Healthy Vegan Date Loaf Cake

A slice of vegan date cake with pieces of date inside the crumb.

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: date cake, healthy breakfast recipe, loaf cake, vegan cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 270kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Equipment

Large and medium bowls
Spoons and spatula
Small kitchen scale (or measuring cups)
Measuring spoons
Loaf pan (and parchment paper)

Ingredients

190 g Medjool dates or 1 cup
250 g boiling water or 1 cup
70 g canola or coconut oil (melted) or ⅓ cup
110 g dairy-free milk or ½ cup
90 g brown sugar or ½ cup
250 g all-purpose flour or 2 cups
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl or glass jar, add the chopped date and boiling water. Stir to ensure all the dates are well submerged. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then use the back of a spoon to roughly mash them (a few small pieces intact are fine).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, pour the date-water mix, then add the dairy-free milk, brown sugar and oil (melt it first if using coconut oil), then use a large whisk to combine.
Pour the wet mixture over the bowl with the flour, then keep mixing until uniform (do not overmix).
Pour the cake batter into the loaf pan, then bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the loaf cool down completely before unmolding and slicing. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

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.
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition