Healthy Vegan Date Loaf Cake

This vegan date cake is easy to make, moist and tender and loaded with sweet chunks of dates that add a delicious caramel-like flavor. It makes for an amazing snack or dessert that's healthier and made completely vegan, egg-free and dairy-free.

I love making vegan loaf cakes! My most recent favorites are this vegan chocolate loaf cake or this ultra-decadent sourdough apple loaf cake when I have some discard to use. They make for the perfect afternoon snack with a cup of tea or make ahead loaf cake for healthy breakfasts during a busy week.

And this time I made a vegan date cake featuring sweet Medjool dates and the result is outstanding! Vegan desserts using dates are amazing not only to limit the addition of processed sugar, but also to help keep baked goods moist and tender. Plus, dates add a wonderful caramel flavor all naturally!

You will love how soft, perfectly sweet and moist this vegan date cake is plus, it is made healthier with less added sugar. Add a drizzle of this ultra easy and no-cook 3-ingredient salted peanut butter caramel for a treat!

Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• Easy, fast and simple loaf cake recipe
• Mostly sweetened with dates (+ a little brown sugar)
• Moist and tender
• Full of sweet caramel flavors
• Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free and easy to make nut-free (use oat milk or soy milk!)

🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)

• Dates: for the best result, use large dates that are super soft and almost creamy. My favorite ones to bake with are the Medjool dates (you can usually find them in the produce section of a grocery store)! They add lots of natural sweetness and they are extra soft!
• Dairy-free milk: I used unsweetened and unflavored oat milk (full fat) from Oatly, but you can use soy milk, almond milk or cashew milk.
• Oil: I used coconut oil (refined and melted), but canola oil or another neutral-flavored oil is fine too.
• Flour: regular all-purpose white flour is what you need for this loaf. Avoid bread flour for a soft and tender result.
• Brown sugar: you won't need much to make this loaf since the dates are already naturally super sweet. You can swap for regular white sugar.

⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!

📝 Variations

• Date walnut cake: feel free to add a handful of chopped walnuts (or pecans) to the cake batter to add a nice crunch and healthy omega-3 fats!
• Vegan date orange cake: add the zest of one orange and swap half the milk for orange juice (instead of 110g of milk, use 55g of orange juice + 55g of milk). You could also simply add a few drops of orange extract!
• More flavoring ingredients: add some vanilla extract, more cinnamon, ground nutmeg or cardamom or even chocolate chips!

🍽 How to make a vegan date cake

Step 1: Add the chopped dates to the boiling water and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Then, use a spoon to roughly mash them (it's ok if some pieces of dates stay intact).

Step 2: In a medium bowl, pour the water-date mixture, then add the dairy-free milk, brown sugar and oil (melt it first if using coconut oil). Use a large whisk to combine the ingredients.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 4: Then, pour the wet ingredients over.

Step 5: Use a large whisk to combine the ingredients until uniform without any visible lumps of dry flour.

Step 6: Transfer the cake batter into a parchment paper cover loaf pan, then bake at 350ºF for 50-55 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Once done, let the cake cool down in the pan before unmolding and slicing.

⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!

💡 Baking tips

• Make sure not to overmix the cake batter for a fluffy and light texture. I prefer using a hand-held whisk to mix the batter as opposed to an electric mixer, which helps control how much I mix. If you use electric beaters, then do not mix for too long!
• Keep a few pieces of dates intact when mashing them. Chunks of dates give a nice texture to the loaf and a nice sweet + chewy bite.
• Do not overbake the loaf! Each oven is different, so watch carefully while it bakes and take the loaf out of the oven once a toothpick comes out clean. Mine usually takes 50-55 minutes to bake.

❗️ Storage tips

Once the loaf cake is fully cooled down, then transfer to an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, transfer to the fridge.

You can also freeze the loaf for up to 3 months! Pre-slice the loaf in individual slices so you can easily grab and go one portion at a time. Let it thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

🍴 Serving suggestions

This date cake is delicious just as is and plenty sweet already, thanks to the yummy dates. But for a special treat, then serve with vanilla ice cream, a peanut butter caramel sauce or top with whipped cream.

❓ FAQs

I hope you enjoyed this vegan date cake recipe! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below. Your feedback is so helpful!

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