Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

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Quick Summary

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal-this easy baked oatmeal recipe is healthy enough for breakfast and tasty enough for dessert! Drizzle with cream cheese maple glaze and you will think you are eating a piece of carrot cake. It’s SO good!

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal on plates

I love a good baked oatmeal. My classic recipe is our favorite, but I also love blueberry maple, peanut butter banana baked oatmeal, and this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is AMAZING! If you like carrot cake, you are in for a real treat!

This baked oatmeal tastes JUST like carrot cake. It has all of the same flavors, spices, and the maple cream cheese glaze makes is a MUST! Breakfast that tastes like cake? YES!!! Sign me up!

You’ll find yourself cutting off slices for snacks and dessert, not just for breakfast. This oatmeal recipe is kid-approved by my boys, and I think it’s perfect for springtime and especially Easter.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Ingredients

Oatmeal Ingredients

This list might look long, but most of the ingredients are items you already have in your pantry! I always have these items on hand and it’s a good thing because the boys are always begging for this oatmeal, it’s their favorite!

  • Old fashioned oats (can use gluten-free oats)
  • Grated carrots (I always use freshly grated carrots)
  • Shredded coconut (you can use sweetened or unsweetened)
  • Brown sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Spices: cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, salt
  • Unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk you like!)
  • Unsalted butter
  • Egg 
  • Vanilla extract
  • Optional add-ins: raisins, pecans, or walnuts
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with drizzle of cream cheese glaze

How to Make Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is really so easy to make! Let’s do it!

  • Start with your oven at 350 and a greased 8×8 pan. Set the pan aside while you make the baked oatmeal batter.
  • In a large bowl, mix the following: oats, grated carrots, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt, and nutmeg.
  • In a medium bowl whisk the wet ingredients! That’s the milk, the butter, an egg, and vanilla. Pour this over the oat mixture and stir until everything is combined. Fold in the raisins and nuts, if you’re using them.
  • Pour the finished batter into the greased 8×8 pan and bake it for 40 minutes. The top is going to turn a gorgeous golden color and the oatmeal will be completely set in the middle!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal in pan

Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

Make sure you don’t skip the maple cream cheese glaze, it is a MUST! It really makes the baked oatmeal taste like carrot cake.

You can make the glaze while the oatmeal is baking. Make sure you use softened cream cheese so it’s easy to mix.

Use a spatula to combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla. Once things are combined switch to a whisk and whisk until it’s totally smooth.

When the oatmeal is done baking, let it cool for about 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with a drizzle of the cream cheese glaze! YUM!

Cream cheese glaze in a bowl with a whisk for carrot cake baked oatmeal

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cups

If you want to make the baked oatmeal in muffin cups instead of a pan, just shorten the baking time. Check on them after about 20 minutes and pull them out when they’re golden brown! This is a great way to freeze Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal or have it as an extra-portable option on the go.

Need to Make it Vegan?

A few quick substitutions can turn this into a vegan Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal!

  • Use melted coconut oil instead of butter.
  • Make a flax egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax and 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before adding it into the recipe as an egg replacement.
  • For the cream cheese glaze, use a vegan cream cheese substitute and make as directed!

How to Store

Store the baked oatmeal in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also freeze the baked oatmeal! Once cooled and cut into bars, put it into a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave.

Store the glaze in a separate container. Whisk before drizzling over the oatmeal.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal on plate with cream cheese glaze

More Baked Oatmeal Recipes:

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Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

This easy baked oatmeal recipe is healthy enough for breakfast and tasty enough for dessert! Drizzle with cream cheese maple glaze and you will think you are eating a piece of carrot cake. It's SO good!
4.66 from 50 votes

Ingredients
  

For the baked oatmeal:

For the maple cream cheese glaze:

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the oats, grated carrots, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the raisins, if using.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the raisins and nuts, if using.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and oatmeal is set.
  • Meanwhile, make the cream cheese maple glaze. In a small bowl, use a spatula to combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla. Once combined, switch to a whisk and whisk until smooth.
  • Let the oatmeal cool for 5 minutes. Cut the baked oatmeal into squares and serve with a drizzle of maple cream cheese glaze.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 311mg, Potassium: 248mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 2943IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 152mg, Iron: 1mg

Have you tried this recipe?

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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  1. What is the best way to store this, if there is any left? I”m thinking fridge because of the cream cheese.

  2. Made this recipe this morning and shared with my neighbors. It was so delicious and so easy.
    I prepared all the dry ingredients last evening and mixed up the wet this morning.The drizzle gave me a bit of a problem…it seemed too thick…but it tasted yummy and I just put a small dollop on each square.
    Thanks for sharing such delicious treats.

    1. Glad you liked it! If the drizzle was too thick for you, just add a little milk to thin it out!

  3. 5 stars
    This is amazing! This is the fourth baked oatmeal recipe we’ve tried from this site (Blueberry, peach, & banana bread versions)…and, while all of them are very, very good…this one is our favorite!

    So delicious!

  4. Question: do you think this would work with a no-calorie sweetener instead of brown sugar?
    I am pre-diabetic. Even though oats and carrots are high carb, they are both nutrition dense and fiber rich, as are the nuts. As long as I use almond milk and omit the raisins, syrup and sugar, this should be OK for me. Haven’t had oatmeal since diagnosed 14 months ago. But eggs for breakfast for 6 adults is a problem since, due to COVID 19 crisis, stores were out this week. I’ve got 3 left and could make this with what’s in the pantry!

    1. I haven’t tried it. I never use no-calorie sweeteners. Let me know if you try it!

  5. Hi! We love this dessert and I’ve made it twice now. But both times it’s been so moist that it almost can’t hold its shape, I’m wondering if I should use less milk next time? I want it to look like your pictures but it doesn’t haha

    1. My standard ratio of egg to milk for baked oats is 4 eggs to 2 cups milk. And let the entire mixture set up in fridge overnight before baking. This makes for a nice firm custard.

  6. 5 stars
    This was amazing! We used cow’s milk and it was perfect even without the glaze. The kids devoured it

  7. 5 stars
    This was so yummy and simple. A great breakfast to keep in the fridge for my husband and I to enjoy all week 🙂 thanks!

  8. 5 stars
    We’ve made this recipe several times now – it’s so easy, my husband can’t even mess it up! We love it. I substitute the sugar with coconut sugar and it’s great.

  9. My husband was craving carrot cake when I came across this recipe and he loved it…my daughter said it wa to die for. It turned out amazing!

  10. 5 stars
    I loved this recipe! It really does taste like carrot cake! I could not get my cream cheese glaze to look smooth like the picture. Any suggestions? Thanks!

  11. What did I do wrong?? The top browned beautifully, however the bottom never got solid. Could it be my oven not working properly? Anyone else have this problem?
    Thanks

  12. 5 stars
    This is delicious. To save time I made this with muesli and skipped the icing. Instead of the icing I’ve been eating it with plain yogurt and honey on top. It tastes just like carrot cake!

  13. Hi..wondering if this can be made the night before and pop in oven in the a.m.? Love carrot cake so I cant wait to try this recipe 🙂

    1. I always bake and reheat. I am worried if the oats sit overnight in the liquid they will get too soggy. You can try it though!

  14. Replaced brown sugar with coconut sugar and added chia seeds. Plus, some dark choc chips. Delicious! Will include flax seeds too next time.