Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe (GERD, Low Histamine)

Last Updated on September 22, 2026 by The Allergy Chef

I’m SOOOOO pumped to share with you a delicious vegan gluten free carrot cake recipe that’s also suitable for the low histamine diet. Heads up, if you don’t follow a low histamine diet, use this vegan gluten free carrot cake recipe instead. It’s also top 9 free, but will include a few more traditional ingredients including apple cider vinegar, and uses flaxseeds instead of chia.

This great recipe is naturally refined sugar free, however, check out the recipe notes if you can have cane sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, etc.).

Allergy Status

Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nuts, Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Alliums, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Celery, Citrus, Coconut, Corn, Cruciferous, Garlic, Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Onion, Pea & Pea Protein, Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Squash & Gourd, Strawberry, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast

Friendly To: EOE, GERD, Low FODMAP, Low Histamine, Vegan

Tools to Make This Awesome Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe

• Handheld Electric Mixer OR Stand Mixer (technically you could use a large mixing bowl and whisk by hand, but something with power will be much easier)
• Vegetable Peeler
• Knife (this is my current fave knife series)
• Cutting Board
• Box Grater
• Kitchen Scale (this is non-negotiable in free-from baking, as it allows me to give you precise numbers so you’ll have success at home)
• Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
• Large Baking Tray (I have a lot of trays from this brand)
• Spatula
• Parchment Paper

If you don’t have some of these tools, you can view what I use in my Amazon Shop.

Ingredients for This Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Binding Agent

• 4 TBSP Chia Seed Meal (this is the one that I use)
• 12 TBSP Water

Part 1 Ingredients (Dry Ingredients)

• 350g Organic Maple Sugar
• 120g Sorghum Flour, superfine
• 90g Potato Starch
• 60g Arrowroot
• 60g Organic Gluten Free Purity Protocol Oat Flour
• 40g Millet Flour
• 5 tsp Baking Powder
• 14g Organic Ground Cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
• 3/4 tsp Baking Soda

Part 2 Ingredient

• 225mL Milk of Choice (8 ounces/1 cup)

Part 3 Ingredient

• 225mL Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (8 ounces/1 cup)

Part 4 Ingredient

• 140mL Hot Water (5 ounces)

Part 5 Ingredient

• 230g Organic Shredded Carrots (8.3 ounces)

Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Ingredient Notes

Chia Note: Chia seed meal is a special product, and this is the one that I use. Chia seeds are the whole seed, and meal is a ground version that gels up differently. Whole chia seeds will not work in this recipe, so be sure to purchase the meal online if you don’t already have some (this isn’t a product sold in most grocery stores).

Maple Sugar: Maple sugar is a granulated sweetener and can be swapped for organic coconut sugar, organic white sugar, organic  brown sugar, and so on. However, each of these sweeteners will have a different flavor, and will shift the sweetness of the final cake, so swap with your eyes wide open. For the least amount of shift, use another unrefined sweetener (organic date sugar and organic coconut sugar). Liquid sweeteners (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, sorghum syrup, etc.) cannot be used in this recipe. Finally, DO NOT swap the maple sugar for something like unsweetened applesauce.

Gluten Free Flour: This recipe uses a total of 370g of gluten-free flours. You can swap my flours for an all purpose flour. However, this isn’t something I’ve personally tested (and never will because I’m allergic to it), so swap with your eyes wide open. Do NOT swap the gluten free flour blend for a single flour like rice flour only or cassava flour only. It won’t work if you do.

Milk of Choice: You can use any safe-for-you milk in this cake recipe including almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, or oat milk (needs to be homemade for low histamine).

Carrots: You can use orange carrots, purple carrots, white carrots, or red carrots when making your carrot cake.

Low Histamine Cinnamon Note

At least one popular low histamine list says to avoid cinnamon. However, all the other major institutions give cinnamon a green light. This is one of those times where “no two people are the same” really rings true. If you can’t have cinnamon, you can still make this carrot cake recipe, but manage your expectations. If you can tolerate ingredients such as ginger, cardamom, or nutmeg, you can tinker with adding some of that instead.

Choosing the Best Cake Pan for This Carrot Cake Recipe

Remember how I said this carrot cake recipe is also low histamine? Well, part of what makes this successful is the use of a large sheet pan. If you are not low histamine, and want one of the best vegan carrot cake recipes from my award winning free-from bakery, use this recipe instead. That recipe is rated for different cake pans.

For my gluten free, vegan, low histamine (or GERD) peeps, let’s talk about cake pans. The height is the key to success when baking your cake. A sheet pan forces the batter to be the right height. If you were to fill an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan normally (half full or 3/4 full), your cake will fail. There’s a high chance that the center of the cake will be totally underdone and that’s because this recipe has been finessed for several diet types.

Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t use cake rounds. Instead, you have to mind the height when using said rounds. In fact, you can use any cake pan, so long as you fill it to the height of a sheet pan (about 1/2 inch [1.25cm]). You’ll need to make lots of short cake rounds if you’d like to stack them to have a tall cake of some sort.

Ultimately, for ease, stick to the sheet pan. You can still frost a sheet pan cake and have a grand old time when serving it to friends and family.

More Delicious Vegan Gluten Free Dessert Recipes

• Corn Free + Grain Free Soft and Fluffy Lemon Cookies Recipe
• Refined Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies Recipe (cut-out cookies)
• Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe (top 9 free)
• Gluten Free Vegan Churros Recipe (top 9 free)

Easy Carrot Cake Directions (with pictures)

Bake Temp & Baking Time: 350f/175c | 26 – 28 Minutes

Alright, let’s dive into the instructions for this vegan cake. For ease, I broke up the liquid ingredients in the ingredient list so you don’t mess up with the steps.

Start by combining your chia seed meal and water together in a small bowl. Mix together very well and set aside.

Next, peel, wash, and grate/shred your carrots and set aside. I use a box grater like this one to get the job done. Use a smaller opening on your box grater so you don’t have giant pieces of carrot in your final baked cake. Now is also a good time to preheat your oven.

For cake, I use an electric stand mixer with the wire attachment. You can also mix by hand, or use an electric handheld mixer with a large bowl.

Place your empty mixing bowl on your kitchen scale, tare to zero, and add all of the Part 1 Ingredients (dry ingredients). Be sure to tare between weighted ingredients. Once they’re all in, lightly mix to combine. This is also a good time to get your hot water going. Now, let’s move on to the wet ingredients.

Place an empty measuring cup on your kitchen scale, tare to zero, and measure out the milk. With your mixer on low speed, add your milk of choice to the cake batter. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds, then turn the mixer off for one minute.

Whilst you wait, place the dirty measuring cup on the scale, tare to zero, and measure out the oil. Turn the mixer back on low speed, then pour the oil in. As that mixes, pop that dirty cup on the scale one more time, tare, then measure your hot water.

When the oil is mostly incorporated, add the hot water. Once the hot water is fully incorporated, turn the mixer off and add your chia gel. Mix until fully combined, then turn the mixer off again.

Whilst waiting, measure out your oil. Turn the mixer back on low speed and add the oil. When it’s mostly incorporated, add the hot water. Finally, add the grated carrots and return to mixing on low speed. Once the carrots are incorporated, mix on high speed for 30 seconds. Turn your mixer off and you’re ready to bake.

Transfer the batter to a large baking tray that’s been lined with parchment paper (makes for an easy release and easy clean up). Bake at 350f/175c for 26 – 28 minutes. When it’s time to check your cake, a toothpick should come out clean (a few small crumbs are OK).

That’s it! You’re ready to enjoy this low histamine version of a classic carrot cake that’s a vegan, gluten free, top 9 free recipe.

More Delicious Gluten Free Specialty Cake Recipes (Low Histamine & More)

Each one of these special cake recipes is all about inclusion. Sure, it’s low histamine or low FODMAP, or truly corn free, or something else. BUT!! These cakes have been tested on people WITHOUT dietary restrictions, and they are all sold. Yeah… these recipes are THAT good, so make one. Or four 🙂

• Low Histamine Gluten Free Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe
• Low Histamine Gluten Free Vegan Tiger Nut Cake (Nut free, truly corn free, tiger nuts are tubers)
• Top 9 Free Low Histamine Vanilla Sheet Pan Cake Recipe (one of the best cake recipes you’ll make this week)
• Low FODMAP Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake Recipe

How to Jazz Up This Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

There are a lot of things you can do to jazz up this egg free carrot cake recipe, so be sure to keep these ideas in mind for next time. I’ve separated the ideas into four sections, so you can read the one that resonates with your dietary restrictions (if you have any outside of gluten free and vegan).

Low Histamine Jazzing

If you’re following a low histamine diet, here are some ways you can create delicious carrot cakes at home:

• Dust Your Cake with Organic Powdered Sugar Before Serving
• Make a Glaze and Drizzle All Over (cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, carrot, etc.)
• Serve with Low Histamine Ice Cream (carrot, vanilla, etc.)
• Top with Crushed Blackberries (you can macerate in a syrup first)
• Drizzle Organic Maple Butter on Top (maple butter is a dairy free whipped maple syrup product)
• Add Dates (place chopped dates on the sheet pan before adding the batter)
• Cook Sweet Glazed Carrots and Top (think compote, but intensely flavoured diced carrots)
• Top with Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds

GERD Jazzing

• Combine Diced Banana with Cinnamon for Upside Down Cake (spread this on the baking tray, then add the cake batter)
• Dust Your Cake with Organic Powdered Sugar Before Serving
• Make a Glaze and Drizzle All Over (cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, carrot, etc.)
• Serve with GERD Friendly Ice Cream (carrot, vanilla, cardamom, etc.)
• Top with Crushed Fruit (you can macerate in a syrup first)
• Drizzle Organic Maple Butter on Top (maple butter is a dairy free whipped maple syrup product)
• Add Dates (place chopped dates on the sheet pan before adding the batter)
• Cook Sweet Glazed Carrots and Top (think compote, but intensely flavoured diced carrots)

Top 9 Free Jazzing

If you fall within top 9 free and don’t need to take low histamine or GERD into consideration, here are some ideas you can try to jazz up your next carrot cake. Remember, you can also use this fantastic carrot cake recipe from my award winning free-from bakery.

• Dust with Powdered Sugar Just Before Serving
• Serve with a Side of Carrot Ice Cream (or vanilla, chocolate, etc.)
• Make This a Spice Cake (add warm spices such as ginger, nutmeg, and all spice)
• Drizzle an Orange Juice Glaze on Top
• Flavour Extracts Such as Rum, and Toffee (this is the brand that I use)
• Make a Pineapple Glaze (I make this with freeze dried fruit from this brand)
• Create a Dense Balsamic Glaze (start with this balsamic)
• Top with a Strawberry Compote
• Fold in Mini Chocolate Chips (chocolate and carrot cake totally work)
• Fold in Chopped Pumpkin Seeds or Watermelon Seeds or Sunflower Seeds (only if you love the taste and it can mimic chopped nuts)

Everyone Else Jazzing

In addition to all of the ideas I’ve shared in the above three categories, here are more ways to jazz up this gluten free vegan carrot cake:

• Top with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
• Serve with a Side of Vanilla Coconut Milk Ice Cream
• Make Crushed Glazed Sticky Pecans (like a loaded caramel sauce) and Serve on Top (this would also work with almonds and walnuts)
• Fold Crushed Macadamia Nuts into Your Cake Batter
• Top With Homemade Frosting (chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom)
• Make a Light Citrus Glaze and Drizzle on Top (don’t be heavy handed with the citrus or it will be too much)

How to Store Your Low Histamine + GF + Vegan Carrot Cake

Storing cake properly is going to change depending on where you live, and the current season (I’ve done some testing). For the absolute best results, cut individual slices of your carrot cake and store them in small airtight containers in the freezer. You can store cake in your freezer with or without frosting. To thaw, leave it on the counter top for about 90 minutes, and it’s like day one cake all over again. You can store leftovers in the freezer for several months. Be sure to use an airtight container when storing your classic dessert, and ideally, have as much air removed as possible to prevent freezer burn from happening.

You can also store cake leftovers in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Be sure the cake is well covered, especially the sides of the cake, to make sure you don’t end up with dry hard bits of cake. Whilst lots of people like to use plastic wrap when storing cake leftovers, personally, I use foil and wrap things nice and tight. I also sometimes have a layer of parchment paper, then foil on top of that.

Ultimately, make sure the cake is completely covered and in an airtight container, and you’ll be good to go.

More Tasty Gluten Free + Vegan Recipes

• Carrot Cake Waffles (top 9 free, low histamine)
• Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (this can be made as soy or nut free cream cheese frosting)
• Vanilla Vegan Buttercream Recipe (top 9 free)
• Vegan Gluten Free White Chocolate Apple Cake Recipe (one of my kids say this is one of their favorite cake recipes)

Answering Your Questions About This Vegan Gluten Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Can I use coconut oil in place of the olive oil?

No, you can’t use coconut oil in this carrot cake recipe in place of the olive oil. It has to do with room temperature state (sold verses liquid). Coconut oil, vegan butter, shortening, and other hard fats won’t work in this recipe.

Liquid fats on the other hand will work. My top choice is organic tiger nut oil (this is nut-free, it’s a tuber, not a tree nut). From there, you can use substitutes like a neutral oil or even sunflower oil. I don’t suggest canola oil or vegetable oil. I also don’t suggest avocado oil if you’ll be serving someone with a sensitive palate.

One of my taste testers can absolutely call out anytime I bake with avocado oil and swears they get taco vibes.

Can I make this cake batter in my food processor rather than a stand mixer?

Maybe. Personally, I’ve never made cake batter in a food processor, and that’s because there’s a blade involved, not a beater. However, you can make pie dough and graham cracker dough in a food processor, so it’s worth a try.

If you do give it a go, when it’s time to add the shredded carrots, you’ll need to remove the blade and mix them in manually with a spatula. If you don’t, the carrots might be kind of obliterated.

Additionally, a food processor can be considerably smaller than a stand mixer or large bowl + handheld mixer. Start with a half batch of this recipe, just to be sure you don’t run into any issues. You’ll also need to use a smaller backing tray since there’s less batter, or make two half batches and use the large baking tray.

Would flax eggs work in place of the chia seed?

A flax binding agent would work in this recipe, so long as you can tolerate flax. I’d suggest using 4 TBSP Golden Flax Meal + 8 TBSP Water. This is the brand of golden flaxseed meal that I use, and it delivers the best results.

Will this taste good if I add vanilla extract?

Absolutely. The vanilla extract has been left out since this is a low histamine cake recipe. If you don’t need a strictly low histamine (or GERD) cake recipe, use this carrot cake recipe instead. Fun fact: it’s from my award winning bakery, and is an absolute hit. It was a customer favourite for years, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

Can I use almond flour instead of your gluten-free flours?

Almond flour, sometimes called almond meal, should not be used standalone to replace my gluten free flour mix. Almond flour is not a 1:1 all purpose type flour that can be used like this.

If you need to use something that’s grain free, I’d encourage you to experiment with an all purpose grain free flour blend to replace my gluten-free flours. There’s no promises that it will work out since grain free + egg free baking is a whole different discipline, but you can try.

The better option will be finding a grain free cake recipe that meets your needs from the ground up, without having to make any substitutions.

Can I use spelt flour instead of your gluten-free flours?

No, spelt flour, a type of wheat flour, won’t work stand alone in place of the gluten-free flours. You’d need some kind of all purpose flour (sometimes called regular flour) to replace the blend of gluten free flours.

Also know, this is a gluten free recipe, and spelt contains gluten, in case this is your first time baking free-from and you don’t know the different names for wheat.

Is it OK to make cake batter with a paddle attachment?

I think I’ve done this once or twice in a pinch and it’s not the end of the world. Air moves a little bit different from one paddle to the next. Since this isn’t a thick cook dough, meringue, speciality bread, or anything that really needs a particular attachment, it won’t be the end of the world if you make this with a paddle attachment.

Just be sure to give your cake batter a good mix by hand at the end before transferring it to your parchment-lined baking tray. This ensures there aren’t any pockets of unmixed dry ingredients.

Would this be a good cake to serve at a special occasion?

Maybe. I think if you’re serving a standard crowd of gluten free and vegan eaters, this vegan gluten-free carrot cake recipe is a better option. Since this recipe is low histamine as well as gluten free and vegan, you may not be used to the texture, and the use of chia seeds.

The cake recipe I linked is a great option for birthday parties, baby showers, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, and everything in between. Either way, both recipes are also nut-free and will be able to serve a crowd with a range of mixed dietary restrictions.

If you’re serving a group and someone happens to be low histamine or follow a GERD diet, I think they’ll be BLOWN AWAY by the fact that they’re included in the dessert and can have their cake and eat it too with the whole group.

Can I use just one teaspoon sea salt?

Yes, you can reduce the salt to one teaspoon rather than the 1.5. However, the flavour will shift a little bit when doing that. So long as you manage your expectations, you’ll be fine.

Will this egg free vegan carrot cake recipe taste good with crushed walnuts?

Whilst I share nut-free dessert recipes, as long as YOU enjoy the taste of walnuts, yes, you’ll yummy carrot cake if you add crushed walnuts. Just make sure you’re using quality walnuts that haven’t gone off, as that can absolutely mess with the overall flavour.

Do I need to cool this cake on a cooling rack?

Whilst you could do this, I cool cake like this one directly in the sheet pan that it baked in. Also, if you try to flip this cake out, given the size and delicate nature, it will break and you’ll have really tasty cake crumbs all over your kitchen counter.

Can I leave out the maple sugar for a sugar-free carrot cake?

Nope, and I’m so glad you asked. If you leave out the maple sugar to make this a sugar-free carrot cake, you will have an awful, horrible, expensive baked *something*. Sure, no sugar might make it the best healthy carrot cake you’ve made in years, but when you go to take a bite out of said heathy dessert, you’re going to be be like, oh my goodness Becky.

The thing is, sugar is a core ingredient, especially in gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, free-from baking. In fact, it’s technically considered a liquid ingredient, even though it’s a dry granular item.

When you remove the sugar, you throw off the dry to wet ratios, you affect the texture, the rise, how soft the cake feels, and so much more. So, please don’t do that.

If you need truly added sugar free foods, I’d encourage you to look up a vegan gluten free carrot cake recipe that uses unsweetened applesauce, rather than an unrefined sweetener like maple or date.

What I can tell you is that my recipes aren’t designed to support that kind of sweetener, so don’t make that swap either. Find a recipe online that’s been built from the ground up to meet your needs, or get busy experimenting.

Alternatively, something you could do is find a basic pancake recipe that’s truly added sugar free, then add shredded carrots and cinnamon to the batter and you’ll end up with something that has carrot cake vibes.

Is this considered a healthy dessert since there are carrots?

When we compare this delicious carrot cake recipe to regular cake that uses highly refined sugar, low quality oil, possibly some GMO ingredients, and so on, sure we could argue this is a healthy dessert.

On the flip side, when we compare this to a bowl of fresh organic fruit topped with a little mascarpone and a touch of vanilla, this is a good carrot cake, but absolutely not a healthy dessert.

And that friend, is my point. It’s all about context and individual medical needs (along with any dietary restriction you manage). The term healthy isn’t a regulated one, and since no two people are the same, everyone is going to have a different answer.

Ultimately, if this cake meets your personal needs, sure we can say it’s got a touch of healthy going on, but it’s cake. Let’s not pretend this is like, steamed vegetables and lightly poached fish. Remember, in moderation, dessert can absolutely be part of a well balanced diet.

Can I make this recipe with room temperature water?

No, it has to be hot water for the ingredients to come together properly and for you to have the best results.

How can I make tangy cream cheese frosting?

Depending on the kind of cream cheese you purchase, it may already have a tiny bit of tang to it. To add more so you have a pronounced tang, I’d encourage you to experiment with acidic ingredients including lemon juice, lime juice, and even balsamic vinegar (there’s a time and place for this in a dessert recipe, especially if strawberries are involved).

Most frosting recipes call for some kind of liquid. You could use lemon juice as part of that liquid. Just try not to go overboard as the acid may mess with the texture of your frosting. Personally, when I make lemon based frostings, I use organic lemon zest and organic food grade oil, not juice, to make it work.

I’ll also note, I’ve only ever made dairy-free cream cheese frosting since I have a child with a milk allergy. Adding lemon juice to milk-based cream cheese may not work, so make a small batch of your cream cheese frosting and test it out first.

Could I bake this vegan carrot cake with pineapple chunks and raisins?

Raisins, absolutely yes. You could even experiment with golden raisins and cranberries if you’re feeling particularly brave. Pineapple chunks, I’m not so sure. Personally, I’ve not tested any cake recipe with pineapple chunks (I have done an upside down cake with rings, but that’s different).

If you were to do it upside down cake style, you should be OK. If you mix pineapple chunks into the batter, I’m not sure what the outcome would be. My guy reaction is to tell you you’d have too much liquid at that point.

If you really want to test this out, make up a batch of the cake batter, then separate 1/4 of it into a separate bowl. Mix in your pineapple chunks and do a test bake and see if you want to add chunks to the rest of the batter, or leave it as is. Happy baking!

Does this cake recipe bake up well, even without xanthan gum?

Yes!! Great news, well, not great, but you get the idea. I personally have a severe, life threatening corn allergy. That means a LOT of ingredients are off the table, including most xanthan gum.

I’ve been able to own and operate an award winning GF + free-from bakery, all without xanthan gum. Now, I did tinker with guar gum at one point, but when I did side by side comparisons (even with a freeze and thaw test), the guar gum didn’t have a meaningful impact.

Here’s why: I don’t call for all purpose flour. Instead, I make a custom gluten free flour blend for all of my recipes. This means there’s balance from the start, and you don’t need dough conditioners and enhancers and additives to boost the results.

So, as long as you follow this carrot cake recipe as-is, yes, it will turn out beautifully, even without xanthan gum, guar gum, and all their friends.