Vegan Carrot Cake
This moist Vegan Carrot Cake is soft, spiced, and loaded with carrots. It’s an easy cake with a luscious dairy-free cream cheese frosting.
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If there’s one dessert we never get tired of, it’s this Vegan Carrot Cake! Soft, perfectly spiced, and bursting with fresh carrot flavor, it’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Whether for birthdays, holidays, or just because, this cake is always a hit—especially with its rich, tangy cream cheese frosting. One bite, and you’ll see why it’s a forever favorite!
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Allie
This is the BEST carrot cake! I made it for Easter one year, and everyone raved about it! Even the non-vegans love it! It’s so moist and delicious! I never cared for carrot cake before, but now this is my favorite cake!
★★★★★
Pam
I’ve made this vegan carrot cake recipe many times over the past few years…everybody loves this carrot cake. I’ve shared the recipe quite a few times.
In this Post
Let’s get into more details about this cake’s ingredients, including substitution ideas.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for the classic taste, or swap with whole wheat pastry flour for a healthier twist. For a vegan gluten-free carrot cake, opt for high-quality gluten-free baking flour.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is standard, for a richer flavor, mix it with brown sugar.
- Spices: Blending ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice blend gives this cake its signature warmth.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts add a classic crunch, but pecans work just as well. For a nut-free version, skip them entirely or add raisins, shredded coconut, or sunflower seeds for texture.
- Fat: Vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, or avocado oil) makes this cake extra moist. Prefer a richer flavor? Try melted coconut oil or light olive oil.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar helps activate baking soda for a fluffy cake. Swap with white vinegar or lemon juice if needed.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor—opt for pure vanilla (not imitation) for the best taste.
To toast or not to toast walnuts! Toasting walnuts before baking brings out their natural nuttiness and adds extra crunch. Simply toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or bake at 350°F for 5 minutes.
Short on time? Try this Vegan Carrot Cake Boxed Mix Hack!
Want to switch things up? Try adding crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, or a hint of lemon zest for a fresh twist! Applesauce can also boost moisture while reducing oil—just swap 1/3 cup oil for 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce.
How to Make Vegan Carrot Cake
This vegan carrot cake comes together with surprising ease—no mixer required! I always say that baking is more than just the end result; it’s about the experience, the aroma, and the little moments in between.
There’s something so satisfying about stirring batter by hand, watching those beautiful orange flecks of carrot fold into the mix, and anticipating the warm, spiced scent that fills your kitchen.
Here’s how we make it, step by step:
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: Grab a big mixing bowl (because trust me, you don’t want flour flying everywhere!). Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices until well combined. This ensures even distribution of those warm spices in every bite.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together grated carrots, vegetable oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla. It’ll look a little loose at first, but trust the process—this is where all the moisture and sweetness come in!
- Add the Nuts (if Using): If you love a little crunch, toss in some chopped walnuts or pecans with the flour mixture. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.
- Bring it All Together: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and gently fold them together. The batter will be thick, rich, and speckled with bright orange carrot ribbons—exactly what you want! Don’t overmix; we want a tender cake, not a tough one.
- Bake to Perfection: Pour the batter into a greased cake pan (or cupcake tins if you’re going that route). Pop it into the oven and bake until golden and springy to the touch. Your kitchen will smell incredible right about now!
- Cool Completely: I know it’s tempting to frost the cake right away, but trust me—patience pays off! Let the cake cool completely before adding that dreamy, tangy cream cheese frosting. Otherwise, it’ll melt right off!
- Slice, Serve & Enjoy: Take a moment to admire your work, then slice in and savor every bite of your homemade vegan carrot cake.
One-Bowl Vegan Carrot Cake (Minimal Cleanup!)
Want to keep things extra simple? You can absolutely make this a one-bowl recipe! Here’s how:
- Start with Dry Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Create a well in the middle of the flour.
- Add Wet Ingredients Gradually – Pour in the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla (in that order). Stir together the wet ingredients at the top, gradually incorpirating the floixture.
- Fold in Nuts, if using) – Stir in toasted nuts, if desired) until everything is evenly distributed. The batter should be thick and luscious.
- Bake & Enjoy – Pour into your prepared pan(s) and bake as usual!
Pro Tip: Mixing everything in one bowl works best if you don’t overmix the batter—stir just until everything is combined for the most tender cake.
Tips for Success
- Use Freshly Grated Carrots: Pre-shredded store-bought carrots are too dry. Grating them fresh ensures a super moist and flavorful cake.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife.
- Oil Over Butter — Vegetable oil adds moisture to cakes without making them greasy.
Want an even more tender cake? Try my Apple-licious Healthy Carrot Cake recipe – it swaps some applesauce for the vegetable oil.
Baking Options
Want to mix things up? Here are some fun variations for different occasions:
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins — Same batter, shorter bake time (around 20 minutes). Prefer a dedicated muffin recipe? Try my vegan carrot muffin recipe.
- Vegan Carrot Loaf Cake — Skip the frosting for a snack-worthy carrot bread, or frost it for dessert. Bake in a loaf pan for 40-50 minutes.
- Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes — Pour batter into a muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Perfect for portion control (or sharing—if you must!).
- Make Carrot Cake Sheet Cake — Hosting a crowd? Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake for around 40 minutes. Try gingersnap crumbles on top for an extra treat!
Storage Tips
How long will carrot cake last? This extra-moist carrot cake stays incredibly fresh! Unfrosted cake layers keep beautifully at room temp for a day or in the fridge for up to a week—perfect for make-ahead prep.
Need longer storage? No worries! This cake freezes like a dream. For expert tips on the best ways to store, freeze, and thaw carrot cake, check out my Carrot Cake Storage Guide.
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New to Vegan Baking?
The idea of making cookies, cakes, or muffins without eggs or dairy can seem like a hill too tall to climb. But with the simple tips in my Guide to Vegan Baking, you’ll be baking like a vegan pro in no time!
Carrot Cake Topping Ideas
Forget basic cream cheese! This carrot cake deserves a topping as special as it is. Go decadent with Vegan Buttercream, keep it light and modern with a Naked Cake, or explore the dreamy, old-fashioned charm of Dairy-Free Ermine Frosting.
Want even more inspiration? My Carrot Cake Toppings Guide has next-level ideas—plus my secret weapon for the BEST Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting!
Frequently-Asked Questions
Is carrot cake vegan?
Most store-bought carrot cakes aren’t vegan because they contain eggs and dairy. But this recipe proves you don’t need either to make a moist, flavorful carrot cake!
How does vegan carrot cake rise without eggs?
It’s all about science! Baking soda + vinegar creates a reaction that gives this cake its light, fluffy texture—no eggs needed.
Easy Vegan Carrot Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups walnuts
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Easy Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 4 tablespoons vegan cream cheese (see note)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- Additional walnuts for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray two round cake pans with vegetable spray. You can also place a piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the pans and spray the sides with vegetable oil.*
- Place walnuts on a baking pan and toast for 5 minutes. Be careful not to cook too long because they will burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before chopping.
- Combine in a large mixing bowl the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda. Stir to combine. Stir half of the walnuts into the flour mixture. Set aside.
- Add the chopped carrots to a food processor and pulse several times to shred the carrots.
- Add the vegetable oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla to the food processor and pulse in quick bursts to combine.
- Pour the carrot mixture in with the flour mixture. Stir to combine, making sure there are no clumps of flour throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
For the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the meantime, prepare the frosting by combining the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Then add the lemon juice and beat until you get a spreadable consistency. You can add a tablespoon of plant-based milk if it's too thick.
- Ice the top of one of the cakes. Top with additional chopped, toasted walnuts. Place the second cake on top. Cover the top cake and sides with frosting. Garnish with chopped walnuts.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Make it Healthier
To make this cake lighter and healthier, try these simple swaps:- Cut sugar by 50% and add raisins for natural sweetness.
- Substitute whole wheat pastry flour (or 50% whole wheat flour) for extra fiber.
- Replace half of the oil with applesauce or an applesauce substitute.
- Use whipped coconut cream instead of frosting for a lighter topping.
- For a gluten-free version, swap in a high-quality gluten-free baking flour.
Baking Options
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins — Same batter, but bake for 20 minutes. Or try this dedicated vegan carrot muffin recipe.
- Carrot Cake Loaf: Bake in a loaf pan for 40-50 minutes, and enjoy it either frosted or unfrosted as a snack bread.
- Vegan Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Divide batter into muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Carrot Cake Sheet Cake: For parties, pour batter into a greased 9×13-inch pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Love extra frosting? Try this alternative Vegan Cream Cheese Icing for a thicker topping.
Video
Nutrition
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
More Carrot Desserts
Can’t get enough carrot-flavored treats? Try these irresistible carrot desserts:
This post was originally published in 2017 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2025.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
80 Responses to Vegan Carrot Cake
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Can’t wait to try ur recipes!can I leave out the walnuts??? Dealing with allergies to all nuts, & coconut!
Hi Cece! Yes, you can leave out the walnuts. Can you have pecans? If so, that might be a good replacement? But you can make this carrot cake with no nuts at all and it will still taste great!
Hi, Marly! I’m going to try this recipe out this weekend (looks very promising) and was wondering what size cake pan you used? I’m assuming 9″, but want to double check. Thank you!
Hi Madison. Yes, I used 9-inch round cake pans. I will add this to the notes section. Hope you love this cake. It’s a favorite of ours and we have Birthday season coming up so I’m sure I’ll be making it again soo too! 🙂
Can I make carrot cake cupcakes with this recipe? What would you change?
Hi Ann! Absolutely, you can transform this into vegan carrot cake cupcakes. Just put 24 cupcake liners in a muffin tin (or tins). Fill those with the batter. Then bake about 15 – 20 minutes. Hope that helps!
Have you ever used slippery elm bark as an egg replacer.
Hi Mikael. I’ve never used slippery elm bark as an egg replacer, but it certainly has a lot of health benefits and it is noted to create the same texture as combining ground flax seeds or chia seeds in water. It is expensive though, so it may not be a good cost effective egg replacer. Maybe the price will come down in time.
This looks amazing! I love your idea of adding protein powder to the recipe. I was reading some comments and saw that it’s use is to help replace eggs. I’ve seen flax meal used to replace eggs in other baking recipes, so I just wanted to share that with you all. Flax meal is super nutritious and vegan as well! I can’t wait to try out this recipe!
Thanks, Kat! Yes, I love using ground flax seeds as an egg replacers. I’ve used chia seeds as well. The protein powder is a different take on egg replacement and I like doing that, especially with some cakes where I don’t want the flavor of flax seeds to come through (or the chia seeds texture). So much to think about! Thanks again for your comment!
Could I substitute the protein powder with pofiber..?
I recommend using almond flour. I hope this is helpful!
I don’t have any protein powder in my house, or anything like it. Can I substitute with anything or simply leave it out..?
I have had great luck using almond flour. It makes a very moist vegan carrot cake!
Hi Marly, what a delicious carrot cake recipe! I love treats that hide a few veggies, especially great for picky eaters 🙂 This looks super moist and the frosting is my favorite part of it!
Thanks, Alena! As far as picky eaters go, you can make this dairy free carrot cake to meet all kinds of needs – no nuts, with nuts, you name it!
Looking at that gorgeous slice, I can totally understand why you needed to make a second cake for picture purposes. I bet you were disappointed that you had to eat it all over again… Darn! Haha! That’s interesting that the carrots add moisture to the cake.
And for a non-cake related question, do you know when you’ll have another episode of the Chopped podcast up again? I really miss it! I always check to see if there’s a new episode before I go on a walk or hop onto the elliptical trainer. Just think of how much more fit I’d be with a new episode to keep me going. 😉
It’s so easy to make carrot cake vegan! I’m so glad you appreciate that. The Chopped Podcast is back on schedule too – so glad you love it! 🙂
Vegan carrot cake is one of my favorites and yours looks so good!. I love the texture and the creamy frosting. Of course, I like to tell myself that I’m doing my body a favor when I eat it because of the carrots. 😉
Thanks, Linda! Vegan carrot cake recipes are the best!
Do you have the recipe for a thicker version of this ? I have found tofutti cream cheese to be so soft and not hold up well for cream cheese icing . Any tips ?!?
Hi Tara. I agree with you that store-bought vegan cream cheese can result in a frosting that’s very thin. I created this alternative vegan cream cheese frosting that holds up better.
This sounds amazing! Is there a particular vegan protein powder you prefer for this cake?
We have tried out several protein powders. I prefer the ones that aren’t loaded with sweeteners, even though I understand why they do that for flavor purposes. I typically use vanilla protein powder, but if you don’t have protein powder, you can sub peanut butter powder. It works!
I love a good carrot cake. It’s one of my favorites. I like your dairy free version.
Oh yum. What an awesome idea to use pumpkin pie spice. Can imagine it tastes delish. 🙂
So glad you loved the spices in this vegan carrot cake, Jasmin!
Absolutely divine. I made this vegan carrot cake recipe yesterday evening and I´ve just had a slice for breakfast – it´s the most delicious carrot cake I´ve ever had.. and it wasn´t hard to make at all. Thank you so much for the recipe, Marly!
So glad you loved this vegan carrot cake recipe…for breakfast too!
Hi Marly. I make carrot cake for my husband’s birthday every year. This year I needed to make a vegan carrot cake because my son and daughter-in-law–guests at my husband’s birthday dinner–recently became vegans. I found this recipe, and it’s a winner. Every one of us decided it was just as delicious, if not more so, than past carrot cakes I’ve made. Since I had no vegan cream cheese, I made a vegan buttercream frosting, which was yummy. I’m having fun discovering wonderful recipes for vegan cooking and bringing smiles to my children’s faces. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Marly. I’m a T1 Diabetic. Can i subsitute regular sugar with splenda, Stevia etc.?
Hi Maria, I am not a healthcare professional, but here are some of my favorite healthcare focused scientists, doctors and resources who provide nutritional information:
Dr. Rhonda Patrick of Found My Fitness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvaWjhe2fM
Dr. Greger of Nutrition Facts. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-paratuberculosis-in-meat-trigger-type-1-diabetes/
Dr. Bernard on TED: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-paratuberculosis-in-meat-trigger-type-1-diabetes/
I hope this information is helpful to you!
Marly
What size round pans,8,9,or10″.thankyou
Hi Cathy. I use either an 8″ or 9″ cake pan. Hope you love this cake!
I love carrot cake and have had to give it up since switching to dairy-free. This sounds amazing! Thank you Marly!
Do I have to use the vanilla protein powder? And if so, can I substitute it?
Hi Victoria. You don’t have to use the vanilla protein powder, although I think it adds structure to the finished cake. You could try using peanut butter powder or almond flour. Let me know how it goes!
I am intrigued by the addition of protein powder and wonder your logic. I recently posted a chocolate beet cake that is a riff on a carrot cake I made for years and years as a pastry chef. It does have eggs and some honey, though I gave it a vegan chocolate glaze.
Hi Letty. I like to add protein powder to my cake because it helps to create more structure. I’m sure you know this, but that’s one of the roles that eggs play in baking and sometimes can be lacking in vegan baking. Thanks for your comment!