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Carrot Cake Oatmeal combines the warming spices and rich flavors of a decadent carrot cake with the wholesome goodness of baked oatmeal to deliver a satisfying, nutrient-dense breakfast.
Crazy Good (& Good For You) Carrot Cake Oatmeal
If you love carrot cake (or carrot cake muffins or Instant Pot carrot cake cheesecake), say hello to what is sure to become your favorite version of baked oatmeal--Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal.
Made with steel-cut oats and loaded with carrots and pineapple, carrot cake oatmeal tastes rich and decadent but is naturally sweetened AND loaded with fiber, protein, and nutrients. And when you can enjoy cake for breakfast without a sugar crash--that is not a bad way to to start ANY day!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Steel-Cut Oats: Use regular steel-cut oats, not quick cook oats or rolled oats.
- Coconut Milk: While you can use any variety of milk or nondairy milk you like, I recommend canned full-fat or reduced-fat coconut milk for the best flavor.
- Crushed Pineapple: Both the juice and crushed pineapple add natural sweetness, texture, and moisture to the oatmeal.
- Maple Syrup: Use only 100% pure maple syrup. Using pancake syrup will result in artificial-tasting oatmeal.
- Coconut Oil: A little bit of coconut oil adds to the luxuriousness of this oatmeal. Feel free to replace with melted butter, canola oil, or nondairy butter.
How to Make Carrot Cake Oatmeal
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Grate Carrots. Grate peeled carrots on a box grater or using a food processor fitted with a grating blade.
- Combine Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl (or right in a greased baking dish) combine steel cut oats, coconut milk, crushed pineapple, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil, grated carrots, ginger, salt, and cinnamon. Feel free to stir in nuts as well.
- Bake. Bake the oatmeal until the steel-cut oats have softened and absorbed the liquid and the oatmeal has set.
- Serve. Dish out the warm baked oatmeal and serve as is, or drizzle with additional maple syrup, dollop with yogurt, and/or add chopped nuts.
Key Tips
While this dump and bake carrot cake oatmeal is an incredibly simple recipe, I have a few tips to help ensure perfect results.
- Grate the carrots yourself. Store-bought grated carrots are much thicker and will not blend into the muffin as well as freshly grated carrots.
- The eggs are optional. Adding eggs to baked oatmeal helps it to set up and slice like a cake. But this oatmeal will be delicious without the addition of eggs!
- Prep in advance or bake immediately. You can opt to combine the carrot cake oatmeal and bake immediately OR refrigerate for up to 24 hours prior to baking--making this oatmeal perfect for busy mornings!
Slow Cooker Instructions
Because this recipe for Carrot Cake Oatmeal uses steel-cut oats, like my recipe for Crockpot Oatmeal, you can opt to use a slow cooker to make carrot cake oatmeal.
- Grease the liner of a 6-quart slow cooker with coconut oil or canola oil.
- Add the ingredients for the oatmeal into the slow cooker, mixing to combine.
- Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, or until the oats are tender.
More Favorite Oatmeal Recipes
- Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Baked Apple Oatmeal
- Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal
- Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Video
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- 1 cup steel-cut oats, NO EXCEPTIONS!
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 20 ounces canned crushed pineapple, in 100% pineapple juice
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup grated carrots
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (175℃). Grease a 2 quart or 9x13 baking dish.
- Right in the greased baking dish, whisk together 1 cup steel-cut oats, 1 cup canned coconut milk, 20 ounces canned crushed pineapple (juice and pineapple), 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ¾ cup grated carrots, ⅓ cup maple syrup , 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until set.
- Serve oatmeal warm with a dollop of yogurt, nuts, and additional maple syrup if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2015 but updated in 2025.
Hi, I cannot eat pineapple, could you recommend a substitution please??
regards
Ann
Hi Ann! This is one recipe that really benefits from the pineapple -- flavor, sweetness, and moisture. That said, if you would like to try it without the pineapple, I would use 2 cups of canned coconut milk and increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup. That should work 🙂
Hi Kristen, thank you for getting back to me, will definitely give it a try.
regards
Ann
Well I made it and it is awesome. I rarely cook and hate eating really, but this is so easy and yummy! And for me, pretty healthy! Thanks Kristen! You are the best !!!!!
Lynn
I am thrilled to hear you gave this a go, Lynn--and that you enjoyed it. I appreciate you take the time to leave a review as well.
Hi! Could this be frozen??
Hi Ashlee! Yes, this can be frozen. I would recommend slicing the oatmeal, wrapping in parchment paper, and then freezing in a large freezer-bag. You can unwrap each slice and place in heat-safe bowl. Reheat it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until warmed through. Add milk to thin if desired.