1-Bowl Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe

Who doesn’t love a classic Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe? I know I do. Carrot Cake reminds me of when I was younger. Anyone else’s Grandma’s have Carrot Cake on their regular roster of recipes?

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s perfect for any occasion, but particularly Easter since it’s right around the corner! It’s even great to make as a healthy and yummy treat when you’re in the mood for something sweet! I know Easter this year is going to be a bit strange, and a lot of us won’t be spending it with the people we usually do, however, that doesn’t mean Easter traditions still can’t continue while at home.

What you’ll love about this Vegan Carrot Cake recipe:

• It’s easy to pull together and can be made in one bowl
• It’s dairy-free and you can also make it gluten-free too 
• It’s pretty darn healthy for something with “cake” in the name 
• You can hide the carrots in there for those picky eaters in your house
• It’s one of my fav things to make around Easter time 
• This recipe can be used to make muffins versus a cake as well

How do you make Vegan Carrot Cake? 

This Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe is really simple to make and the smell that will fill your home as it bakes will be amazing! One of my fav parts of this healthy recipe is the Vanilla Cashew Frosting. It is to die for! Okay, let’s get going on the recipe because I know you’re already drooling…

1. Preheat your oven as you continue onto the next steps 
2. Make a flax egg in a small bowl and let it sit 
3. In a large bowl, add all your wet ingredients 
4. Blend all these ingredients up slowly but make sure you don’t over-blend
5. Add the flax egg and gently stir it into the rest of your ingredients
6. Next, add your dry ingredients 
7. Stir everything together 
8. Add in your shredded carrots and stir before transferring to your cake pan (or muffin tin)
9. Bake!

Looking for vegan Easter recipes? Look no further.

How do you make vegan cashew frosting? 

Again, this part really is the most delicious. Who doesn’t love frosting?! Ahhhh it’s so sweet and delicious. However, this version is not only vegan but also way healthier for you. Winning! Here’s how you make it: 

1. Combine all ingredients and blend it all up until smooth (1 minute and 30 seconds to be exact)
2. Let it have some space and cool for 15 minutes while you get that cake ready for some love.
3. Smother your cake with icing once it’s cooled

Voila!

What is a good plant-based margarine? 

Margarine is often used in baking because it adds moisture to your recipe. It also helps with achieving the perfect texture for your baking. For this recipe, I used a plant-based margarine from Upfield. They have a ton of different plant-based options for you to use.

Plant-based margarine doesn’t include animal fats and have zero trans-fats, unlike dairy butters that are higher in saturated and trans fats. 

By using a plant-based margarine, you won’t taste the difference, but you’re choosing a healthier option to add to your baking and cooking. I use this margarine in replacement of any usual times you’d use dairy butter. Lately, I used it to make yummy stuffing “meat” balls and sauteing veggies to make soups or stews. 

What are some easy vegan swaps?

People often think that by switching to a vegan diet it’ll be exhausting and difficult. I’m not going to lie, if you go from being a full-blown meat-eater to vegan, you’re in for a drastic change and it can be overwhelming. 

What I always recommend to people who want to move towards a more plant-based diet is to do it slowly. Slowly make swaps in your regular cooking and baking to plant-based substitutes like margarine, plant-based milk versus dairy milk, or flax eggs versus real eggs. Start small and ease your way into the vegan lifestyle. 

Other recipes you’ll love this Easter (and beyond):

• Vegan Gluten-Free Almond Flour Brownies 
• Gooey Perfect Cinnamon Buns
• Vegan Zuppa Toscana Soup
• Vegan Potato Salad with Fresh Herbs 
• Vegan Chocolate Cake Recipe

Grandma's Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe (with a twist)

4.92 from 23 votes

This Vegan Carrot Cake recipe is one of my favs. Who doesn't love a classic Carrot Cake? It reminds me of my Grandmother and it's incredibly easy to whip up.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Sweet Treats, Breakfast & Bowls

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

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For the cake:

• 2 vegan eggs - I used Bob's Red Mill Mixture
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 overripe banana mashed
• 1/2 cup almond milk + 1 tbsp.
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups grated carrot

"Cream Cheese" Frosting:

• 2 cups raw cashews soaked in cold water for a least 1 hour then strain and rinse
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. almond milk
•  

Instructions

 

• Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 24 cm spring form baking tin with margarine. Around 1 tsp total.
• Prepare carrots by grating or processing in food processor and set them aside.
• Into a large mixture bowl, prepare vegan egg as instructed on the package.  We used a 1:2 ratio of the product. 1 tbsp. powder with 2 tbsp. warm water.  Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• To the bowl, add the melted margarine, brown sugar, mashed banana, almond milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Stir aggressively till well combined.  You can stir for up to 1 minute.
• To the bowl, add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Stir till well combined and no clumps are in the batter.
• Fold in the carrots and stir for 30 seconds until well combined.
• Transfer batter to baking tin and bake in the over for 45 - 50 minutes.
• The cake is ready when you poke a toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean.
• Place cake onto counter and cool completely before removing from spring form tin.
• For the frosting, simply add all your ingredients into a high speed blender and blend for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Place the frosting in the fridge for 10 minutes before frosting the cake.
• Top with chopped walnuts and small pieces of fresh thyme.

Notes

If your'e not using Vegan Egg then use 1 real egg.

To make gluten free use an additional 1 1/4 cup almond flour instead of the 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

The cake will last up to 1 week in a tightly sealed container on the counter at room temperature.

Review This Recipe Let us know how it was!

4.92 from 23 votes