I love making raw desserts. They’re a healthier alternative and I never feel guilt-ridden after eating them. This recipe in particular is vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, and refined sugar-free. I’ve tried quite a few raw desserts so far that my family and I loved- like brownies, lemon meltaway cookies, and peanut butter cups. So when I saw a recipe for a raw carrot cake, I knew I had to try it.
This recipe is delicious! The “cake” was surprisingly so good, nutty and a little spicy. And the frosting! Yum! It literally tasted like cream cheese.
I do have to give a warning, though. If you don’t like carrots you’re not going to like this carrot cake. Because it’s not baked, it doesn’t lose any carrot flavor. It also doesn’t lose any of the nutrients!
Raw Carrot Cake
Adapted from The Sweet Life, original recipe here
Makes 16 bars
walnuts and extra cinnamon for finish
By hand or in a food processor with the grating attachment, shred carrots. Place in large bowl and set aside. With the blade attachment, blend together walnuts and dates until mostly smooth, with a few smaller chunks. Add coconut, spices, and salt and blend together. Add carrots and blend until well combined, scraping down the sides often.
Scoop cake into prepared pan, smooth top, and chill.
To make cashew cream, drain and rinse soaked cashews in clean water. In a food processor or blender combine cashews, water, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Blend VERY WELL, scraping down the sides often, until VERY SMOOTH. Depending on the strength of your blender this make take up to 10 minutes. Add melted coconut oil and blend to combine. Spoon onto chilled cake and smooth the top. Freeze for 2 hours.
Pull from freezer and remove cake from pan by pulling up the sides of the parchment paper. Let thaw 10 minutes. With a hot, sharp knife cut cake into (approximately) 1 x 2 inch pieces. Decorate with walnuts and dust with cinnamon. Let thaw an additional 15 minutes before serving or return to freezer, thawing 25 minutes before eating.
Raw Carrot Cake
Adapted from The Sweet Life, original recipe here
Makes 16 bars
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3-4 large carrots)
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water
3 TB raw agave nectar
, maple syrup, or honey (if using honey, cake is no longer vegan)
1/2 of a vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
walnuts and extra cinnamon for finish
Directions
Line a 9” springform pan, 8×8 square pan, or equivalent sized loaf pan with parchment paper so that the edges hang over the sides of the pan.
By hand or in a food processor with the grating attachment, shred carrots. Place in large bowl and set aside. With the blade attachment, blend together walnuts and dates until mostly smooth, with a few smaller chunks. Add coconut, spices, and salt and blend together. Add carrots and blend until well combined, scraping down the sides often.
Scoop cake into prepared pan, smooth top, and chill.
To make cashew cream, drain and rinse soaked cashews in clean water. In a food processor or blender combine cashews, water, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Blend VERY WELL, scraping down the sides often, until VERY SMOOTH. Depending on the strength of your blender this make take up to 10 minutes. Add melted coconut oil and blend to combine. Spoon onto chilled cake and smooth the top. Freeze for 2 hours.
Pull from freezer and remove cake from pan by pulling up the sides of the parchment paper. Let thaw 10 minutes. With a hot, sharp knife cut cake into (approximately) 1 x 2 inch pieces. Decorate with walnuts and dust with cinnamon. Let thaw an additional 15 minutes before serving or return to freezer, thawing 25 minutes before eating.
Enjoy!
thank you soooo much for this recipe! The cake is delicious! 🙂 I’m so glad I found
A healthy dessert I can eat as a vegan! 🙂 you’re the best!
Ahh, that makes me so happy to hear you liked the recipe! Thank YOU so much for trying it, Tabitha!! 🙂
OMG!!!! So good!!! Very happy tummy
Thanks so much for the feedback, Juhli. Thrilled you enjoyed it! 🙂