Dairy Free Carrot Cake

Name: Dairy Free Carrot Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking soda; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; ½ tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp salt; 1 cup brown sugar; ¾ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup vegetable oil; ½ cup crushed pineapple, drained; 4 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 3 cups grated carrots; 7-8 ounces dairy-free cream cheese, softened ((recommend Violife)); ½ cup dairy-free butter, softened ((recommend Country Crock plant butter sticks; 1 stick)); 3 ½ cups powdered sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup chopped walnuts

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Is there any dessert that’s more quintessential to spring and Easter than a delicious carrot cake?! With this recipe, you can create the most delectable dairy free carrot cake that the whole family will love. You can choose whether to make the accompanying homemade dairy free cream cheese frosting, or simplify things by using a store-bought option.

As a heads up, this cake is very tender and fluffy. It is not an overly dense carrot cake, so if you’re looking for that type of recipe – this probably isn’t the right fit for you. But if you love a cake that is perfectly sweetened, packed with warming spices, has just the right amount of carrots, and is perfectly tender in each bite – this is it!

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need for the base of the cake:

Flour, brown sugar, crushed pineapple, sugar, carrots, eggs, baking soda, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and oil.

Here are some ingredient notes that may be helpful:

Carrots: Freshly grated carrots work best for texture and moisture. I find this easiest to do in a mini food processor – you can get them very fine and they incorporate well into the batter. Pre-shredded carrots tend to be cut too large and are drier, so avoid those.

Spices: Cinnamon is a must, but adding nutmeg and ginger gives the cake additional flavor complexity. However, you can stick with just cinnamon if that’s all you have on hand.

As far as the frosting goes, you can either buy store bought or make your own. For store-bought options, you’ll want to check ingredients, as some brands contain dairy and others do not. For example, at the time of publish, Duncan Hines cream cheese frosting and Pillsbury cream cheese frosting did not contain dairy ingredients. However, Betty Crocker cream cheese frosting does contain dairy. Always read labels, as manufacturer formulations can change at any time.

If you want to make your own frosting, here’s what you’ll need:

Powdered sugar, dairy-free butter, dairy-free cream cheese, and vanilla.

Here are some ingredient notes:

Dairy-free butter – For frosting, I almost always use Country Crock plant butter sticks (unless I need a soy free option, and then I’ll use Earth Balance Soy Free sticks). Use a dairy-free stick butter rather than a tub butter, as the latter tends to have a higher moisture content which can throw off the texture of the frosting.

Dairy free cream cheese –My go-to option for frosting is Violife Just Like Cream Cheese Original. Another great option is Kite Hill Plain Cream Cheese. Avoid using any savory-style dairy-free cream cheese options (for example, you would not want to use a chive cream cheese).

Instructions

You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.

Start by making sure your carrots are finely grated. Remember, those bags of grated carrots at the supermarket are often too thick and too dry for cake. Instead, chop a few carrots and toss them in a mini food processor, and pulsing a few times. That gets them nice and fine. Or you can grate them by hand. I’ve found somewhere between ¾ pound to 1 pound of fresh carrots gets you around 3 cups grated.

Carrots shredded in a mini food processor.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl: the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt mixed together in a glass mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, crushed pineapple, eggs, and vanilla. Be sure to whisk this together thoroughly; you want to make sure the eggs are fully incorporated. Not mixing it well enough can cause the egg whites to clump and be stringy in the cake after cooking – yuck!

Brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, crushed pineapple, eggs, and vanilla mixed together in a glass mixing bowl.

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients and add the carrots.

Pour that into some greased 9-inch cake pans, and bake at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 minutes. Be sure to bake both on the center rack and keep an eye on the cakes closely as it approaches the 25-minute-mark. They can go from just-cooked to too-browned relatively quickly. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick pulls clean from the center.

Just-baked carrot cakes in their 9-inch baking pans.

Let those cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then flip onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. I find this easiest to do with a stand mixer, but a hand mixer works too. Put the softened dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. It’s important that the cream cheese and butter are softened, as this will help them combine smoothly. Use the whisk attachment on the stand mixer or the hand mixer to combine the ingredients, starting on low speed then increasing to high. You want the frosting to be light and fluffy.

Dairy-free cream cheese frosting in a silver mixing bowl.

At this point, I like to put the frosting in the fridge for a little bit while the cakes continue to cool. This helps it thicken up and become sturdier. This is an optional step though.

Once the cakes are 100% cool, it is time to frost them. Do not frost them when they are warm or the frosting will melt. You’ve been warned. 😉

Frost the top of the first cake, then add the second cake on top. You can either frost just the top of the second cake and leave the sides bare, or you can spread frosting all the way around the sides. If desired, you can add some chopped walnuts along the edges on top for garnish.

Now grab a knife, start slicing, and dig in!

A dairy-free carrot cake on a cake stand with a slice cut from the center.

Recipe FAQ

Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:

How should you store dairy free carrot cake?

Because there is dairy-free cream cheese in the frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. While other cakes can dry out in the fridge, I’ve found this one holds up very well and maintains its tender texture.

Can you freeze carrot cake?

Yes, you can freeze unfrosted cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a ziptop bag or airtight container. Use within 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature and frost.

Can you add nuts or raisins to the cake?

Yes. Feel free to mix in a ½ cup of raisins, chopped walnuts, or pecans. Just add that to the batter when you add the grated carrots. Stick with a half cup, or it can overwhelm the batter and cause issues with the cake holding it’s shape.

My frosting is melting on the cake – what happened?

This is a very light and fluffy cream cheese frosting, and if you put it on warm cake – it will melt. The cake must be completely cooled prior to frosting. In addition, placing the frosting in the fridge briefly can help it thicken up and prevent any melting.

Allergens in this Recipe

Disclaimer: Always double check ingredients and labels yourself prior to making a recipe. While I try to check all ingredients for allergens, there’s always the chance I may miss something, or manufacturer formulations can change.

As written, this recipe is dairy free.

This recipe does contain wheat/gluten (in the flour), eggs (in the eggs), soy (in the dairy-free butter used), and nuts (in the optional topping). Because the eggs are so important to the structure of this recipe, I wouldn’t recommend substituting them here.

To make wheat/gluten free: Use a gluten-free measure-for-measure flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I have not personally tested this substitute yet, though, so please keep that in mind. However, I have had a lot of success using King Arthur’s measure-for-measure flour in other recipes.

To make soy free: Choose a dairy-free butter for the frosting that does not contain soy, like Earth Balance Soy-Free Sticks. Also, note that vegetable oil is derived from soy, and while it’s highly refined, some folks may wish to avoid it. In that case, substitute with avocado oil or olive oil.

To make nut-free: Simply leave off the walnuts that are used for topping the cake. Also, double check that your dairy-free butter and dairy-free cream cheese are nut-free (some other brands do contain nuts).

A close up of a piece of carrot cake showing the soft interior texture.

More Dairy Free Easter Desserts

If you’re looking for more fun Easter desserts to make that are dairy free, be sure to give one of these a try (some from my site and a few from other blogs):

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you get a chance to try it, please leave a recipe rating or comment below.