My Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is a wholesome, batch prep breakfast made with whole grains, raisins, walnuts and warm spices. Topped with a high protein frosting, it's just like cake.
Baked oatmeal is as close as you can get to eating cake for breakfast. I love making the single-serve baked oats, but these large batch baked oatmeal trays are the best for meal prep. Carrot cake is one of my top cake flavours, so naturally I needed to make a wholesome breakfast version that was a little higher in fibre and lower in sugar. Just like my zucchini brownie baked oats, there's also a dose of veggies too!
Veggies and cake for breakfast? As an all foods fit dietitian, I'm a big fan.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Low in added sugar. These carrot cake baked oats are naturally sweetened with applesauce and only use 2 tablespoon of honey. It's a great option that's just sweet enough for breakfast, while still being lower in sugar.
- One dish only. This whole recipe only uses one bowl- you don't even need one for mixing! Minimal mess = minimal stress, am I right?
- Nutrient rich. We have whole grains, protein, healthy fats and lots of micronutrients. Carrots are a great source of fibre and beta-carotene, the orange antioxidant pigment that gets converted into vitamin A.
Ingredients
For the oatmeal:
Oats. Quick, minute or rolled oats will all work in this recipe. I don't recommend steel cut oats as they will have a much chewier texture.
Collagen powder. I recommend using unflavoured collagen for a boost of protein to help create a balanced breakfast. I love Organika, and if you ever want to try I have a code NOURISHEDBYNIC30 for money off!
Baking powder. To help give these baked oats some rise, creating more of a cake-like texture.
Spices. Salt, cinnamon and ginger are all you need.
Milk. Use any milk of choice. For the highest protein options, I recommend dairy milk or soy milk for a plant-based option.
Applesauce. A key ingredient to help add moisture to the baked oats while also adding a subtle sweetness. I recommend unsweetened applesauce if you have it available.
Vanilla extract. Both artificial or natural vanilla extract are fine.
Eggs. To help hold these baked oats together!
Honey. For a touch of natural sweetness. Maple syrup also works, but I like the taste of honey in these oats.
Carrot. I recommend shredding your carrots at home vs. purchasing pre-shredded carrots. For quick shredding I use my food processor. Dietitian tip: keep the skins on your carrots for a fibre boost, just be sure to scrub them well.
Mix-ins. For the classic carrot cake mix-ins, I went for raisins, walnuts and unsweetened shredded coconut. Add or take away whatever you like!
For the frosting:
Greek yogurt. This is our high protein base for the frosting. The higher the fat percentage the creamier the topping will be, I recommend 2% for a mix of creaminess without too much added fat!
Cream cheese. Mixed with the Greek yogurt, this creates the perfect cream cheese frosting without being overly heavy for breakfast. Light or regular cream cheese will work great, just ensure it is room temperature before using.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 8.5x8.5" square baking dish.
To your dish, whisk together applesauce and eggs. Add honey, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Add oats, collagen, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ground ginger. Mix well.
Fold in shredded carrots and raisins, walnuts and shredded coconut (if using).
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the oats comes out clean.
To make the yogurt topping, in a small bowl whisk together yogurt, cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract.
Once baked oats are cool, top with yogurt frosting and slice into 6 equal sized pieces.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats like these ones.
To make dairy-free: Use a dairy-free milk and swap a dairy-free yogurt and cream cheese substitute for the frosting.
To make vegan: I have not tested a vegan version of this recipe, but I do have some suggestions. First, follow the dairy-free swaps above. You can try substituting the egg for flax eggs, by combining 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoon warm water. Note that this may alter the texture. For a tried and true vegan recipe, try my strawberry chocolate baked oatmeal.
To make nut-free: Omit the walnuts.
Equipment
- 8.5x8.5" baking tray
Storage
Carrot cake baked oatmeal can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. For best results, I recommend storing the yogurt topping separate from the baked oat base and topping when you are ready to eat. This helps ensure your baked oats do not get soggy.
For longer storage, freeze individual baked oat slices wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply place in the fridge overnight.
Top Tip
Whenever I’m using shredded carrots in a baking recipe, I always recommend shredding the carrots yourself vs. purchasing pre-shredded carrots. Using pre-shredded carrots will decrease the moisture in this recipe, altering both the taste and texture.
For easy clean up, ensure you are fully greasing your pan prior to adding the ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes of course! I like saving dishes to minimize my cleaning but if you can easily mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour into a greased pan once your baked oatmeal batter is ready to bake.
No you do not. You can replace the collagen powder with an equal amount of protein powder or additional oats. However, I do find the collagen helps absorb excess moisture than just oats alone, creating a nice and moist texture!
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
Try these baked oat recipes next:
- Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Baked Oats
- Baked Oats Without Banana
- Zucchini Brownie Baked Oats
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this carrot cake baked oatmeal, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups oats quick, minute or rolled will all work
- ½ cup unflavoured collagen powder see notes below for swaps
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup shredded carrots about 1 large carrot
Optional:
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Yogurt frosting:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 8.5x8.5" square baking dish.
- To your dish, whisk together applesauce and eggs. Add honey, milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Add Oats, collagen, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ground ginger. Mix well.
- Fold in shredded carrots and raisins, walnuts and shredded coconut (if using). Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the oats comes out clean.
- To make the yogurt topping, in a small bowl whisk together yogurt, cream cheese, honey and vanilla extract.
- Once baked oats are cool, top with yogurt frosting and slice into 6 equal sized pieces.
Abbey
This looks so good! Would I be able to substitute the applesauce for a mashed banana? Thanks 🙂
Nicole Addison
I haven't personally tested it! However usually about 2 bananas is a good substitute for 1 cup of applesauce!
Angela M
I did appreciate the structure, pics and explanation of the recipe and that I can print it. It really helped me to made this yummy carrot deliciousness. Thx.
Lori Dick
Soooo delicious! Turned out amazingly moist. I am enjoying it for my breakfasts but feeling like dessert (but not too sweet )!
Leslie Stansfield
I liked this. It’s different and healthy. I am on weight watchers. It’s not high in points. I will make it again.
Melissa
I was super excited to try this recipe and share it with my mom, who never likes any of my "healthy" recipes. I made it the other morning, but I used only egg whites instead of whole eggs and I didn't have any coconut. I had to bake it for nearly 40 minutes before the toothpick came out clean, but they were still very moist. I think if I make them again I will add more spices to them, maybe nutmeg, allspice and more cinnamon. They were a little bland for my taste. Once again, mom wasn't a fan. Can't win them all.
Nicole Addison
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment! I'm sorry they weren't 100% a hit with you! These oats definitely are more of a moist texture rather than a dried cake-y texture as there is no flour in the recipe. To keep the ingredient list shot I decided to omit spices such as nutmeg and allspice but you 100% can add them and I know they would turn out great- I recommend about 1/2 tsp of nutmeg and 1/4 tsp of allspice to start!
Adam
I made these.
I replaced half the applesauce with butter and it still wasn't quite moist enough. Also next time I will likely add a 1/4 cup brown sugar. I would also add more spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice) as these were a little bland.
I did love the frosting.
therealsubaekhyang
I haven't tried this yet, but could I maybe replace the collagen powder with flour?
Nicole Addison
Hi! I mention these replacements in the recipe: 1/2 cup of vanilla protein powder of 1/2 cup of additional oats! I have not tested a variation with flour but if you try please let me know!
Anokhi M
Another great recipe ! I had hoped that this would last for meal prep for the week but the teens gobbled it up ! Love the sweet treat topping ❤️
Samantha Damay
I loved it ! Great as a snack before working out !