Vegan Carrot Cake Jam
Sweet and bright, a little earthy and spiced, this carrot cake jam shows that fruits aren’t the ones that belong in sweet spreads! This carrot cake jam makes so much sense- while you might not immediately think “carrot” when it comes to jam, once you’ll understand that carrots and jam are the perfect pair.
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All About Carrots
As a kid, I used to hate carrots. They have an earthy quality that reminds me of dirt and I just couldn’t get over it. I am much more accepting of earthy tasting vegetables as an adult and I like carrots now. They have a sweetness that lends itself to this carrot cake jam recipe. Carrots are sweet and crunchy, but they do also have earthy notes. They are versatile and can be cooked in many ways or eaten raw. While we typically think of carrots as orange, they can also be purple, yellow, red, and white. They are great as they have a long shelf life, and are easy to keep in your fridge for quite a long time. In terms of nutrition they are low in calories and have a good amount of vitamins and minerals. Particularly they contain a lot of vitamin a as well as a good amount of calcium, fiber, vitamins k and c, iron, and potassium. They also contain antioxidants, including carotenoids and anthocyanins. And in case you’re wondering baby carrots are just large carrots that were cut smaller, and carrots might be slightly beneficial to your eyes, but if you wear glasses it’s not because you didn’t eat carrots. Another important thing to note about carrots is the leaves are edible. Most of the time when you buy carrots you will get them with just the root, but occasionally you might buy them with the leaves attached especially if you were shopping at a farmers market or farm stand. When you buy carrots that do have the leaves attached, make sure to utilize them. They should be chopped finely, and then they can be used just like parsley.
Looking for Sweet Spreads? Try one of these!
- Homemade Vegan Nutella Recipe
- White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Butter
- Two Crabapple Recipes: Crabapple Jelly and Butter
- Creamy Vegan Black Raspberry Curd
- Taste of Summer Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly
- Sunrise Vegan Rhubarb Curd
What’s Up, Doc? Try one of these Carrot Recipes!
- Curry Leaf Indian Carrot Salad
- Woodsy Cinnabar Chanterelle Vegan Carrot Cake
- Curry Leaf Oven Roasted Carrot Recipe
- Vegan Korean Corn Dogs from Carrots
- Carrot Tops Tabbouleh with Kamut
- Roasted Carrot, Garlic and Rosemary Soup
Vegan Carrot Cake Jam Tips and Tricks
- We made this recipe in two ways- the first as a straight up jam, the second was a chunkier version where we added walnuts and raisins. Without the add-ins, this jam reads more like a bright marmalade. With it reads more like a sweeter dessert.
- For a smoother jam, use an immersion blender part way though cooking to puree the carrots (making sure you don’t break up the cinnamon stick and star anise).
- This jam would be amazing as a filling between cake layers- the chunkier version I can see being especially good when paired with a chocolate cake.
- Add some to your morning oats for a bit of sweet deliciousness.
Vegan Carrot Cake Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated carrots (280g)
- 1 large lemon, juice and zest
- 1 large orange, juice and zest
- 1 star whole anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. water
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the jam in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for around 20 minutes. The carrots should have mostly broken down. Fish out the cinnamon scroll and star anise, and discard. Transfer the jam into a clean glass jar, and store in the fridge.
Notes
For a jam with more variation, stir in 1 tbsp. raisins and 3 tbsp. chopped walnuts once taking off the heat.
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