that I use in this carrot cake include dairy-free yogurt, carrots, applesauce and coconut sugar. It all comes together to make the best healthy vegan gluten-free carrot cake.

Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

A few extra tips:

  • For the vegan cream cheese, I use Kite Hill Plain vegan cream cheese – it’s made from almond milk and has clean ingredients. However, use any non-dairy cream cheese you can find that you enjoy.
  • Make sure to not under-bake. Leave in for the full 60 minutes if needed. This is a very moist cake so depending on your oven it may need up to an hour. It does firm up a lot once cooled and once you leave it in the fridge.
  • Store in the fridge! Because this uses cream cheese, make sure to store in a container in the fridge to keep the frosting from spoiling.
Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

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Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Vegan Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Moist, perfectly sweet, decadent, 1-bowl, 100% plant-based gluten-free carrot cake
serving 8 slices
prep time 10 minutes
cook time 50 minutes
total time 1 hour

the ingredients

  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup macadamia oil or any neutral vegetable oil
  • 2 flax eggs 2 tbsp flax 5 tbsp water mixed in a bowl
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 2 cups finely shredded carrots use a food processor or hand grater
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz dairy-free cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Garnish

  • cinnamon
  • chopped pecans

instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Make the flax eggs by combining ground flax with water. Mix and let it set for 3 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all of the wet ingredients to your bowl. Whisk.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, mix.
  • Fold in the carrots then pour into loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let it cool completely for a few hours. Use the parchment to gently lift the carrot cake onto a platter. Spread the frosting on top. Sprinkle on cinnamon and pecans.
  • Slice and enjoy! Store in the fridge.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Add all frosting ingredients into a bowl and mix until smooth and combined.

Made with love,

Danielle

Danielle Brown

Hi! I’m Danielle Brown, the face behind HealthyGirl Kitchen! I share easy, approachable plant-based recipes that are not only healthy but taste amazing. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for free vegan meal ideas, recipes and healthygirl tips.

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  1. Leslie says:

    What can I use in place of the gluten free flour?

  2. Lori says:

    Need help finding the macros. Did I miss them?

  3. Awesome says:

    This cake is fantastic. BUT, you cannot use GF flour in any recipe during Passover and call it kosher for Passover. The only flour allowed is made with matzah!

  4. Best ever carrot cake! says:

    Quite simply THE best carrot cake, we have ever eaten and we’ve eaten a lot of carrot cake!

  5. Pat says:

    Please always include nutritional values for the recipes. I can’t make if I don’t have that. Thank you

  6. Lijana says:

    Where I can find video for vegan gluten-free carrot cake?

  7. Talia says:

    My jaw dropped when I took my first bite of this carrot cake. It is UNBELIEVABLE! Thank you Danielle, for creating and sharing the BEST vegan/plant based recipes.5 stars

  8. Olivia Fink says:

    This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it out!5 stars

  9. Aida Chun says:

    I would love to taste this beautiful cake😋😋😋😋😋

  10. Madison Wood says:

    you are kidding me !!!! this recipe 🫶🏻 carrot cake is my absolute favorite and it has been so hard trying to find a good recipe after getting diagnosed w celiac disease5 stars

  11. Gina Hall says:

    Wow, this is so easy and delicious! Super moist!! It was my first time making carrot cake and I nailed it with this recipe!
    QQ- I accidentally doubled this. Can I freeze one already frosted, or should I freeze just the loaf? And keep extra frosting in the fridge? Thanks!5 stars

  12. Debbie Bentley says:

    What can be used in place , flax eggs and can avocado oil be used in this recipe

    1. Taylor From HealthyGirl Kitchen says:

      1/4 club of club soda can be subbed for flax eggs. Yes, avocado oil should still work.