Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

This easy vegan carrot cake baked oatmeal is easy to whip up in 30 minutes for a healthy breakfast.

These yummy baked oats are super easy to whip up for a healthy, whole grain breakfast you can enjoy all week. You’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients and they’re easily customizable to suit your tastes and needs.

Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and studded with bites of walnut and raisins, this oatmeal bake is definitely reminiscent of carrot cake!

Though inspired by the classic dessert, they’re not overly sweet and they taste wonderfully nutty and wholesome. Enjoy served warm topped with coconut yogurt and almond butter for a delicious breakfast or treat any time of day!

Recipe Features

• Dietary Needs: This recipe is vegan (dairy-free and egg-free), gluten-free (use gf-certified oats if needed) and oil-free.
• Low in Sugar: Sweetened naturally with just 1/4 cup maple syrup. For a sugar-free recipe, you could use liquid monk fruit sweetener.
• Great for breakfast meal prep. Just heat and enjoy!
• Makes a healthy snack or even dessert too.
• Under 200 calories with 5 grams each of fibre and plant-based protein per serving.

Ingredient Notes

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

• Oats: Rolled oats, old-fashioned oats or large flake oats work best.
• Maple Syrup: This can be substituted with agave syrup or honey (not vegan).
• Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce. This can be substituted with 1/4 cup mashed ripe banana.
• Spices: The recipe calls for cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger but if you’re missing nutmeg or ginger, not a big deal, it’s okay to leave one or the other out.
• Flax: Be sure to use ground flax and not whole flax seed. The flax acts as an egg in this recipe and helps bind everything together.
• Milk: Any non-dairy milk works. Try unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk. If you’d like to use canned coconut milk, I’d suggest combining 1/2 cup light coconut milk with 1 cup water.
• Walnuts: Can be substituted with pecans or slivered almonds. Omit for a nut-free recipe or try pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead.
• Raisins: Can be substituted with chopped dates or omitted.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Scroll down for the full written recipe. This section features step-by-step photos for a quick visual reference.

Step 1: Add the oats, spices and ground flax to a 8-inch square baking dish and mix well.

Note: I mix everything up right in the baking dish but if you find it easier to mix in a large mixing bowl, go ahead and add everything at once and mix until well combined, then transfer to the baking dish.

Step 2: Add the grated carrot and mix well to distribute and break up any clumps.

Step 3: Add the wet ingredients and mix well. If you’d like you can sprinkle a little shredded coconut or coconut sugar over top before baking.

Bake for 30 minutes then let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Serving Ideas

Baked oatmeal can be enjoyed cold straight from the fridge for an easy snack or breakfast or reheated in the microwave or oven.

Serve with Yogurt. This is probably my favourite way to enjoy baked oats: warmed up and top with vanilla or plain coconut yogurt. Any yogurt, such as Greek yogurt or oat or almond-based yogurt works too.

Serve with Nut Butter: Serve topped with a generous spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter or tahini. It’s great enjoyed cold spread with almond butter for a quick snack.

For Dessert: To serve these baked oats for dessert or a sweet snack, try them with this cashew frosting or a simple glaze. Coconut whipped cream, aquafaba whipped cream or your favourite dairy-free ice cream would also be delicious!

Storing

• Let cool before storing.
• Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Store in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Consider portioning them into single-servings before freezing so they’re easy to grab and go.
• Reheating: Reheat briefly in the microwave until heated through. They’re also yummy cold for a quick snack!

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