If you’ve been searching for the best vegan carrot cake recipe, you’re in luck! This Vegan Carrot Cake is not only delicious, but it is so easy to make. It only requires one bowl, and it is ready in under an hour.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & easy – This recipe only requires one bowl and is ready in under an hour!
- Perfect texture – This carrot cake comes out perfectly moist yet fluffy every time.
- Make it your own – Mix up the spices or add raisins, nuts, or diced apple to put your own spin on this recipe.
Ingredients for Vegan Carrot Cake
- Carrots – 2 large carrots is all that is needed for this recipe.
- Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil like avocado or canola will work for this recipe. If you want to make this an oil-free carrot cake, sub the oil for equal parts applesauce.
- Applesauce – Even if you are subbing the oil for applesauce, don’t reduce the overall applesauce quantity – it is essential in giving this cake its perfect texture.
- Flour – I prefer all-purpose flour for my baking, but you could sub 1:1 gluten-free flour if you want to make this a gluten-free carrot cake.
- Sugar – A note about granulated sugar: Not all granulated sugar is vegan, make sure to choose a USDA Organic variety to ensure it is not processed with bone char, an animal ingredient.
- Baking essentials – baking powder, soda, salt, vanilla extract
- Spices – cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg
- Vegan frosting – There are many accidentally vegan store-bough frostings. Check out this guide by PETA to find one you like!
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Start by washing and peeling the carrots, then grating them into a large mixing bowl. This will yield about 3 cups of grated carrots.
Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, and sugar into the bowl and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix only until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix the batter in this step, it will result in a dense and chewy texture to your cake.
Transfer the batter to a medium baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before frosting.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
How to Store Vegan Carrot Cake
- Fridge: This carrot cake will keep 3-5 days in the fridge when stored in an air-tight container.
More Tips for Making Vegan Carrot Cake
- Not Vegan? Frost with a dairy-based frosting. I would not recommend substituting any of the oil or applesauce for eggs or dairy in this recipe as it will change the overall texture of the cake.
- Gluten-free? Sub the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free replacement baking flour.
- Oil-free? Replace the oil with applesauce in this recipe, but do not reduce the overall amount of applesauce.
Looking for more delicious vegan desserts? Try these Easy Vegan Brownies or Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Looking for more ways to use up your carrots? Try these Carrot Fries or Maple Roasted Carrots.
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Vegan Carrot Cake
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup neutral-flavored oil (like canola)
- ¾ cup sugar*
- ⅔ cup applesauce
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp clove
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup vegan frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Start by washing and peeling the carrots, then grating them into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla extract, and sugar into the bowl and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix only until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the batter to a medium baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before frosting.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Not Vegan? Frost with a dairy-based frosting. I would not recommend substituting any of the oil or applesauce for eggs or dairy in this recipe as it will change the overall texture of the cake.
- Gluten-free? Sub the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free replacement baking flour.
- Oil-free? Replace the oil with applesauce in this recipe, but do not reduce the overall amount of applesauce.
