This carrot cake baked oatmeal is loaded with heat spices, carrots, and a Greek yogurt “frosting” on high. It’s a wholesome breakfast that’s make-ahead pleasant!
It actually does really feel like there’s a carrot cake season as a result of in early spring I begin craving it. So right here’s a recipe the place you’ll be able to have your cake and eat it too: my carrot cake baked oatmeal! It’s manufactured from largely wholesome elements and actually does style like cake.
It’s cozy and comforting from the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, with Greek yogurt topping that tastes like a wholesome cream cheese frosting. It’s nice for meal prep or you can also make it for a spring brunch, Easter, and Mom’s Day. I’m completely smitten with this breakfast (so are my youngsters!) and I hope you can be too.
5 Star Reader Critiques
“Made this carrot cake oatmeal final evening for breakfast this morning and oh my goodness it’s DIVINE! So decadent and comfortable. Tastes identical to carrot cake. I additionally added within the raisins as a result of why not! A profitable recipe for positive, yummm!” -Tanvee
“Made this yesterday afternoon and having fun with it for breakfast this morning. OH MY GOSH! That is sooo scrumptious… the maple syrup provides simply sufficient sweetness and the tender carrots make this moist and cake-like. This can be our new breakfast favourite!” -Michelle
Substances You’ll Want
Right here’s a fast have a look at what goes into this recipe:
- Rolled oats: Old school rolled oats solely. Fast oats go mushy; steel-cut oats want extra liquid and time. See my notes beneath!
- Carrots: Use the high-quality facet of your field grater right here.
- Maple syrup: That is the first sweetener. I at all times use a bottle marked “Grade A: Darkish Coloration and Sturdy Style” as a result of I discover it has the very best taste.
- Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg: The proper cozy spices for carrot cake.
- Egg: This helps bind the oatmeal so it slices cleanly. Use a flax egg to make it vegan.
- Milk of alternative: Any milk works right here, dairy or plant-based.
- Olive oil or refined coconut oil: Provides a richness and retains issues moist.
- Baking powder: Makes a extra cake-like texture.
- Pecans and optionally available raisins: I really like pecans in my carrot cake; you may also add raisins should you’re a fan.
A Notice on Oats
For the very best texture in your carrot cake oatmeal, we advocate utilizing old style rolled oats—don’t use fast oats or steel-cut oats. Rolled oats present the proper chewy texture whereas absorbing the flavors of the carrots and spices. Fast oats might grow to be too mushy, and steel-cut oats require a special liquid ratio and longer cooking time.
Ideas for Good Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
If you wish to make a carrot cake oatmeal on the stovetop: cease right here. I’ve examined it, and one thing concerning the heat nuts and raisins simply doesn’t work. Carrot cake baked oatmeal is the best way to go! It tastes way more just like the precise cake texture. Listed below are a couple of suggestions for the recipe:
- Grate the carrots finely: For the very best texture, use the high-quality facet of your grater. This helps the carrots cook dinner correctly and mix seamlessly into the oatmeal.
- Use raisins should you like. Our household has a bizarre factor about raisins in oatmeal, however be at liberty so as to add them should you love raisins in your carrot cake!
- Verify for doneness: The middle must be set and never jiggly whenever you take away it from the oven. It should proceed to agency up because it cools.
- Let it relaxation: Permit the baked oatmeal to chill for 10-Quarter-hour earlier than serving. This helps it set and makes serving simpler. You’ll be able to then minimize it into squares like “cake”, or simply spoon it out into bowls.
Topping Concepts
The fitting toppings can take your carrot cake baked oatmeal to the following degree! My favourite is that Greek yogurt “frosting”, however there are many concepts:
- Greek yogurt combined with maple syrup and vanilla for a more healthy “cream cheese frosting” impact
- Extra nuts for additional crunch: you can also make toasted pecans should you like
- Drizzle of maple syrup
- Sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg
Serving Strategies
This baked oatmeal could be very versatile. Listed below are a couple of methods I like to serve it:
- Slice into squares and serve heat with yogurt frosting
- Minimize into parts, refrigerate, and seize chilly on busy mornings (it’s really simply as tasty chilly)
- Serve it as a part of a spring brunch unfold with strawberry smoothies, scrambled eggs, and roasted asparagus
- Pair with contemporary fruit and low for a simple Easter or Mom’s Day brunch (see my festive Easter brunch concepts for extra)
- Embody it in a wholesome breakfast concepts rotation with in a single day oats and straightforward blueberry oatmeal
Storage & Make-Forward Ideas
This carrot cake oatmeal is nice for meal prep and shops fantastically. Right here’s find out how to take advantage of your leftovers:
- Fridge: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 1 week. It tastes nice chilly or room temperature, or you’ll be able to reheat within the microwave should you like.
- Freezer: Minimize cooled oatmeal into particular person parts, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for as much as 3 months.
- Make forward choice: Put together the whole combination the evening earlier than, cowl, and refrigerate in a single day. Within the morning, let it sit at room temperature whereas the oven preheats, then bake as directed. You might want so as to add a couple of additional minutes to the baking time.
Dietary Notes
This recipe is gluten-free and vegetarian. For dairy free, use plant based mostly milk; for vegan, use plant based mostly milk and milk and a flax egg.
For a nut-free model, merely omit the walnuts or pecans and use raisins as an alternative.
Continuously Requested Questions
This carrot cake baked oatmeal is delightfully candy as is. You’ll be able to cut back the maple syrup barely; contemplate including an additional mashed ripe banana for pure sweetness.
We advocate making the recipe as written, then reducing out particular person parts and storing them individually.
We’ve examined a couple of variations of stovetop carrot cake oatmeal however the flavors don’t work as properly (particularly heat). Baked oatmeal is the best way to go!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
This carrot cake baked oatmeal is loaded with heat spices, carrots, and a Greek yogurt “frosting” on high. It’s a wholesome breakfast that’s make-ahead pleasant!
- Prep Time: Quarter-hour
- Cook dinner Time: 45 minutes
- Complete Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 9 1x
- Class: Breakfast
- Technique: Baked
- Delicacies: Breakfast
- Weight loss plan: Vegetarian
Substances
For the oatmeal
- 1 massive egg (or flax egg for vegan; see Notes)
- 1 ½ cups milk of alternative
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or melted refined coconut oil)
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon floor ginger
- ¼ teaspoon floor nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 massive carrots, finely grated (about 1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup raisins (optionally available)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
For the Greek yogurt “frosting”
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter an 8 x 8″ or 9 x 9″ pan or 7 x 11 small casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk within the milk, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Add the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and kosher salt. Combine completely to mix them into the moist elements, mixing till all of the spices are built-in. Stir within the carrots and if utilizing, the raisins.
- Pour the oatmeal combination into the ready pan. Add the pecans in a layer on high.
- Bake about 40 minutes till the oat combination has set. Take away from the oven and permit to chill for not less than 10 minutes. (The feel will totally set as soon as it cools to room temperature.)
- If making the Greek yogurt “frosting” combine collectively the elements and refrigerate till serving.
- To serve, minimize into 8 to 9 items. Drizzle with maple syrup and/or serve with the Greek yogurt “frosting”. Retailer leftovers refrigerated for as much as 1 week: eat chilly or reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave till heat.
Notes
- Vegan variation: Use a flax egg and oat milk. For the topping, attempt vegan whipped cream or use vegan yogurt.
- Make forward choice: Put together the whole combination the evening earlier than, cowl, and refrigerate in a single day. Within the morning, let it sit at room temperature whereas the oven preheats, then bake as directed. You might want so as to add a couple of additional minutes to the baking time.
