No-bake vegan carrot cake squares with cashew frosting are made with wholesome natural ingredients that are full of healthy fats and energy. Walnuts, almonds, and dates are the base of this delicious treat, perfect as a mid-morning or pre-workout snack.
These raw vegan carrot cake bites are free from gluten, refined sugar, refined fats, dairy, and eggs. They are packed with healthy fats and fiber and sweetened with whole soft dates.
These little nuggets of joy are best served in small portions. After all, they pack quite a bit of calories. But fear not, a small bite of this sweet deliciousness will satisfy all of your sweet cravings, giving you sustained energy as a mid-morning snack or as a pre-workout energy boost.
Here’s What You’ll Need
Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients. You’ll need walnuts and almonds. The two are a perfect flavour affinity with carrots and will form the base of the cake, and might extend your life span by two years. Shredded coconut added to the nuts base to make it lighter and fluffier. Shredded carrots will add colour, flavour, and moisture to the cake.
Dates are our favourite natural sweetener, dates will add a healthy touch of sweetness to the cake. Soak them in warm water before blending if they are too dry. Ginger, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon add spice to the cake and give that cozy, warm, and fuzzy carrot cake feeling. Cashews form the base of the frosting. High-speed blend them to make the frosting ultra silky. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for an hour.
Coconut milk adds the wow factor to the frosting. Use full-fat coconut milk, scoop up the solid part of it, and discard the liquid. Agave syrup or maple syrup add a touch of natural sweetness to the frosting. And, lastly, lemon juice adds a touch of natural sourness to the frosting.
No-Bake Vegan Carrot Cake Squares With Walnuts and Dates
Ingredients
- For the base
- 1.5 cups pitted medjoul dates (210 grams)
- 1.5 cups walnuts (125 grams)
- 1 cup carrots (100 grams)
- 0.5 cup almonds (80 grams)
- 0.5 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (50 grams)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ceylon variety
- 2 tsp orange zest or lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 0.25 tsp nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp sea salt
- For the frosting
- 1.25 cup cashews (150 grams)
- 0.5 cup full-fat coconut milk (140 grams)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add almonds in a food processor and blend until you have almond flour.
- Add walnuts, shredded coconut, cinnamon, grated ginger, orange zest, sea salt, vanilla, and pulse till the ingredients come together. Don’t over blend.
- Add the pitted dates to the mix and pulse till they are incorporated to the mix. Make sure the dates are very moist. If they are too dry, then soak them for 30 minutes in hot water to soften them up.
- Add the shredded carrot and give it a final pulse. You might need to scrape the mix from the sides of the food processor as it gets quite sticky at this point.
- Pour the mix in a form of your choice, lined with parchment paper. We use a 31x13cm/12x5in loaf pan.
- With a spatula, flatten the mix evenly. Then set aside in the freezer while you prep the frosting.
- For the frosting
- In a high speed blender, blend together all the ingredients for the frosting until you have a very smooth cream.
- Note: If you don’t have a high speed blender, you can use a food processor or a less powerful blender. Just make sure that you soak the cashew nuts overnight in cold water, or, if you don’t have time, for 30/60 min in boiling water.
- Take the base out of the freezer and pour the cream on top of it. Level out with a spatula, then put back in the freezer to cool for about one to two hours.
- Take out of the freezer, cut as you like, and sprinkle with some crushed walnuts.
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If you liked this vegan dessert recipe, try making my vegan strawberry pie. The delectable dessert features a sweet strawberry jam. Try eating just one slice!
This recipe was republished with permission from The Plant-Based School.
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