Cake for breakfast? Yes, please! This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal has all the flavors of a classic carrot cake but in a breakfast form! It's packed with flavor, it's easy to make, and freezer-friendly!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Perfect for Easter - Carrot cake always makes me think of Easter and spring. If you don't want to make a complicated cake but still want all the flavors, make this baked oatmeal! It's easy to make, healthy, and delicious! Top it with Greek yogurt instead of the classic cake frosting.
Simple and delicious - This oatmeal is packed with flavor, it's healthy, rich in protein, and so comforting! You only need simple ingredients and the recipe requires minimal prep. You can also check out this Creamy Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal for an even quicker version or these Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Waffles if you're in the mood for some waffles!
Freezer-friendly - You can store the baked oats in the fridge or the freezer which makes them perfect for busy mornings! All you have to do is let them defrost in the fridge overnight and warm up in the oven.
Ingredients
- Oats - Rolled oats are the best option here. You can also use quick-cooking oats but they will soak up more of the liquid and be more dense and mushy than old-fashioned rolled oats. Oats are naturally gluten-free but choose certified gluten-free if necessary.
- Eggs - Eggs make baked oatmeal have more of a cake-like texture. You can use a vegan egg substitute here too.
- Carrots - Fresh young carrots are best here. Thinner carrots with the greens still attached tend to be sweeter and
- Apples - Apples add sweetness and extra moisture to the oats. You can also use apple puree.
- Walnuts and Raisins - These are a classic in a carrot cake flavored anything but they're totally optional. You can use pecans instead of walnuts if desired.
- Spices - Carrot cake spices include cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. The oats are also flavored with vanilla extract but you can also use vanilla paste or vanilla powder.
- Lemon zest - Freshly grated lemon zest brightens up the oatmeal and gives it flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Choose an organic lemon if possible.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 375F (190C) and preparing a 12x8 inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, avocado oil, honey, vanilla extract, sea salt, and lemon zest.
- Add almond milk and whisk again.
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- In a small bowl, mix together rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Add the oat mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine well.
- Add grated carrots, grated apples, raisins, and walnuts.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared baking dish and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden on top.
- Divide the oatmeal into 6 servings and serve with toppings of your choice.
Serving and Storing
Serving: Serve the oatmeal while it's still hot topped with yogurt, nut butter, berries, chopped apples, pears, nuts, seeds, or any other toppings of your choice. Try topping it with this homemade Strawberry Vanilla Chia Jam!
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. Make sure you portion out the baked oats before freezing because they're very hard to divide once they're frozen.
Reheating: Reheat the oatmeal in the oven preheated to 350F (175C) in a baking dish until warmed through.
FAQs
You can bake it and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can eat the leftovers either right from the fridge or warm them up in the oven at 350F. I don't recommend making the batter ahead of time because the oats would soak up too much of the liquids.
You can use flax egg or another vegan egg substitute instead of eggs.
Yes! You can portion out the baked oatmeal and freeze it in freezer-safe containers. Allow to defrost in the fridge overnight and warm up in the oven at 350F.
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
If you'd like to check out some more baked oatmeal recipes, definitely give the three linked below a look! They're all easy to make, simple, and perfect for meal prep! You can also go to the Oatmeal Recipes category to see all the latest ones.
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal has all the classic carrot cake flavors but it's much easier to make and you can have it for breakfast any day!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or melted butter
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 ¼ cups almond milk
- 2 cups grated carrots (2-3 medium carrots)
- 2 apples, grated (approx. 2 cups)
- ¼ cup raisins, roughly chopped
- ¼ heaping cup of walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- For serving: yogurt, nut butter, walnuts, or berries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F (190C) and prepare a 12x8 inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, avocado oil, honey, vanilla extract, sea salt, and lemon zest.
- Add almond milk and whisk again.
- Add the oats with spices you mixed earlier and stir to combine well.
- Add grated carrots, grated apples, raisins, and walnuts.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Transfer the batter into your prepared baking dish and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden on top.
- Divide the oatmeal into 6 servings and serve with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow the oatmeal to cool completely before closing it with a lid. You can also freeze the oatmeal portioned out in a freezer-safe container. Allow to defrost in the fridge overnight and enjoy cold or warmed up in the oven at 350F.
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CeeCee Patrick says
I told my fiancé that I don’t cook but after looking at some of these recipes on Google, I’m going to surprise him once we get married next year my plan is to buy things for the recipe, but also tell him that we need the number to his favorite restaurant so in case I mess up we can order in!! 🤣🤣
Daniella says
This is my favorite carrot cake oatmeal now! It saves so much time in the morning when you bake it for a couple days ahead instead of cooking it every morning.
Courtney says
I didn't have walnuts so I used 3 tablespoons of chia/ground flax/hemp hearts. This tastes amazing cold with Chobani Madagascar Vanilla and Cinnamon yogurt.