Start your day right with Carrot Cake Oatmeal. Steel cuts oats mixed with shredded carrots, walnuts, crushed pineapple, and coconut milk is baked together to perfectly mimic the flavors of a carrot cake, complete with a tangy sweetened “icing.” This delicious Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is loved by everyone!
Looking for more Carrot Cake Recipes? Check out my Instant Pot Carrot Cake Cheesecake and Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins.
My mom adores this Carrot Cake Oatmeal. But she also HATES oatmeal.
My mom does not like oatmeal because she does not prefer a soggy texture to her morning breakfast. She is the type of person who needs to pour her milk onto her cereal just moments before she eats it, or you might as well throw it away.
However, she has discovered after eating my Strawberries and Cream Overnight Oatmeal, she does like Steel Cut Oats. She loves their chewy and hearty texture.
And my mom loves all things Carrot Cake, like my Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins and Instant Pot Carrot Cake Cheesecake.
So, being the perfect daughter that I am, I have created for her a healthy breakfast recipe that combines her favorite cake and her beloved steel cut oats into a dish that will power her through her day and satisfy her longing for a slice of decadent carrot cake.
Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
This baked oatmeal slices and resembles a decadent carrot cake, complete with a tangy “frosting.”
But unlike a cake, this oatmeal comes together in minutes and quite a healthy start to any day. Not to mention Baked Steel Cut Oats is the perfect recipe to prepare ahead in a large batch and eat throughout the week
How to Make Baked Steel Cut Oats
Step One: Prepare Pan
- Grease an oval 2-quart baking dish or 9×13 pan with melted coconut oil.
Step Two: Combine Carrot Cake Oatmeal Ingredients
- Mix together oats, juice, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pineapple, walnuts, maple syrup, coconut oil, carrots, and cinnamon together.
- Pour in prepared baking dish.
Step Three: Bake Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- Bake oatmeal until oats have absorbed liquid and are tender.
Step Four: Make Icing
- Mix together the yogurt and maple syrup.
- This is an optional icing but is a super fun way to dress up this oatmeal.
Step Five: Serve Oatmeal with Icing
- Frost the warm oatmeal with the icing.
- Sprinkle with nuts.
- Serve warm.
Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- You can also make this baked oatmeal in the slow cooker.
- Place all ingredients into a greased slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
Notes on Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Feel free to use omit the eggs from this carrot cake oatmeal if you have egg allergies–it will still taste just as delicious! The baked oatmeal will just not set up like a cake would.
- I recommend canned coconut milk for these baked steel cut oats, as the flavor is perfect for the baked oatmeal.
- You can use all canned coconut milk (instead of an additional 1/2 cup milk or water).
- If you don’t want to use Greek yogurt to make a topping for the baked carrot cake oatmeal, you can use coconut milk yogurt to keep this oatmeal dairy-free OR omit the yogurt topping altogether. I like to add the yogurt for an extra dose of protein and additional creaminess in this baked oatmeal recipe.
- Omit the nuts in this oatmeal for any nut allergies. You can also just top your oatmeal with nuts when serving if you have one person in your family who likes oats and one who does not.
- If your pineapple does not yield a full cup of pineapple juice, just add in additional water or coconut milk to make up the difference.
- If you have leftover pineapple and coconut milk, a Healthy Pina Colada needs to be in your future.
More Steel Cut Oats Recipes
- Overnight Strawberries and Cream Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Slow Cooker Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 cup pineapple juice reserved from a 16 oz can of crushed pineapple
- 1/2 cup regular milk or water
- 2 eggs whisked
- 2 teaspoons vanilla divided
- 1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple
- 3/4 cup grated carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Icing
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
Instructions
For the Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart of 9x13 baking dish.
- Mix together oats, milk, juice, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pineapple, walnuts, maple syrup, coconut oil, carrots, and cinnamon together.
- Pour into a greased pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until set.
For the Icing
- Mix together Greek yogurt, maple syrup and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Serve oatmeal warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt and additional maple syrup if desired.
Nutrition
I served this for brunch today (Thanksgiving). Delicious! An easy way to feed a crowd. I think in the future, I will test making it at night to bake the next morning.
I am so glad you enjoyed Nancy! Happy Thanksgiving!
There are two different icing instructions listed: The first says to mix the greek yogurt w/the maple syrup. The proper recipe says to mix the yogurt w/the remaining vanilla and serve with maple syrup. Which is more delicious? Thanks!
Hi Jeff, sorry for the confusion–I will update this now. I personally prefer to mix the maple syrup in the yogurt for the best taste. Enjoy!
Thanks for the timely reply — it’s still in the oven!
I can’t wait to make this! I’m like your mom and LOVE carrot cake. Hope you had an uneventful trip home. It was a joy to finally meet you! xo
Liz, it was so wonderful meeting you in person. You are such a kind and generous person! And I hope you love this oatmeal just as much as my mom does!!
Yum, Yum I loved carrot cake and this would be the perfect breakfast for me! 🙂 Another great recipe! I would love for you to share this sweet creation over at my link party Making Memories Mondays going on now! 🙂
Cathy
Thanks Cathy! I will check out the party now 🙂
I am so so glad Kristen that you came to the party! 🙂 Love this recipe and it’s been requested again in my house! I really appreciate you sharing your latest creation at Making Memories Mondays!
Cathy
YEA!!! That is what I love to hear Cathy. You just made my day!
This looks incredible! I’m drooling right now. Pinned and tweeted. We are so thrilled to have you at our party. Please stop by on Monday at 7, so we can see your amazing projects. Lou Lou Girls
Thanks Kimberly!
I don’t think I’ve seen more perfect looking oatmeal in my life. I always choke it down because “it’s healthy” and I want to start my morning on a feel-good note, but MAN this would make my mornings a million times better! Who doesn’t love carrot cake?!?!
cominguprosestheblog.com
Erica, I am so happy to give you an option that you will enjoy!! I can’t wait to hear if you like this!
Oh this sounds too good to be true! Yum yum yum! I will have to give this recipe a go sometime very very soon! Thanks so much for sharing this with us 🙂
Join us weekly for the #CelebrateSouthern link up! You don’t have to be a southerner to join! http://www.ahotsouthernmess.com
Thanks! I hope you try this out and love it!
Such a cute post, Kristen. A thoughtful and very creative way of treating your mom to something she loves without the guilt! And it looks wonderful. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
Can’t wait to try this! Looks delicious.
Thanks Sheryl!