Pure Ella

healthy recipes - nutrition information - gluten free recipes - gluten free living - vegan recipes - egg free recipes - dairy free recipes - wheat free recipes - healthy diet - weightloss - healing through food - inspiration

  • Blog
  • Cut the Sugar Book
  • Recipe Index
  • contact
  • My Story

Carrot Cake Brownies with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

April 15, 2018 by Ella

Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies

Hello my friends!

I think the Easter Holiday always brings in a little craving for something with carrots! Does it not? I guess we have to thank all the bunnies for this inspiration…. and I don’t mind at all, neither does my family ;)

This year I knew I had to make something with carrots for our Easter dessert table – but everyone wanted brownies in my family…. so a new idea was born that I could make everything with the flavour of a Carrot Cake but with the richness and moistness of Brownies! So this is the result of what I ended up making – Carrot Cake Brownies – the biggest highlight of our dinner! I had no idea they would be so popular with my family but everyone cleaned off the serving dish in no time. (No leftovers even! You know it’s good stuff when there’s not a crumb left in sight…. maybe it was the Easter bunny?? ;)

Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies3

Carrot Cake Brownies : healthy, gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups organic sweet potato puree
1 1/2 cups medjool dates (about 15 dates)
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cups buckwheat flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup grated organic carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, chopped fine
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

Directions :

First clean and peel about 2 large sweet potatoes, dice them into chunks and boil until fully cooked. Strain and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking pan, about 8″x 8″ with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, peel and grate about 2 medium carrots and set aside. 

In a food processor, process the pitted dates until a smooth paste forms. If your food processor does better with a little liquid, process them with the maple syrup until completely incorporated and smooth. 

You can continue mixing in all the ingredients (except the last 4) in the food processor or you can move the date paste into a mixing bowl and continue mixing all the ingredients with a wooden spoon in the bowl. (I only processed the dates and then had my daughter combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl – this was so much fun!)

Combine all the ingredients and mix throughly. Scoop into the baking pan and even out the top with the back of the spoon.

Bake at 350F for about 45-50 minutes. Once baked, move onto a cooking rack and allow to fully cool  before topping with the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. (great to bake it one day beforehand)

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting : dairy and egg free/ vegan and gluten-free

Ingredients :

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
1/2 cup organic vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance Coconut Spread)
1/3 cup organic powdered sugar
1/3 cup powdered stevia
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions :

First, soak the raw cashews for at least two hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator if overnight. Rinse and strain them well before working with them.

In a food processor, process the raw cashews until fine crumbs form, about 5 minutes. Add in all the rest of the ingredients and continue mixing until a very smooth paste forms, another 5 more minutes. Be sure to turn off the machine and scrape down the sides to incorporate all the ingredients into the smooth paste.

Scoop the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting on the already cooled Carrot Cake Brownies. Serve and enjoy! 

This cake stays fresh for up to 3 days (if it lasts this long). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies2
Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies5

Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies6

Carrots are such a gem when you think about it! Ok, I know that carrots aren’t up there in the superfood category – but why not? They are loaded with so much goodness – Vitamin A and C and beta carotene – a real ‘beauty’ food too as all these nutrients are great for the skin! And there are the Sweet Potatoes – which are also loaded with beta carotene, are low glycemic and are very healthy.

Seriously, can these ingredients not get any better? I think not! The this really tastes amazing! You would have to try it to believe it ;) My family who are not on any special diets or restrictions enjoyed this cake so much! They could not believe these delicious Carrot Cake Brownies were so healthy, gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free and dairy-free!

Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies7 Pure-Ella-Gluten-free-Vegan-Carrot-Cake-Brownies8

 

 

I hope you enjoy these Carrot Cake Brownies very soon! It was so great to see non-vegan and non-gluten-free folks enjoy these so much! 
That’s what I love about vegan and gluten-free baking, everyone enjoys the goodies and they all feel good about what they eat! Everyone’s happy at the end ;)

 

Pure Ella 

 

Pure Ella Ella Leche profile photo
Ella Leché is a cookbook author (‘Cut the Sugar‘), recipe developer, and photographer/stylist behind Pure Ella; where she shares delicious and healthy recipes. Eating PURE is clean ingredients, whole foods, plant-based nourishment and delicious desserts – with quality ingredients and sweeteners so they’re treats with benefits so you won’t have to feel deprived or restricted to eat healthier.
Thank YOU for being here!
 

Follow on social media for daily health & happiness inspiration:

Instagram  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest  |  Twitter  

 
 
Bottom-Post-Banner-to-See-full-Recipe-Gallery
 
ps. don’t forget to share your Pure Ella (PE) recipe creations by tagging them #pureella and @pure_ella on Instagram – we repost our favourite photos!
 

Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten-Free, Vegan Tagged With: baking, brownies, cooking with my kid, refined sugar free, sweet potatoes

« Healthy Vegan Banana Muffins
18 Healthy Gluten-free and Vegan Easter and Spring Recipes »

Comments

  1. Skye says

    April 23, 2014 at 10:26 am

    Carrot brownies! Yes please! And such a healthy recipe too – what more could a girl ask for????
    PS such lovely photos of you and your beautiful family – happy (belated) Easter! :)

    • Ella says

      April 24, 2014 at 10:11 pm

      Thank you Skye! ;)
      I hope you had a wonderful Easter too :)
      xoxo
      Ella

  2. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    April 23, 2014 at 1:12 pm

    These brownies are freaking stunning. LOVE!

    • Ella says

      April 24, 2014 at 10:31 pm

      Thank you so much Katrina ;)
      xoxo ella

  3. Gabby @ the veggie nook says

    April 24, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    These sound amazing and look so wonderful with that frosting on top!

    Happy belated Easter :)

    • Ella says

      April 24, 2014 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks hun!! ;)
      Happy belated Easter too ;)
      Hope you’re enjoying a little of our sunshine and warmth…. although it could be wayyyy better ;)
      xox ella

  4. The Vegan Cookie Fairy says

    April 25, 2014 at 3:15 pm

    Goodness me, this looks fantastic!

  5. Laura says

    February 27, 2015 at 8:43 am

    Your blog has been a great help to me lately with reducing sugar and finding great allergy friendly recipes, keep up the good work! These look incredible but my belly really doesn’t like pineapple, is there anything I could sub or that you would recommend?
    :)

    • Ella says

      February 27, 2015 at 11:13 am

      Thanks so much Laura, so happy you’re making these great changes and I’m happy to be of help ;)
      As for the pineapple, just omit it entirely (or add about 1/4 cup more carrots!) Pineapples are also so very sweet, so if you’re trying to eat less sugar, you’ll benefit from this for the better ;)

      If you really do want to replace it, I would add a few segments of a clementine or an orange, chopped, just be careful to remove the white pith and membranes completely.

      xo Let me know how it turns out!

  6. Laura says

    July 9, 2015 at 4:57 am

    My fiancé made this yesterday with orange segments as you suggested and it came out amazing. This may be the best carrot cake I’ve ever had! I’m very ill with M.E. so I need things that are good for me, tasty so I actually want to eat and easy to eat so I don’t get too tired. You get it right every time. I’ve already had your Strawberry Torte Cheesecake and next week we’re going to try your Raw Lemon and Coconut Bars. Thank you for helping me and please keep writing :) you’re a miracle worker! xx

Welcome to Pure Ella! I share delicious and nourishing plant-based wheat and/or gluten-free recipes that are always pure and natural! ps. I wrote a book about how you can cut sugar the healthy way so you don't feel deprived! YOU will love it! Click below to check it out! Thank YOU for all your support and for being here and embracing a healthier & happier life! xo ella

Join the “Cut the Sugar” Challenge!

© 2021 Ella Leché / Pure Ella . All photos and content is copyrighted property unless noted. Please ask for permission to use photos or content.

Ella Leché

Blogger, Recipe Developer, Photographer and Author. Loves healthy food, photography, sunshine and dancing in the kitchen with her two daughters. Read More…

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress