Carrots, walnuts, and oats are baked in cinnamon and ginger to make healthy and easy carrot cake-baked oats. The result? Well, it’s pretty much like carrot cake—just made ahead and meal-prepped!
Carrot cake-baked oats are made with fresh and minimally processed ingredients. Healthy and super quick, it’ll become your simple go-to recipe for fueling morning breakfast to kick-start the day. But you can dig into baked oatmeal at all sorts of odd times, making it a fabulous snack too!
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Why are carrot cake baked oats so popular?
Packed with hearty goodness: they’re kid-friendly and super tasty.
Meal prep: carrot cake-baked oats can be made ahead of time.
Freeze for later: You can store the baked oatmeal for days!
Are baked oats good for you?
Baked oats are a wholesome choice, brimming with nutritional benefits. Crafted from 100% whole grains with no added oil and sweetened naturally with maple syrup, healthy oatmeal offers a guilt-free and low-fat indulgence. Freshly grated carrots add a dose of vitamins and minerals, making them a nutritious delight.
Ingredients & swaps
Oats: I like to use rolled oats for baked oatmeal recipes because they give my kind of chewiness and texture. Instant oats will work too, but the texture will be different—think cakier. You can also make a carrot cake with oat flour (oats ground in a processor)—a take on carrot cake just baked with oats.
Egg: Gives texture and binds it all together. If you want to make eggless carrot cake baked oats, flax eggs will work in a cinch. Psyllium husk also works beautifully. I’ve tried it for my banana-baked oatmeal recipe (mix 2 tablespoons of the husk with 5 tablespoons of water. Wait till thick and gelatinous.).
Sweetener: Maple syrup is my choice because of its mild taste. You can substitute it with honey, agave syrup, date syrup, or regular sugar if you don’t have any of them.
Add-ons: Raisins and walnuts are the typical choices for healthy carrot cake oats, so that’s what I used for this healthy and easy-baked oatmeal. Feel free to customize with your favorite nuts or exclude them altogether.
Spices: I stayed true to the timeless duo that defines the beloved carrot cake: cinnamon and ginger.
Vanilla extract: to give the baked oatmeal more flavor. Use homemade vanilla extract or store-bought.
Milk: Use your choice of milk, regular, almond, or any other plant-based.
Carrots: Use fresh, not frozen, and grate them with a box grater.
Salt: To balance flavors.
How to make carrot cake baked oats?
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk the egg, almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, grated carrots, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and a pinch of salt.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
Step 4: Fold in raisins and chopped nuts.
Step 5: Transfer the carrot cake baked oats cake batter to a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish.
Step 6: Bake for 30–35 minutes until the oats are cooked and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Give the carrot cake-baked oatmeal a 10-minute rest.
Final step: Cut into squares, serve, and savor!
My notes
- Don’t have a square pan? Make these easy carrot cake baked oatmeal recipe in an 8” round pan or any baking dish you have; just make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- You can even make them in a cast-iron skillet, as I did with my strawberry and cream-baked oatmeal.
FAQs
No, the consistency of baked oats is more like a soft cake with a hearty texture.
I’ve not tried them with water, but I guess that you won’t get the richness, nutrition, and flavor that milk (of any kind) imparts to carrot cake-baked oats.
How to serve
Warm and barely pulled from the oven, carrot cake-flavored baked oats are *chef’s kiss* all by its lonesome self. I love it with a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of Greek yogurt with cinnamon powder and walnuts.
You can also serve it with:
- A dollop of lightly whipped cream will work like a charm.
- Sweetened cream cheese and turn it into an indulgent treat. Carrot cake and cream cheese frosting go hand-in-hand; whip it up by mixing cream cheese, cream, and icing sugar.
How to store healthy carrot cake baked oats?
Leftover baked oats refrigerate rather well, lasting 4 to 5 days. You can even freeze them, in case you love meal prep. Cut into squares, wrap each individually, and freeze. Reheat in the microwave in spurts of 30 seconds whenever you feel like it, and enjoy it warm!
More oats recipes
Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. That’s why I’m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead and drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this carrot cake baked oats as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Baked Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rolled oats
- 1 cup Grated carrots
- 1.5 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 3/4 tsp Ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1.5 cups Almond milk
- 1/3 cup Maple syrup
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup Chopped walnuts optional
- 1/4 cup Raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C or 350 F. Grease an 8" square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, carrots, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix well.
- Whisk in the walnuts and raisins.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 180 C or 350 F, until the top is light golden brown and the oatmeal is set.
- Let the oatmeal cool for 10 minutes before cutting into 9 squares.
- Serve warm with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and maple syrup. Enjoy!
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