Vegan Carrot Cake (with Dairy Free Frosting)

Close up of a slice of double-layer carrot cake with drippy white icing.

Vegan Carrot Cake (with Dairy Free Frosting)

This recipe has all the classic flavors of carrot cake while remaining vegan and dairy free. With pineapple and chopped walnuts, it's a go-to dessert that can serve groups (or just yourself)!

To make a layered carrot cake (pictured), double recipe to 24 servings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Vegan

Keyword Dairy free carrot cake, Vegan carrot cake with pineapple

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings Servings

Calories 226kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Cake

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
¾ cup brown sugar , packed
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup crushed pineapple , well drained
1 ½ cups carrot , grated
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup walnuts , plus more for topping (optional)

Frosting

4 ounces vegan cream cheese
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon plant-based milk , or water (if needed)

Instructions

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
In a small bowl, mix together ground flaxseed and water. Set aside.
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, 6 tablespoons water
Once the flaxseed has sat for 5 minutes, add it to a large mixing bowl with brown sugar and vegetable oil.
¾ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup vegetable oil
Strain out liquid from the crushed pineapple, then measure pineapple pulp. I use a mesh strainer and press the pineapple down with a spoon to release excess liquid. Add your drained pineapple to the large bowl. Whisk these ingredients together.
¼ cup crushed pineapple
Next, add whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon to the mixing bowl.
1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. When it's mostly mixed, add grated carrot and crushed walnuts. Stir the batter together but don’t over-stir. Mix just until there are no dry ingredients left.
1 ½ cups carrot, ¼ cup walnuts
Pour into a greased 9-inch cake pan.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Icing

Place vegan cream cheese into a deep bowl. Add vanilla and icing sugar. Use a hand-mixer to whip the ingredients together.
4 ounces vegan cream cheese, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup icing sugar
You may find the icing is too thick depending on the brand of vegan cream cheese used. If required, add plant-based milk or water to thin it out. Carefully add liquid to frosting as it can become very thin with a small amount of liquid.
1 teaspoon plant-based milk

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition