Healthy Carrot Cake Baked Oats

Layers of fluffy cake, warm spices, sweet-tangy cream cheese frosting, and crunchy walnuts - we wish we could have it all the time! But alas we reserve that kind of indulgence for very special occasions. However, Carrot Cake Baked Oats ticks all of the boxes we love about the classic dessert without any of the excessive fat, sugar, and empty calories. 

Using the healthy baked oatmeal trend we came up with the perfect “carrot cake” full of healthy wholesome ingredients that nourish us while letting us feel like we’re indulging...without paying the price. Super nutritious oats, carrots, raisins, and walnuts are spiced with energizing and fragrant cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves. A lovely combination of textures and flavors that we could literally eat every day. Absolutely delicious and so satisfying with or without the lightly sweetened cream cheese on top.

This flourless Carrot Cake recipe is so versatile that you can change it up based on the occasion and to suit individual tastes:

1. Bake as is and serve right from the baking dish for a healthy breakfast that is simply delicious
2. The carrot cake muffins make a perfect on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snack
3. Did someone order pancakes?? Use the same batter to make gluten-free carrot cake pancakes or waffles and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup

Last but not least! Spread the lightly sweetened cream cheese topping on the baked oats cake or muffins for an out-of-this-world dessert. Want to take it over the top? The gorgeous crimson raspberry powder sprinkled on top gives it that fancy bakery look and it’s such a simple way to add a little wow factor. The sweet-tart raspberry flavor also wakes up the cream cheese topping in a way you won’t want to miss.

Tips

Here are my tips to make fluffy carrot cake baked oats:

• Make sure to use a high-speed blender as you want to grind the oats
• If baking in an oven-safe dish, make sure to grease it well
• Double up the batch and make oatmeal carrot cake muffins. You won’t regret it! The baking time will be 12 to 15 minutes for the muffins. The baked oatmeal cups make for a perfect on-the-go healthy breakfast or enjoy as a delicious after-school snack.  
• You can also use the batter to make yummy carrot cake pancakes that the kids are sure to enjoy. Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup 
• Air fryer carrot cake - In my Cosori Air fryer, I bake it for 20 mins at 330 F in a 5" x 5" baking dish. To make muffins, add the batter to silicone muffin liners and air fry at  330 F for 12 to 15 mins

Substitutions

• You can use quick oats instead of rolled oats. But do not use steel cut oats
• Use flax eggs for an eggless option - whisk together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water
• You can use honey, sugar, or brown sugar instead of maple syrup
• Substitute walnuts with pecans if you like or add your favorite nuts 
• Allergic to nuts? Go ahead and skip them
• Don’t have allspice? You can skip it or add ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg instead

Steps

• Add rolled oats to the blender and grind to a powder. Add baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt and process again so they get mixed in (photo 1)
• In a bowl whisk egg. Add milk, maple syrup, and mix (photo 2, 3, and 4)

• Add carrots, half of the chopped walnuts, raisins, and mix well (photo 5)
• Next, add the ground oats mixture (photo 6)
• Stir everything until well combined (photo 7)
• Pour the batter into the greased dish. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and raisins (photo 8) Bake for 20 minutes

• Allow the cake to cool down for 5 minutes and then enjoy warm (photo 9) with an optional drizzle of maple syrup.
• To serve as a dessert or special treat, mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Allow the carrot cake to cool down for at least 10 minutes. Spread the frosting over (photo 10)

Serving

• When serving as breakfast, lightly drizzle with maple syrup
• To serve as a special treat or dessert make the cream cheese frosting from the recipe card below and enjoy the heavenly carrot cake with much fewer calories than the traditional carrot cake

Storing

Baked carrot cake oatmeal stays good at room temperature for several hours. You can also refrigerate it for 2 to 3 days. To reheat simply microwave for 10 to 30 seconds.

Here are some more of healthy-ish dessert recipes to try:

• Fig and Walnut Halwa
• Gluten-Free Banana Bread
• Almond Flour Brownies
• Date and Almond Truffles
• Baked Oatmeal with Berries

Looking for more breakfast ideas? I have 37+ delicious sweet and savory breakfast and brunch recipes from classic Indian dishes to Instant Pot bread and puddings.

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4.88 from 8 votes

Carrot Cake Baked Oats

Super nutritious oats, carrots, raisins, and walnuts spiced with energizing and fragrant cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & cloves. A lovely combination of textures and flavors that can enjoyed as breakfast or a treat.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2

Calories: 335kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup rolled oats **
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon allspice **
• ▢ 1 egg or flax egg *see notes
• ▢ ¼ cup milk
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ ½ cup carrot grated
• ▢ ¼ cup walnuts chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons raisins

Optional toppings

• ▢ 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powdered optional

Instructions

• Lightly grease 5 x 5 oven-safe dish or ramekin. Note that the bake times will change if you are using a baking dish of different size. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Add rolled oats to the blender and grind to a powder. Add baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt and process again so they get mixed in
• In a bowl whisk egg. Add milk and maple syrup. Add carrots and mix well.
• Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. And mix well.
• Stir in half of the chopped walnuts and raisins.
• Pour the batter into the greased dish. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and raisins. Bake for 20 minutes.
• To make the optional frosting - Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Allow the carrot cake to cool down for at least 10 minutes. Then spread over the frosting.

Video

Notes

• You can use quick oats instead of rolled oats. I do not recommend steel cut oats
• Use flax eggs for an eggless option - whisk together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water
• You can use honey, sugar, or brown sugar instead of maple syrup
• Substitute walnuts with pecans if you like or add your favorite nuts 
• Allergic to nuts? Go ahead and skip them
• Don’t have allspice? You can skip it or add ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg instead
• Double up the batch and make oatmeal carrot cake muffins. You won’t regret it! The baking time will be 12 to 15 minutes for the muffins. The baked oatmeal cups make for a perfect on-the-go healthy breakfast or enjoy as a delicious after-school snack.  
• You can also use the batter to make yummy carrot cake pancakes that the kids are sure to enjoy. Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup 
• Air fryer method - In my Cosori Air fryer, I bake it for 20 mins at 330 F in a 5" x 5" baking dish. To make muffins, add the batter to silicone muffin liners and air fry at  330 F for 12 to 15 mins
• The current nutrition info does not use the optional frosting. With the cream cheese frosting, these carrot cake baked oats are 466 calories per servings 

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 5501IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 2mg

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