No Bake Carrot Cake
This no bake carrot cake is made with wholesome ingredients, naturally sweetened with dates, and topped with a vegan cream cheese frosting. It’s moist, perfectly spiced, and all yours in just 30 minutes! An easy, healthy dessert that’s perfect for Easter or spring gatherings.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Ready In: 30 minutes
- Servings: 6-8 slices
- Calories: ~283 per slice
- Key Ingredients: Medjool dates, carrots, walnuts, pecans, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
- Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free
- Why You’ll Love It: All the cozy flavors of carrot cake with healthy ingredients and no baking required!
Over the years I’ve made a few variations of carrot cake: from classic carrot cake to carrot cake muffins and carrot cake coffee cake, but this no bake carrot cake is always my top choice for an easy Easter dessert.
I still remember the first time I tried raw carrot cake — I wasn’t expecting it to be that delicious. Since it’s not baked, it comes out super moist, perfectly spiced, and naturally sweet. Yum!
This no bake carrot cake is made with simple, whole-food ingredients like medjool dates, fresh carrots, and walnuts, and topped with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting. I know, it sounds amazing, and that’s because it is! And it’s all yours in just 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This No Bake Carrot Cake
- No oven required: Perfect for spring and summer “baking”
- Quick to make: Ready in 30 minutes
- Moist & warmly spiced: Delicious carrot cake flavor in every bite
- Naturally sweetened: With medjool dates and maple syrup
- Made with whole food ingredients: 100% vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free
What is Raw Carrot Cake?
Raw carrot cake is essentially a no-bake version of traditional carrot cake made with whole food ingredients like dates, nuts, and carrots, instead of flour, eggs, and refined sugar.
Everything gets blended into a sticky, cake-like texture, then pressed into a pan and topped with frosting. The result is a super moist, slightly fudgy cake that is, in my opinion, even better than baked cake!
Ingredients You’ll Need
It all starts with just a few whole-food ingredients:
- Medjool Dates: The base of the cake. Medjool dates are naturally sweet and help bind everything together, just like in my no-bake brownies.
- Carrots: What’s carrot cake without carrots?
- Maple Syrup: Adds a touch of natural sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Just a drop for a hint of vanilla flavor.
- Oats: Rolled or quick oats both work here. They create a soft, hearty texture, similar to what you’ll find in my carrot cake energy balls.
- Almond Flour: Keeps the cake soft and tender while soaking up just the right amount of moisture.
- Walnuts + Pecans: Adds to the overall texture of the cake with a bit of crunch.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger for carrot cake flavor.
- Salt: A pinch to enhance all the flavors.
- For the vegan cream cheese frosting: You’ll need vegan cream cheese, vegan yogurt, a splash of maple syrup, and a drop of vanilla extract. It’s the same frosting I use on my vegan carrot cake muffins.
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap the nuts: Use almonds, cashews, or any nuts you have on hand in place of the walnuts and pecans
- Add shredded coconut: About 1/2 cup for a little tropical twist
- Mix in raisins: Add 1/4 cup if you love that classic carrot cake flavor
And the frosting is totally optional… but highly recommended.
How to Make No Bake Carrot Cake (Step-by-Step)
In just a few simple steps you’ll have this healthy carrot cake ready to enjoy — no oven needed!
- Step 1: Add the pitted dates, chopped carrots, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a food processor.
- Step 2: Pulse until the dates are broken down and the carrots are finely shredded.
- Step 3: Add the oats, almond flour, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
- Step 4: Pulse until combined. You’re looking for a sticky, slightly textured mixture — similar to the texture you want when making my energy balls.
- Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined 6-inch round cake pan. Use a spatula to press it down evenly until smooth on top. Place in the freezer while you prepare the frosting.
- Step 6: Add the vegan cream cheese, vegan yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust, adding more maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter.
- Step 7: Spread the frosting evenly over the chilled carrot cake.
- Step 8: If desired, sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Megan’s Tips
- Use fresh medjool dates. This is key for the perfect texture since fresh medjool dates are soft, juicy, and have a natural caramel-like texture. If your dates are hard and dry, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Don’t over-blend. I recommend pulsing the mixture instead of blending. You want some texture, not a paste!
- Line your cake pan with parchment paper. This makes removal so much easier since the cake is naturally sticky.
- Don’t skip the chill. Chilling the cake helps everything set for clean slices.
How to Store No Bake Carrot Cake
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It’s best served chilled to keep the texture firm and fudgy!
- Freezer: Freeze unfrosted slices for up to 2 months and thaw overnight
Frequently Asked Questions
I highly recommend using a food processor since it’s key for creating that sticky, cake-like texture in this no bake carrot cake.
Dates are a key ingredient in this raw carrot cake for both sweetness and structure, so I don’t recommend substituting them. If you don’t have dates on hand, make my healthy carrot cake instead!
More Carrot Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re on a carrot cake kick, here are a few more favorites:
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
No Bake Carrot Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
carrot cake
- 2 medium carrots
- 8 medjool dates, pitted
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, plus more for topping the cake
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
vegan cream cheese frosting
- 2 oz vegan cream cheese
- ¼ cup vegan yogurt, thick texture
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pulse the base: Add the pitted dates, chopped carrots, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a food processor. Pulse until the carrots are finely shredded.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the oats, almond flour, walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Pulse until combined. You’re looking for a sticky, slightly textured mixture — similar to the texture you want when making my energy balls.
- Press the mixture into the pan: Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined 6-inch round cake pan. Use a spatula to press it down evenly until smooth on top.
- Chill the cake: Place the cake in the freezer while you prepare the frosting.
- Make the frosting: Add the vegan cream cheese, vegan yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla to a bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust, adding more maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter.
- Frost the cake: Spread the frosting evenly over the chilled carrot cake. If desired, sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Use fresh medjool dates. This is key for the perfect texture since fresh medjool dates are soft, juicy, and have a natural caramel-like texture. If your dates are hard and dry, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- Don’t over-blend. I recommend pulsing the mixture instead of blending. You want a chunky texture, not a paste!
- Line your cake pan with parchment paper. This makes removal so much easier since the cake is naturally sticky.
- Don’t skip the chill. Chilling the cake helps everything set for clean slices.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freezer for up to 2 months (unfrosted). It’s best served chilled to keep the texture firm and fudgy!
SO GOOD! Very happy with the results
So happy you loved it! Thanks for sharing your review 🙂
I make this no bake carrot cake almost every spring, and I actually prefer it to classic carrot cake! It’s super light, refreshing, moist, and has all the flavors of carrot cake, but made with healthier ingredients!