The Best Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Icing

This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is made with old-fashioned oats, a touch of maple syrup for sweetness, and plenty of fresh grated carrot. It’s like a delicious slice of carrot cake in every bite.

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Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Ingredients

• Old fashioned oats: if you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy be sure to grab certified gluten free oats.
• Eggs: these help bind everything together so you can get a delicious solid slice of baked oatmeal.
• Almond milk: I love the neutral flavor of almond milk in this recipe but cashew, coconut, or oat milk would also work well.
• Maple syrup: for a little sweetness, this recipe uses maple syrup which works well with all of the other warm and cozy flavors in the oatmeal. You could also use honey if you prefer.
• Fresh carrot: you can’t have carrot cake baked oatmeal without plenty of fresh carrot. I recommend grating the carrot using a box grater for the best results.
• Walnuts and Raisins: these are optional but really help to make the baked oatmeal taste like a slice of carrot cake.
• Spices & Vanilla Extract: warm carrot cake spices and vanilla extract are a must for that classic carrot cake flavor.
• Cream Cheese Icing: What really takes this baked oatmeal to the next level is the delicious cream cheese icing on top. It’s made with a combination of cream cheese, orange zest, almond milk, and vanilla extract.

My Best Tips and Tricks to Answer Your Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a flax egg?

Yes! Several readers have reported that they have used flax eggs as a substitute in my baked oatmeal recipes with great results. You could also use you favorite egg replacement instead.

What can I substitute for butter?

Melted coconut oil or melted ghee will both work well as a substitute for melted butter in this recipe. If you’re feeling fancy you could swap the regular butter for brown butter instead.

Do I have to use dairy free milk?

No! Feel free to use regular whole milk if you prefer.

How do I reduce the sweetness?

This baked oatmeal is pretty forgiving when it comes to the sweetness. I’ve actually made it without sweetener altogether at times and while it definitely is less sweet, the texture is not impacted at all.

If you would like to reduce the amount of sweetness in this baked oatmeal you can halve the amount of maple syrup or leave it out entirely.

I don’t have applesauce, can I use something else?

If you like, you can use mashed banana but it will change the flavor of the recipe a bit.

Can I use quick oats or steel cut oats?

For the best texture and results, I’d recommend using old fashioned whole grain oats or quick oats in this recipe, not steel cut oats.

How to Serve Baked Oatmeal

There are so many delicious ways to serve this carrot cake baked oatmeal. If you don’t feel like using the cream cheese glaze then there are a few other ways to serve the oatmeal.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• add a dollop of Greek yogurt
• pour on a bit of maple syrup or honey
• sprinkle on extra cinnamon and a few fresh apple slices

Can I Meal Prep This Recipe In Advance?

Option One: Because the oats will soak up all of the liquid in the batter, I do not recommend prepping the batter in advance and baking the next morning. Instead, I find it more helpful to prep all of the dry ingredients and all of the wet ingredients separately the night before.

Option Two: The second option is my personal favorite which is to bake the oatmeal the night before and then reheat in the morning.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Baked Oatmeal

• Store the baked oatmeal in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
• Reheat the baked oatmeal in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time until warm or in the oven at 350 degrees, wrapped in foil, until warmed through.

Can You Freeze This Baked Oatmeal?

Yes! To freeze the oatmeal, let it come to a complete cool and then transfer to a freezer safe storage container. You can reheat the oatmeal in the oven at 350 degrees wrapped in foil until warmed through or in the microwave.

Reader Favorite Carrot Cake Recipes

• Homemade Carrot Cake
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes
• Creamy Carrot Cake Smoothie
• Carrot Cake Energy Bites
• Carrot Cake Bread
• Carrot Cake Banana Bread

Get all of our favorite reader favorite carrot cake recipes!

I hope you give this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal a try! This makes a quick and easy breakfast or snack that everyone will love!

If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Sasha Hooper