If you like carrot cake and oatmeal, you've got to try this vegan Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal recipe. You may also like our Cherry Quinoa Breakfast Bake.
Recipe Quick Look: Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- 🕗 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Bake Time: 40 minutes
- ⏰ Total Time: 50 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy – Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, bake, and enjoy.
- 🌿Diet: 100% whole food, plant-based vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, no refined sugar
- 🙏 Daniel Fast recipe
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Why You'll Love This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Tastes like carrot cake in breakfast form
- Perfect for meal prep and busy mornings
- Naturally sweetened with fruit and date syrup
- Packed with fiber and plant-based nutrition
- Vegan, oil-free, soy-free, and gluten-free friendly
- Easy one-bowl recipe with simple ingredients
- Great warm, cold, or reheated
- Kid-friendly and freezer-friendly
- Delicious enough to double as dessert
This carrot cake baked oatmeal has all the warm spices, naturally sweet carrots, chewy raisins, and crunchy walnuts you expect from classic carrot cake, but in a nourishing plant-based baked oatmeal form. This recipe is vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, and naturally sweetened with date syrup and applesauce. It is perfect for busy mornings, afternoon snacks, or even a healthy dessert.
Unlike your traditional bowl of oatmeal, this oatmeal bake is a favorite Daniel Fast meal prep breakfast option. It's also one of our favorite Starch Solution recipes.
This oatmeal bake makes a beautiful breakfast to start the day. But the fact is, I've also eaten it as an afternoon snack with herbal tea and a dessert with banana nice cream. Yum!
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Health Benefits
- Rolled oats are rich in beta-glucan fiber, which may help lower LDL cholesterol levels and support healthy digestion. Oats also provide long-lasting energy and help keep you full longer.
- Carrots contain beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. This nutrient supports eye health, immune function, and healthy skin.
- Ground flaxseed and walnuts are excellent plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain and heart health.
Key Ingredients
- Rolled oats form the hearty base of this baked oatmeal. They create a chewy texture and absorb all the warm carrot cake flavors beautifully. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- Carrots add natural sweetness, moisture, color, and that signature carrot cake flavor. They also soften during baking and blend perfectly into the oatmeal.
- Homemade Date Syrup provides a rich, caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with warm spices and oats.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap walnuts with pecans, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds
- Use chopped dates instead of raisins
- Add shredded zucchini for extra vegetables
- Replace almond milk with oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk
- Add unsweetened shredded coconut for more texture
- Stir in chopped apples or crushed pineapple for a fun twist
- Increase cinnamon for an extra warm spice flavor
- Add vanilla bean powder for a sweeter bakery-style aroma
- Top with sweet cashew cream, banana nice cream, or matcha nice cream for dessert vibes
- Make it nut-free by omitting walnuts or using sunflower seeds and changing the plant-based milk
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How to Prepare This Baked Oatmeal
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350° F (or 175° C). If necessary, shred the carrots and chop walnuts. Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Step 2
Stir the mixture until well combined (see Pro Tips). No need to worry about overmixing. This isn't a cake recipe. 🙂
Step 3
Spread the mixture onto a parchment- or silicone mat-lined 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan. Bake at 350° F (or 175° C) uncovered for 35-40 minutes.
Pro Tips
- After the mixture is well combined, taste it to ensure its flavor is to your liking. If you like yours sweeter (with raisins or date syrup), or you want more spices (cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice), go ahead and make adjustments.
- No worries if the mixture is a little soupy before baking. The ground flaxseeds and rolled oats will absorb the moisture while it's baking.
Serving Suggestions
Don’t let the fact that this is a breakfast dish limit you. I found myself eating this as a snack during a busy day when I needed something fast. And here is the kicker, this carrot cake oatmeal bake can also be a dessert. I found this out when I added Banana Nice Cream and enjoyed it as a dessert after dinner.
This baked oatmeal also pairs nicely with a Golden Latte, our Pumpkin Spice Latte, and Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte.
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Recipe FAQs
This carrot cake baked oatmeal is healthy because it contains nutrient-dense ingredients and avoids the pitfalls of added processed sugars, eggs, and dairy. Oats are a good source of protein and minerals. Rolled oats are also rich in resistant starch, which has been shown to promote weight loss, as well as beta-glucan fiber, which is linked to lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that protects against free radicals and is beneficial for the eyes, skin, and immune system. Ground flaxseeds and walnuts are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This recipe uses dried fruit (raisins and dates) for added sweetness while retaining fiber.
Yes. It should have a soft, chewy texture yet be firm enough to slice into squares.
This recipe is perfect for meal prep. It stores beautifully in the refrigerator for four days.
Yes. Slice the baked oatmeal into portions and freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
This recipe is the perfect combination of comfort food and wholesome nutrition. It delivers all the warm, spiced flavors of carrot cake while giving you a satisfying breakfast that supports your health goals. Whether you enjoy it fresh out of the oven, packed for meal prep, or topped with banana nice cream for dessert, this recipe is guaranteed to become a repeat favorite in your kitchen.
Related Recipes to Check Out
If you tried this or any other recipe on our website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below! We love to get your feedback for improvement.
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free, if gluten sensitive)
- 1½ cups grated carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed (or flax meal)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup Homemade Date Syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup raisins
- 1¾ cups unsweetened plain almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (or 175° C).
- Grate 2 medium carrots using a box grater or the grater attachment on your food processor. You'll want about 1 ½ cups of grated carrots.
- Put all ingredients into a large bowl and stir until well combined.
- Spread the mixture onto a parchment- or silicone mat-lined 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.
- Bake at 350° F (or 175° C) uncovered for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- After the mixture is well combined, taste it to ensure its flavor is to your liking. If you like yours sweeter (with raisins or date syrup), or you want more spices (cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice), go ahead and make adjustments.
- No worries if the mixture is a little soupy before baking. The ground flaxseeds and rolled oats will absorb the moisture while it's baking.
- Leftover baked oatmeal stores beautifully in a covered container in the refrigerator for four days. You can also portion it out into individual servings and freeze for up to three months. You can warm it up in the microwave or toaster oven before enjoying.
Janet Ohrberg says
I made this earlier for breakfast. This had all the flavor of traditional carrot cake. I didn't have walnuts, but I used hazelnuts. I will be making this again.
Gigi & Sersie says
Thanks for your feedback, Janet. Hazelnuts sounds yummy! 🙂
KATHY FRANCOIS says
Delicious Dessert for a sweet tooth
Gigi & Sersie says
Thanks Kathy! We're so glad you enjoyed this carrot cake baked oatmeal recipe. 🙂
Gigi Carter says
Great recipe for meal prep. Tasty and satisfying.
Judy says
This was fantastic! I actually only baked 2/3 of this and kept the rest as overnight oats. I think the only thing I'd do differently next time is adjust the sweetness by adding a little more date syrup, like a half cup. I like my oats sweet. But I'll definitely be making this again soon.