Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Carrot cake baked oatmeal is sweet, spiced, and secretly full of protein. It tastes just like your favorite cake but is naturally sweetened and full of nutrients. Enjoy a big slice in the morning, and you’ll feel full and energized until lunch!
We don’t often eat cake, but when we do, it’s most likely in the form of our carrot cake bars. Topped with cream cheese icing, they’re just too good to resist! However, most days, we do our best to incorporate nutritious, whole foods into our meals. So, more often than not, we go for carrot cake baked oats instead.
They’ve got all the flavor of the world’s best cake wrapped up in a hearty breakfast loaded with protein, nutrients, and fiber. Even better, they’re great for meal prep. We typically make multiple batches at once. Then, all we have to do is pop them in the microwave on busy mornings!
🥕 Recipe Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete ingredients and instructions!
- Carrots – We use whole carrots and peel and grate them for a softer texture. You could use pre-shredded carrots. However, they’re likely to be a little watery and a whole lot more crunchy.
- Protein Powder – Use a vanilla or plain-flavored protein powder. We love BPN and Just Ingredients, but any brand will work. We’ve also tested these oats with vegan protein, and it’s just as good. Just keep in mind that you may need to add a little more liquid.
- Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats form the base of this recipe. You can also use quick oats, but the baking time and texture will change. If needed, be sure to look for certified gluten-free varieties. And don’t substitute steel cut oats!
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt create the classic cake flavor we’re looking for.
- Milk – We used unsweetened almond milk, but any plant-based or regular milk will work.
- Greek Yogurt – Make sure it’s plain! We use whole milk Greek yogurt for a richer taste, but use whatever percentage you have on hand.
- Eggs – These add structure and help hold the oats together. We’ve also tested this recipe with flax eggs and while they work, they make the texture pretty dense.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract for the best taste.
- Applesauce – We use unsweetened applesauce to avoid an overpowering sweet taste. This eliminates the need for butter or oil (We tested it with both), keeping the oats soft, moist, and sweet.
- Nuts – We love pecans, but walnuts taste great, too.
- Raisins – You can omit these if you’re not a fan.
- Maple Syrup – Enhances the sweetness. We don’t recommend substituting honey for this recipe, but you could likely use brown sugar if preferred.
🍰 Optional Protein Glaze
This is optional, but it replicates the experience of a frosted carrot cake while adding even more protein!
- Protein Powder – We recommend a vanilla-flavored protein.
- Milk – Use as little or as much as needed to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
🍫 Variations and Mix-Ins
- Dairy-Free: Use a plant-based protein and dairy-free yogurt.
- Chocolate: Include dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
- Topping: Omit the protein glaze completely. Or, add a dusting of powdered sugar, peanut butter, or cream cheese frosting.
- Veggies: Include shredded zucchini for even more nutrients.
👨🏻🍳 How to Make Carrot Cake Baked Oats
Before you begin, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, grease a 9×9 baking dish, and set it aside.
⁇ Common Questions
Oatmeal bake recipes take classic bowls of stovetop oatmeal or microwave oatmeal and cook them in the oven instead. As a result, they turn out thick and dense, similar to cake.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. To serve, enjoy cold. Or, warm individual slices in the microwave.
You can easily serve these oats as a filling meal on their own, with a cup of coffee, of course. Or, add a side of fresh fruit, scrambled or hard-boiled eggs, bacon, sausage, or leftover glazed ham.
Did you enjoy this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Recipe? We want to know! Leave a comment below, and tag us @getchasomeofthat in your recreations on Instagram. Your support means the world and allows us to continue to share our recipes with you!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Equipment
- 1 (9×9 inch) Baking Dish
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 2 Medium Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 90 grams unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 scoops (60 grams) vanilla protein powder
- 2 cups (160 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¾ cup (60 grams) grated carrots
Protein Glaze:
- 2 scoops (60 grams) vanilla protein powder
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, more or less as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×9” baking dish, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the almond milk, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and maple syrup until smooth.1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk, ½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 90 grams unsweetened applesauce, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- In a second, medium-sized bowl, mix the protein powder, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.2 scoops (60 grams) vanilla protein powder, 2 cups (160 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon salt
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients until well combined.
- Gently fold in the pecans, raisins, and carrots.¼ cup chopped pecans, ¼ cup raisins, ¾ cup (60 grams) grated carrots
- Bake the oats for 45-60 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Protein Glaze
- Add the protein powder to a medium-sized bowl. Working slowly, add a tablespoon of milk at a time, and whisk until smooth. Continue to add milk as needed until the glaze is smooth.2 scoops (60 grams) vanilla protein powder, 2 Tablespoons unsweetened almond milk, more or less as needed
- Drizzle the glaze over the oats, serve, and getcha some of that!
