These little carrot cake bites bring together grated carrot, walnuts, raisins and gentle spices, bound with a ginger date paste that gives them a melting texture without any baking at all. Topped with a creamy cashew and lemon frosting, they offer all the pleasure of a slice of carrot cake, in bite-sized form. The recipe makes a generous amount: enough to fill a box for the week or to give some away.
Raw carrot cake bites with cashew and lemon frosting
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Ingredients
Bites
- 300 g pitted dates
- 20 g grated fresh ginger (or the equivalent in raw ginger)
- 60 ml filtered water
- 120 g raisins, chopped
- 180 g walnuts, chopped
- 280 g desiccated coconut
- 400 g grated carrots
- 100 g ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Cashew and lemon frosting
- 180 g unsoaked cashews
- 120 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 60 ml honey
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
Method
- Soak the dates with the grated ginger for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pulse the desiccated coconut, ground flaxseed, spices and walnuts: the mixture should remain grainy.
- Roughly chop the raisins and add them to the dry mixture.
- Fold in the grated carrots (or carrots pulsed for a few seconds in the food processor) with a spatula, then set aside.
- Blend the drained dates and ginger with the water for about 3 minutes, until you get a soft, caramel-like paste.
- Mix this paste with the dry ingredients until the mixture can be shaped into balls without crumbling. Shape the bites.
- For the frosting, blend all the ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Let it firm up in the fridge if needed, then top each bite with it.
Tip
The frosting can be made the day before and keeps for a few days in the fridge in a closed jar: it thickens as it cools and is then easier to spread. The unfrosted bites freeze very well; simply frost them once they have thawed.
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FAQ: your questions about raw carrot cake bites
What is the authentic carrot cake recipe?
Classic carrot cake is a baked cake made with grated carrots, flour, eggs, oil, sugar, nuts and spices, often cinnamon and ginger, topped with a cream cheese frosting. These raw bites keep all its familiar flavours: grated carrot, walnuts, raisins and spices, bound with a paste of dates and fresh ginger. Desiccated coconut and ground flaxseed replace the flour to give a texture that can be shaped into balls.
What is the best frosting for carrot cake?
The benchmark is cream cheese frosting, whose tanginess balances the sweetness of the cake. In a raw, plant-based version, a cashew and lemon frosting plays the same role: blend 180 g of cashews with the lemon juice and zest, a little honey and a pinch of cinnamon until you get a smooth cream. Put it in the fridge so that it thickens before spreading it.
What is the best tool for grating carrots?
For large quantities, like the 400 g of carrot in this recipe, the grating disc of a food processor is the fastest option and gives even strands. A hand grater with large holes works very well for a small batch, while a fine grater gives a moister texture. You can also pulse the carrot for a few seconds in the food processor with the S-blade to get small pieces, as the recipe suggests.
Can carrots be eaten raw?
Yes, carrots are very good raw, whole, cut into sticks or grated, as long as they are washed well, or even peeled if they are not organic. Finely grated, they become more tender and release their juice, which makes them ideal in no-bake recipes like these carrot cake bites. With a drizzle of lemon juice, they also keep their colour better.
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