Raw Mini Carrot Cakes
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Raw Mini Carrot Cakes are vegan, gluten free, no bake, refined sugar free, and pure bliss! Topped with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, they are the perfect treat for spring and sure to please a crowd!
I sort of have a thing for raw desserts. They are the perfect balance of health and satisfaction. I also sort of have a thing for carrot cake. Combined, these Raw Mini Carrot Cakes are the most flavorful, delicious little portion-sized guilt-free treats that will have your taste buds thanking you!
These Raw Mini Carrot Cakes are just in time for Easter, and they are an ideal quick and easy dessert suitable for everyone of every diet: vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and yes, they are kid-approved too! My little sister said it was the best carrot cake she has ever had, period. My uncle, who is a junk-food junkie, asked for seconds, then thirds, then fourths (I cut him off after that).
Raw Mini Carrot Cakes are made with dates, walnuts, grated carrots, and spices. They are so moist and the texture and flavor are just divine.
Oh, and the frosting, it’s heavenly. It’s mandatory to have a cream cheese frosting with carrot cake. This frosting is so easy to make and requires way less powdered sugar than so many other recipes, but doesn’t compromise the sweetness.
Ingredients – Raw Mini Carrot Cakes
• Medjool Dates – to naturally sweeten the cake! Make sure to use medjool dates as opposed to other types of dates since medjool are the sweetest. You can buy medjool dates with the pit, or pitted.
• Carrots – what’s a carrot cake without carrots?
• Walnuts – a classic in carrot cake.
• Maple Syrup – a bit more natural sweetness won’t hurt.
• Vanilla Extract – to add that vanilla essence we all love!
• Almond Flour – blanched almond flour.
• GF Rolled Oats – I love these.
• Spices – cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and salt.
Ingredients – Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
• Vegan Cream Cheese – I often use the Trader Joe’s brand, it’s super firm but creams up nicely.
• Vegan Butter – you only need a little bit to make it extra creamy.
• Maple Syrup – to sweeten our frosting
• Powdered Sweetener – you only need a little bit for some extra sweetness. I like to use either powdered monk fruit sweetener or vanilla protein powder. Powdered sugar would work too.
• Vanilla Extract – just a drop.
How To Make Raw Mini Carrot Cakes
Not only are they delicious, but they are so easy to make. It doesn’t get much better! First, prepare a cupcake/muffin pan. While I don’t grease mine (slightly recommended), I cut a strip of parchment paper (about 6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick) and place it along the bottom of each cavity, with the excess hanging off each side like handles. So when I take them out, I use the “handles” and they come out with ease.
Next, in a food processor, pulse the walnuts, vanilla extract and spices until the walnuts are just about broken down but no super crumby. Set aside. Then, pulse the dates until they form into a paste/ball. Add the walnut mix and shredded carrots to the food processor and pulse just a few times until well incorporated, we still want some texture, we don’t want it to be mushy. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the almond flour and oats. Mix until the flour is incorporated. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of the mixture and place in a greased cupcake/muffin pan. Place the pan in the freezer for at least an hour.
In the meantime, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat together all the frosting ingredients together until creamy. Set aside.
Remove the pan from the freezer and remove the mini cakes (you may need to use a knife to loosen up the edges). Transfer to a plate or serving dish and frost them. Garnish with chopped walnuts. They are best served straight from the refrigerator!
Wishing you all a wonderful Easter holiday and hoping you enjoy these as much as my family and I do! If you make them, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
More Raw Vegan Dessert Recipes
• Blackberry Yogurt Bars with Almond Butter Drizzle
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase through those links. I only recommend products that I know, trust and love!
Raw Mini Carrot Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1 ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 cup medjool dates pitted and soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
- 1 ¼ cup freshly grated carrots
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup almond flour blanched
- ¼ cup gluten free rolled oats
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz vegan cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter softened
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup powdered sweetener powdered monkfruit sweetener, powdered sugar or vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cake
- Grease/line a muffin or cupcake pan. I like to add thin strips of parchment paper along the bottom of each cavity with handles hanging out to I can easily pull the cakes out when they are ready.
- In a food processor, add the walnuts, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Pulse until the walnuts are just about crumbly, but not super fine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same food processor, add the dates and process until a paste forms. It will come together into a ball when it's ready.
- To the food processor with the dates, add the walnut mixture, grated carrots, and maple syrup. Pulse a few times until incorporated, but don't overdo it as we want some structure and texture.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and add the almond flour and oats. Mix with a spoon/spatula until the flour has been incorporated.
- Spoon about ¼ cup of the mixture into each cavity of the pan, press down with your fingers so the top is even.
- Place in the freezer for at least an hour or two.
Make the frosting
- Add all the frosting ingredients to a bowl and beat until creamy using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Taste and adjust: add more powdered sweetener/maple syrup as desired.
Assemble
- Remove the mini cakes from the pan (may need to use a butter knife to loosen up the edges) and place on a plate/serving dish.
- Frost each mini cake. Garnish with walnuts. Serve!
Notes
- I have not tried making this recipe in a blender but I am pretty certain it will not work. It will become like paste. If you want to make this and do not have a food processor, I suggest: finely chopping the walnuts and mixing them in a bowl with the spices; blending the dates in a blender until a paste forms; grating the carrots extra fine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
6 Comments
Jerry
April 5, 2022 at 8:42 am
The raw carrot cakes were amazing I’m not a vegan and I swear they were better than any regular muffin or cake I have ever eaten the cream cheese frosting is like heaven !
Megan
April 5, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Thank you so much for the review! So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
emma
April 5, 2022 at 8:17 am
these are seriously my favorite! so delicious and flavorful!
Megan
April 5, 2022 at 7:59 pm
So happy you enjoyed them!
Jim
April 5, 2022 at 5:47 am
Looks delicious!
Megan
April 5, 2022 at 7:59 pm
Thank you!