The best of both worlds comes together to create the ultimate dessert with Dairy-Free Cheesecake. Combining tender, moist, spiced carrot cake with the creamy, decadent tang of cheesecake, this is a dessert the entire family will love. This recipe comes with a full dairy version as well.

This impressive dessert will instantly wow as you slice in to reveal its beautiful layers. With a few easy steps including a luscious Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting, you will feel like a total kitchen superstar. Whether you’re looking for a special occasion confection or just want to turn a weekend into an event, this show-stopping mashup will have you reaching for the mixing bowl and never ordering a store-bought cake again.

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Why you will love this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions for the dairy-free version
Instructions for the full dairy version
Storage
Equipment
Top Tips
FAQ
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

Why you will love this recipe

Texture - This carrot cake combines the tender crumb of a moist carrot cake with the creamy and dreamy silkiness of cheesecake. There’s no need to decide. You can have your cake, and eat your cheesecake too!
Make Ahead - Because of the cheesecake layer, this is a cake that needs to be made ahead of time. Feel free to make this the day before an event and allow it to refrigerate until ready to frost and serve!
Easy Process - Unlike some recipes for carrot cake cheesecake that have you baking the cake and cheesecake separately, this recipe bakes them together, starting with the cake. Think of the carrot cake as the crust you’ve always needed in your life!

Ingredients

Gluten-Free Flour - I recommend using gluten-free one-to-one flour. This way you don’t have to add any additional ingredients like xanthan gum. Make sure to check your ingredients however as some varieties contain milk powder. You will need this for both the cake and the cheesecake.

Cornstarch - This helps keep gluten-free cakes soft and fluffy. A little goes a long way.

Sugar - Sweetens both the carrot cake base and the cheesecake as well.

Baking Powder/Soda

Spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger bring warmth to every bite of the gluten-free carrot cake.

Vegetable Oil - This keeps the carrot cake tender and moist while also being a neutral flavor.

Eggs - You’ll want large, room-temperature eggs for both the carrot cake and dairy-free cheesecake.

Shredded Carrots - These add natural sweetness and texture to the carrot cake. Hand-shredded is always best.

Vanilla - Pick a high-quality vanilla for the maximum amount of flavor. You will use it in both the cake and also the cheesecake.

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese - This adds tang and creaminess to the cheesecake. I used Kitehill for this recipe.

Dairy-Free Sour Cream - This makes the cheesecake extra creamy and decadent while also adding tang.

NOTE: For the full dairy version remove the flour and the dairy-free creams. Replace the creams with full dairy creams.

Instructions for the dairy-free version

Make sure that your eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream are all at room temperature. This will give you a smooth, creamy, lump-free texture.
Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Lightly spray a 9” springform pan with nonstick baking spray.
Add the flour, cornstarch, spices, baking powder, and baking soda to a bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl add the oil, eggs, and sugar and mix to combine.
Fold in the carrots.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix to just combine. You want to be careful not to overmix.
Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared springform pan.
Let your cake bake for 18-20 minutes. Keep in mind that it’s going to bake longer with the cheesecake layer.
While your cake is baking make your cheesecake layer. Add the cream cheese to a bowl and mix on medium-low until it is smooth and creamy without any lumps.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium-low until creamy and completely combined.
Once the carrot cake is done remove the pan from the oven and turn the oven down to 325 °F.
Line the bottom of the springform pan with foil to prevent any water from getting in.
Place the springform pan into a larger pan such as a roaster.
Carefully fill the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the springform pan.
Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the carrot cake.
Allow the carrot cake cheesecake to bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time! The cheesecake should be slightly jiggly in the center with no air bubbles.
Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. Allow the cheesecake to remain in the cooling oven for an hour.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool further on the counter for another 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the foil from the bottom of the pan and allow the cake to cool for an additional 30 minutes on the counter.
Place the cake into the refrigerator and let it chill for an additional 4-6 hours. You can do this the night before.
Once completely cooled and set, frost the cake with Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting.

Instructions for the full dairy version

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Lightly coat the 9-inch springform pan.
In a bowl, combine all dry carrot cake ingredients. In a mixer, whisk together eggs, oil, and sugar until combined.
Fold in carrots.
Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Pour into pan and bake for 18-20 minutes.
While baking, prepare the cheesecake mixture.
On medium-low, beat cream cheese until there are no clumps. (Medium-low will prevent too much air from entering).
Add in sour cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
Mix on medium-low for another 2 minutes.
Once the carrot cake is done, lower oven temp to 325 °F, and cover the bottom of the springform pan with foil to prevent water from entering.
Place the springform pan in a larger pan and fill with water ½ way.
Pour cheesecake mix on top of the carrot cake.
Bake for 50 mins. Cheesecake should be slightly jiggly in the center with no air bubbles on top. Turn off the oven.
Crack oven and leave in for 1 hour to cool.
Remove from oven, and let cool for another 30 mins on the counter.
Remove foil, cook for 30 more mins then place in the fridge for 4-6 hours.
For frosting: beat cream cheese and butter for 1-2 mins. Slowly add the remaining ingredients and mix until it's smooth. Frost the cake and place it in the fridge until ready to serve.

Storage

Because of both the cheesecake layer and the frosting, you will want to keep this refrigerated unless it’s being served. Allow it to cool completely and then cover it with either plastic wrap or foil. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. Trust me though, it will get devoured first. It’s that good!

Equipment

Top Tips

Always allow your eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream to come to room temperature before mixing your carrot cake and cheesecake. This will help prevent over mixing the cake and ensure that the cheesecake is super creamy and lump free.
When your cheesecake layer is baking don’t open the oven door! As tempting as it might be to peak this will cause it to fall.
Don’t skip the step of wrapping your springform pan in foil. This will prevent the water from the steam bath from getting into your cake.
To help ensure you don’t splash any watering into your cake, you can add it to the oven if you like.

FAQ

Can this dairy-free cheesecake be made with dairy?

Yes! You can make this same recipe with full dairy cream cheese and sour cream. Please refer to the recipe for more details. I have a full dairy recipe version as well.

Can I make the carrot cake layer ahead of time?

Yes! The carrot cake layer can be made a couple of days in advance. Allow it to cool completely before coving the spring from the pan. Keep it refrigerated. When ready to make the cheesecake layer allow it to come to room temperature while you preheat your oven and make the cheesecake batter.

Can I use pre-shredded carrots for this recipe?

You can but store-bought pre-shredded carrots tend to be a lot thicker. This will give you a more coarse texture.

Do I have to frost this carrot cake cheesecake?

The frosting is completely optional. You can leave it off if you like. However, is frosting ever a bad idea?

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