Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal (Print)

Warm, spiced oats with fresh carrots and sweet raisins make mornings special.

# What you'll need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
02 - 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
03 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
07 - ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 2 cups milk, dairy or unsweetened non-dairy
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 - ¼ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter

→ Vegetables & Fruit

13 - 1½ cups finely grated carrots, approximately 2 medium carrots
14 - ½ cup raisins

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, walnuts, and coconut. Mix until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and melted coconut oil until well combined.
04 - Add grated carrots and raisins to the wet mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
05 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly across the surface.
07 - Bake for 35 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a treat but actually fuels your body properly, which means you can eat it guilt-free and still feel satisfied hours later.
  • One sheet pan feeds the whole week, so you're basically solving the what's for breakfast question before 8 a.m. even happens.
  • The texture is tender but hearty, and reheats beautifully, tasting almost fresher the second day when the flavors have had time to settle.
02 -
  • The first time I tried to make this with instant oats, the whole thing turned into oatmeal pudding because instant oats absorb liquid too quickly; old-fashioned rolled oats are non-negotiable for the texture you want.
  • I discovered the hard way that not whisking the wet ingredients enough meant the maple syrup pooled at the bottom and created overly sweet pockets, so take that thirty seconds to really combine everything smoothly.
03 -
  • If your carrots are very wet, squeeze out some of the excess moisture before grating, or the batter will be too loose and the oatmeal won't set properly in the center.
  • Toast your walnuts in a dry pan for three minutes before chopping and adding them; this wakes up their flavor in a way that makes the whole dish taste more sophisticated and intentional.
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