Healthy carrot cake baked oats taste just like carrot cake for breakfast! This healthy baked oatmeal is full of nutrients and whole grains and is easy to make in a family-sized or portion for one. Baked in just 30 minutes!
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Have you seen all of the baked oats recipes trending on TikTok? We have a few favorites here with this healthy carrot caked baked oats recipe vying for top spot!
This recipe is inspired by a mashup of two of my favorites - healthy carrot cake bread and protein baked oats! If you're looking for more similar recipes, definitely give this double chocolate baked oatmeal recipe and this microwave vegan brownie in a mug!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Full of protein: Vanilla vegan protein powder adds a bit of protein power to this healthy breakfast! You can also add in Greek yogurt as a topping for even more protein.
- Healthy & easy breakfast! Vegan and made with no egg, no banana and plant-based and dairy-free, these carrot cake baked oats are great for any dietary restriction. Use gluten free oats for gluten free baked oatmeal.
- Make ahead for meal prep or serve family-style. Great to meal prep for one for a week of single serve breakfasts or make the full family-sized recipe for a delicious family breakfast.
- Seasonal and delicious. This is a healthy baked oatmeal recipe that is perfect for Easter or springtime as well as during busy back-to-school mornings during the fall (hello carrot season!) It also uses many ingredients you likely already have on hand in your pantry.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Oats: Any kind of oats will work. I prefer old fashioned rolled oats to quick cooking oats or steel cut oats for this recipe. You can select certified gluten free oats if you need to make the recipe gluten-free.
- Crushed pineapple: This gives the classic carrot cake flavor. However, you can substitute pineapple for mashed banana or applesauce.
- Maple syrup: I love the flavor that maple syrup gives, however you can substitute honey or sweetener of your choice.
- Chopped pecans: Walnuts may be substituted if you prefer. White chocolate chips, toasted coconut and/or raisins would also be great additions.
How to Make This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
Recipe Instructions for 4 servings
- Preheat oven to 350F. Add all ingredients (excluding carrots and pecans) to a high-powered blender (My Vitamix worked well for this!)
- Blend on high until well-mixed and smooth (about 60 seconds). Scrape down sides and blend again until all pieces are mixed.
- Mix in shredded carrots and ¼ cup pecans on slowest speed until just incorporated.
- Coat an 8X8 baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray. Add oatmeal mixture to dish and top with ¼ cup pecans. Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes.
Recipe Instructions for Single Serving
- Divide ingredient totals by 4.
- Use a ramekin sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Expert Tips
- If you want to make it with cream cheese frosting, try the cream cheese frosting recipes from this healthy gingerbread loaf recipe - it's low in sugar! You could also top with vanilla Greek yogurt for some added protein.
- For easy shredded carrots try using a cheese grater. You could also buy shredded carrots but may want to chop them up a bit before adding.
- If you don't have a high speed blender, you could try a single-serve blender, an immersion blender or even a food processor.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered or single serve portions in airtight containers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Carrot cake baked oats are best eaten fresh from the oven. If you want to reheat them, I recommend adding a little milk or almond milk and reheating in the microwave it until your desired temperature.
- Freezing: Store cooled, baked oatmeal in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can store the whole recipe un-sliced or tightly wrap individual slices and freeze for single serve portions.
FAQs
Baked oats have a more cake-like quality due to the blending of the ingredients. It is definitely a more decadent-tasting breakfast - it literally tastes like cake for breakfast!
This recipe grinds up the oats to make a fine oat flour. Baking oats is a great way to get more whole grains into your meals.
You can bake with oat flour (try my oat flour pancakes for another delicious and healthy breakfast) or whole oats (like in these almond butter oatmeal cookies) and both have delicious results.
I'm a huge fan of baked oats and definitely think the time to make them is worth it. I love that this recipe for carrot cake baked oats can be made ahead so that you have four single servings for the entire week.
I eat a lot of oatmeal so it's either making this recipe, protein baked oatmeal or double chocolate or another easy oats recipe - protein overnight oats!
Related Recipes
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Carrot Cake Baked Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten free if necessary
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup crushed pineapple
- ¼ cup maple syrup more if you want it more sweet
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans chopped, divided
- ½ cup shredded carrots up to ½ cup more if desired
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder vegan if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Add all ingredients (excluding carrots and pecans) to a high-powered blender.
- Blend on high until well-mixed and smooth (about 60 seconds). Scrape down sides and blend again until all pieces are mixed.
- Mix in carrots and ¼ cup pecans on slowest speed until just incorporated.
- Coat an 8X8 baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray. Add oatmeal mixture to dish and top with ¼ cup pecans. Bake at 350F for approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
- If you want to make it with cream cheese frosting, try the cream cheese frosting recipes from this healthy gingerbread loaf recipe - it's low in sugar! You could also top with vanilla Greek yogurt for some added protein.
- For easy shredded carrots try using a cheese grater. You could also buy shredded carrots but may want to chop them up a bit before adding.
- If you don't have a high speed blender, you could try a single-serve blender, an immersion blender or even a food processor.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered or single serve portions in airtight containers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: This recipe is best eaten fresh from the oven. If you want to reheat them, I recommend adding a little milk or almond milk and reheating in the microwave it until your desired temperature.
- Freezing: Store cooled, baked oatmeal in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can store the whole recipe un-sliced or tightly wrap individual slices and freeze for single serve portions.
Lisa
Was hard to tell when done bc it as baked oatmeal. Which you could have said it would be somewhat still soft bc a 30 minutes even with temp a little higher it was a little soft or was it suppose to be done with no residue on toothpick when checked?! Very devious though and family enjoyed but did bake a lot longer.
Lyndsey
Hi Lisa, thanks for trying the recipe! Since it's vegan there is really no need to make sure that there is residue or not. Generally baked oatmeal is a little soft since it's made with oats, not flour. I've always taken all of my baked oats out at the 30 minute mark - it's so they are baked up and firm. I appreciate your comment and thanks for trying the recipe.