Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is wholesome, fluffy and packed with carrot cake flavor! It’s topped with a luscious cream cheese glaze for the ultimate breakfast or brunch!

Here we are…the Monday before Easter, and I’m not completely ready for it.   It’s gotten super hectic around here because my son is now on a travel basketball team, which means shuttling him to practice a few times a week and LOTS of tournaments on the weekends.

Yesterday was our first one, and it was a very long day but so exciting!  They’re just starting out together and won 2 out of 3 games, with the last one being a huge come from behind win.

All I can say is I have a lot of basketball in my future, and it’s a good thing that I love it so much. 🙂

How about you…are you ready for Easter?  Maybe you’ve got some dinner or brunch plans along with an egg hunt?  

If brunch is on the agenda, and even if you need a special breakfast idea that’s on healthier side, this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal.

Carrot cake is a huge favorite of mine, and I was really excited to try these flavors in a baked oatmeal.  It worked beautifully, and it totally satisfied the huge carrot cake cravings that I’ve had.

Easter always gets me in the mood for carrot cake. 🙂

I realize carrot cake can be a personal thing…some people like raisins in theirs, and some don’t.  Crushed pineapple?  Maybe not.  

Walnuts may not be your thing either, and I know some people don’t care for coconut (which I try to understand but can’t). 🙂

Because it’s so personal, you get to customize this baked oatmeal exactly the way you want to.  I didn’t add raisins because I can take them or leave them in carrot cake, but I did add coconut, crushed pineapple, and the crunchy walnuts that I love.

This recipe will still turn out perfectly if you omit any of these items or add something else in their place — you really can’t go wrong.

Some baked oatmeal recipes can be dry, but not this one, because the carrot and crushed pineapple add so much moisture.

There’s a whopping 1 cup of grated carrots in here, along with an 8 ounce can of well-drained crushed pineapple.   Well-drained is key here, because if you add the pineapple juice to this baked oatmeal, it will be way to juicy and won’t set up.

I drained my crushed pineapple in a mesh strainer and pressed down on it with the back of my hand until pretty much all of the liquid had been strained out.

The carrots in this recipe had a bit of chew to them, which I didn’t mind at all because the oatmeal is so soft that I loved the contrast in texture.  

If you’d rather your carrots are softer, you can place them in a bowl with a little water, cover them with plastic wrap, and microwave them for about a minute until they’re softened.  Drain them in a mesh strainer, and add them to your oatmeal.

When this carrot cake baked oatmeal was 10 minutes away from being done, I topped it with the walnut pieces so that they would toast right as the oatmeal baked.  That’s the lazy girl way to toast nuts!

When the oatmeal is done, cool it slightly on a wire rack and make your glaze.  I decided on the glaze because it’s not really carrot cake without a tangy cream cheese element.  I was trying to keep this healthier, so I only made a little bit and I didn’t even end up using it all as a little of this glaze goes a long way.

This carrot cake baked oatmeal recipe is the perfect breakfast or brunch item that you need for Easter, Mother’s Day or any other time you want something extra special.

This way you can have your carrot cake for breakfast, and if that’s not a fun way to start the day, I don’t know what is. 🙂

More baked oatmeal recipes you’ll love:

• Apple cinnamon baked oatmeal by Five Heart Home
• Cranberry orange baked oatmeal
• Hummingbird cake baked oatmeal
• Morning glory baked oatmeal
• Overnight blueberry baked oatmeal crisp

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Servings: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Additional Time: 0 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is a delicious baked oatmeal recipe that's packed with carrot cake flavor and topped with a luscious cream cheese glaze!

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Ingredients

For the oatmeal:

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats gluten-free if gluten intolerant
• ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk or the milk of your choice
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup grated carrot about 2 medium
• 8 ounces crushed pineapple very well drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup walnut pieces

For the glaze:

• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1½ tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

Prepare the oatmeal:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Place the oat mixture in the prepared pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, and egg until well incorporated. Stir in the carrot, crushed pineapple, and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the oat mixture and rap the baking dish on the counter so that the milk is evenly distributed. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes, then top with the walnut pieces, pressing them down into the oatmeal slightly. Bake another 10 minutes, or until the oatmeal is golden brown and set. Cool on a wire rack.

Prepare the glaze:

• Beat the cream cheese in a small bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more until creamy and smooth. Add the milk and vanilla, and beat until combined.
• Drizzle the glaze over the slightly cooled baked oatmeal, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

• The carrots in this recipe have a bit of texture and chew to them, so if you’d like them to be on the softer side, place the grated carrots in a small bowl with a bit of water and cover them with plastic wrap. Microwave for about 1 minute or until slightly softened, drain, and add them as directed in the recipe.
• Feel free to customize this oatmeal to make it the way you like your carrot cake! Omit the crushed pineapple, coconut, or walnuts, and replace with raisins or any of your favorite additions! You can also omit the glaze completely to make this even healthier.

Nutrition

Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 21g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Author: Marcie

All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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