Healthy Vegan Carrot Cake Smoothie

5 from 1 vote

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This vegan carrot cake smoothie tastes like carrot cake but can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack or a healthy dessert.

It’s thick, creamy, packed with nutrition and is an easy way to sneak some extra veggies into your diet. There are plenty of ways to customize it too. Try a scoop of almond butter for extra fats and creaminess, blend in some cauliflower to add volume and fiber or add some oats for another layer of flavour and nutrition.

Creamy carrot smoothie in a glass topped with a few raisins.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Vegan, gluten-free.
  • High in protein.
  • No added sugar.
  • Can make as a smoothie bowl.
  • Tastes like carrot cake!
  • Low in calories.
  • Add extras to make it more substantial.

Ingredient Notes

Banana, pineapple carrot and protein powder in a blender container.
  • Pineapple: Frozen pineapple is recommended but you can use fresh pineapple or unsweetened canned pineapple tidbits.
  • Frozen Banana: This sweetens the smoothie and makes it thick and creamy.
  • Carrot: Use fresh raw carrots.
  • Protein Powder: Any vanilla protein powder is suitable.
  • Milk: I like unsweetened almond milk but you can use any milk you like. If you’re using full-fat or light coconut milk, I’d suggest only using up to 1/4 cup and the rest a lighter milk like soy, oat, cashew milk, etc.

This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Extra Ingredients

This smoothie is quite low in calories so it’s suitable for a snack, light breakfast or healthy dessert. To bump up the calories a bit and make it a larger-sized smoothie suitable for a meal replacement, I would suggest 1-2 of the following additions:

  • 3-4 fresh, soft datessweetens, add calories/carbs for a pre-workout
  • 1-2 tbsp of chia seeds or ground flax – thickens and adds healthy fats
  • 2-3 tbsp of hemp seeds – great source of healthy fats, adds calories
  •  2-3 tbsp of unsweetened shredded coconut flakes – adds fats and more carrot cake flavour!
  • light coconut milk instead of almond milk – adds fats/calories, creaminess, coconut pairs well with carrot and pineapple
  • 2 tbsp of almond or cashew butter – this is my favourite for extra creaminess and flavour
  • 1/4 cup of rolled oats – adds extra carbs, fibre and nutrition, thickens
  • 1/4 cup of almonds or cashews – an alternative to nut butter, just make sure you have a powerful blender
  • 1/2 cup steamed and frozen cauliflower – adds nutrition, fibre and volume
  • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt – thickens, adds creaminess and balances out the sweetness from the banana and protein powder, I like vanilla coconut yogurt

You may need to adjust the liquid a bit if you make any of these changes. Another option is to make it as a smoothie bowl and top it with coconut, granola, banana and almond butter.

For more options, check out my list of the best vegetables to add to smoothies or the best superfoods to add to smoothies.

Tips & Notes

To make this smoothie:

  • add the liquid first then add the rest of the ingredients
  • start blending on low until it “catches” then slowly increase the speed
  • blend briefly on high until completely smooth and creamy
  • keep blending time as minimal as possible otherwise the ingredients may melt as the blender heats
Pouring a thick carrot smoothie from a blender into a glass.

Smoothie Bowl Option

This recipe is delicious as is but it’s also awesome as a thicker smoothie bowl, especially topped with granola, raisins, coconut and banana. To make a smoothie bowl:

  • Reduce the liquid to 1/2 a cup.
  • Blend on low either stopping to scrape down the sides or using your blenders tamper to press the ingredients down until they blend.
  • You may need to add just a bit more liquid until you can get it to blend but try to keep the liquid to a minimum for the thickest, creaminess consistency.

FAQs

Should I used cooked or raw carrot?

If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, roughly chopped raw carrots work. No high-speed blender? Use finely grated raw carrot. Frozen carrot is also works but I’d suggest thawing it first if you don’t have a high-speed blender.

Do I have to use protein powder?

Protein powder thickens, sweetness and adds protein to the smoothie. I would recommend making the smoothie with vanilla protein but if you’d like to skip it you can replace it with an extra half a frozen banana.

Creamy carrot smoothie in a glass topped with a few raisins and a sprinkle of coconut.

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Creamy carrot smoothie in a glass topped with a few raisins.
5 from 1 vote

Vegan Carrot Cake Smoothie

By: Deryn Macey
This vegan carrot cake smoothie tastes like carrot cake but is healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast or a yummy snack any time of day. You’ll love this creamy blend for a high-protein treat!
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup almond milk or plant-based milk of choice, 250 ml
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks, 140 g
  • 1 frozen banana, 120 g
  • 1 cup chopped fresh carrot, 100 g, about 1 medium or 2 small carrot
  • 1 serving vegan vanilla protein powder, 30 g
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Add the milk to a high-speed blender then add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Start blending on low then slowly increase speed and blend until smooth and creamy. If needed, add up to 1/4 cup additional milk to get it to blend and then reach your desired consistency.
  • Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Notes

This is also amazing as a smoothie bowl. To make it, simply decrease the liquid to 1/2 cup and use the tamper of your blender to press the ingredients down, blending on low until you have a thick, ice cream-like consistency.
If you don’t have a high-speed blender, finely grate the carrot before adding to your blender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 289kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 3g, Fiber: 10g
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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is like supper and dessert in a glass all together and perfect for a hot summer day. Yumm, this is sooo good! ย I added a touch of maple syrup and a dollop of vegan whip cream to make it pretty.

    1. Nope. Right now I’m using North Coast Naturals Vege Pro-7…it’s a blend of 7 organic proteins like I listed, they’re a Canadian company but I believe some of their online retailers ship to the US. I can’t eat pea protein so I am limited in choices. I’d probably wouldn’t bother making my own to be honest but I have seen some recipes around for DIY protein powder.

      1. Thank you. I am Canadian. Enjoy Canadian made protein powders with as little added as I have some significant sensitivity. Thank you very much. Enjoying you blog new to vegetarian mostly vegan.
        Megan