Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal (Printable Version)

A wholesome morning bake combining classic carrot cake flavors with hearty oats, warm spices, and sweet raisins.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
03 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
04 - ¼ tsp ground ginger
05 - 1 tsp baking powder
06 - ¼ tsp salt

→ Wet Ingredients

07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 2 cups milk (dairy or plant-based)
09 - ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
11 - ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
12 - ¼ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter

→ Add-ins

13 - 1 ½ cups finely grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
14 - ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
15 - ½ cup raisins
16 - 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish with coconut oil or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, applesauce, and melted coconut oil until smooth and well blended.
04 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the grated carrots, chopped nuts, raisins, and shredded coconut until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly, smoothing the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is firm when gently pressed.
08 - Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It genuinely tastes like carrot cake but you can eat it for breakfast without a single ounce of guilt.
  • Everything comes together in one bowl before the oven does all the heavy lifting.
02 -
  • If you grate the carrots too coarsely they will stay slightly crunchy even after baking so take the extra minute to grate them fine.
  • Letting the baked oatmeal rest for the full 10 minutes makes the difference between neat squares and a crumbly mess on your plate.
03 -
  • Squeeze the grated carrots in a clean towel before adding them if they seem especially wet because excess moisture can make the center soggy.
  • Toasting the nuts in a dry pan for three minutes before folding them in amplifies their flavor tenfold and is absolutely worth the extra step.

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