What’s better than carrot cake? Carrot cake plus cheesecake! This decadent vegan carrot cake cheesecake is an amazing combination of spiced cake, crunchy nuts, and creamy no-bake cheesecake.

I absolutely love carrot cake - it’s actually what we had for our wedding cake! But instead of a regular cake, I wanted to create something different. After many attempts (some more successful than others), I created this dessert which we all love.
This is a great cake for Easter and I can’t wait to make it this year. The cheesecake layer is a no-bake cheesecake which keeps it light and fluffy. It’s the best topper for carrot cake.
Looking for more desserts that are perfect for Easter? Try my vegan lemon blueberry cake, my vegan hummingbird cake, and my vegan lemon crinkle cookies.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake
- Cheesecake layer: Yes, carrot cake is delicious on its own but it’s amazing with a layer of no-bake cheesecake.
- Texture: This cake has a soft cake layer, crunchy nuts, and creamy cheesecake. No mushy cake here.
- Flavor: The cinnamon spiced cake goes perfectly with the tangy cheesecake.
If you love cinnamon spiced desserts, try my vegan applesauce cake, vegan snickerdoodles and my vegan apple galette.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan cream cheese: I like using Tofutti and Trader Joe’s brands of vegan cream cheese but use whatever you can find.
- Non-dairy yogurt: You only need a small amount to add a little tang to the cheesecake. You can substitute the yogurt for vegan sour cream if needed.
- Non-dairy milk: Use whatever kind you have. I usually bake with unsweetened soy milk.
- Shredded carrots: For a shortcut I’ve tried this with pre-shredded carrots and it worked fine.
- Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce but you can use whatever kind you have.
- Vegan heavy cream: This can be tricky to find. I’ve used Country Crock Plant Cream and Trader Joe’s Vegan Heavy Cream. If you can’t find it, you can also use coconut cream but you’ll then also have a bit of coconut flavor.
- Oil: Use a neutral flavored oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil, which is what I use.
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and amounts needed.
Substitutions/Variations
- You can use pecans instead of walnuts or you can even leave the nuts out altogether.
- Instead of regular raisins, you can use golden raisins. If you don’t like raisins, you don't need to add them in.
- You can add in about ¼ cup of coconut shreds to the cake to add that coconut flavor. This would work well especially if you’re using coconut cream instead of the vegan heavy cream.
How To Make Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-dairy oil spray.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt.
Step 3: Whisk in the non-dairy milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract. You will have a relatively thick cake batter.
Step 4: Stir in the grated carrots, chopped walnuts and raisins.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into the springform pan and place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips or leaks.
Step 6: Bake for about 35 minutes in the preheated oven or until done. Let the cake cool completely in the pan and do not release the springform pan.
Step 7: Meanwhile, make the cheesecake. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar until well mixed.
Step 8: Add in the vegan heavy cream, non-dairy yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix until there are no large lumps of cream cheese. It should be a fluffy mixture.
Step 9: Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the cooled carrot cake and level the top with a knife. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can optionally decorate with more walnuts.
Step 10: Run a knife along the inside of the springform pan before releasing it and cutting the cake into slices.
Expert Tips
- If you want even more flavor, toast the walnuts before using them. I like to bake them at about 350 for about 8 minutes. If they are in smaller pieces, bake them for about 5 minutes.
- Don't overmix the cheesecake mixture. You just want to make sure there aren't any large lumps of cream cheese.
- Make sure the carrot cake is completely cooled before topping with the cheesecake mixture or the cheesecake mixture can melt.
- Make sure you run a knife on the inside of the pan before releasing it to make sure the cheesecake doesn't stick to it.
Recipe and Storage FAQs
Keep this cheesecake cold at all times except when serving. Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Wrap it well or store in an airtight container. I usually wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
You’ll need about 3-4 carrots to yield 1 ½ grated carrots.
Yes. Once made you can cover it well with saran wrap and place in an airtight container and freeze. It should be good for up to 3 months. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw it.
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- 9 inch springform pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Carrot Cake
- 1¼ cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup oil
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped walnuts plus more for decorating (optional)
- ¼ cup raisins
Cheesecake
- 16 oz vegan cream cheese slightly softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup vegan heavy cream or coconut cream
- ¼ cup vanilla non-dairy yogurt or vegan sour cream
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-dairy oil spray.
- Whisk together the 1¼ cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the ½ cup non-dairy milk, ¼ cup oil, ⅓ cup applesauce, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Stir in the 1½ cups grated carrots, ½ cup chopped walnuts, and ¼ cup raisins. Pour into the springform pan and place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for about 35 minutes or until done. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Next, make the cheesecake layer. In a bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand-held mixer, mix together the 16 oz vegan cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until well mixed. Add in the ½ cup vegan heavy cream, ¼ cup vanilla non-dairy yogurt and 2 tsps vanilla extract. Mix until there are no large lumps of cream cheese.
- Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the cooled carrot cake and level the top with a knife. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can optionally decorate with more walnuts.
- Run a knife along the inside of the springform pan before releasing it and cutting the cake into slices. Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you want even more flavor, toast the walnuts before using them. I like to bake them at about 350 for about 8 minutes. If your walnut are already chopped into pieces, then bake for less time - about 5 minutes.
- Don't overmix the cheesecake mixture. You just want to make sure there aren't any large lumps of cream cheese.
- Make sure the carrot cake is completely cooled before topping with the cheesecake mixture.
- Make sure you run a knife on the inside of the pan before releasing it to make sure the cheesecake doesn't stick to it.
Jen says
My family just loves this cheesecake carrot cake. It’s a must for Easter!