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–+ servings
Completed sliced Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf in loaf pan.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf

Easy vegan carrot cake loaf is ultra moist and tender, perfectly spiced, and topped with optional vegan cream cheese frosting – perfect for spring and year-round!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4 to 6
Author: Toni

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • ½ cup walnuts chopped
  • vegan cream cheese frosting (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175°C) and lightly grease or line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • To the same bowl, mix in the applesauce, brown sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and grated carrots until well combined.
  • Fold in the chopped walnuts, stirring gently to distribute evenly.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
  • Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden. Be careful not to overbake, as this can dry out the loaf.
  • Let the loaf cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
  • Once cooled, lift it out using the parchment paper. If desired, spread vegan cream cheese frosting on top before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Don’t add too much flour: When measuring flour, avoid scooping the cup directly in the flour bag. Instead, fluff it with a fork, spoon it into the cup, and level it with the back of a knife. This way, you’ll avoid overly dense, dry bakes.
  • Adjust carrot texture: Medium shreds provide more texture and noticeable pieces. Finely shred carrots ‘melt into’ the batter more. Or even use a combination of both.
  • Don’t overwork the batter: To avoid a dense, gummy vegan carrot loaf, mix until only just combined – a few tiny lumps are fine.
  • Monitor the bake: It will be too soft and gummy if underbaked and becomes dry when overbaked. As ovens vary, I recommend first testing at 37 minutes.