Just like real homemade carrot cake, this healthy carrot cake oatmeal recipe is sweet, spicy, and completely delicious!
Breakfast carrot cake oatmeal
The filling and nutritious carrot cake overnight oats give you all the flavor of actual carrot cake, with more than half your daily requirement for vitamin A and over nine grams of heart healthy fiber.
But the best part is that it tastes like eating carrot cake for breakfast!
Carrot cake oatmeal is pretty easy to make at home. It can be prepared the night before or up to three days in advance, for an instant healthy breakfast option whenever you’re short on time.
Readers also like this Healthy Banana Bread
Above – watch the homemade carrot cake oatmeal recipe video
Healthy carrot cake oatmeal ingredients
Here’s everything you need: rolled oats, cinnamon, yogurt, sweetener and milk of choice, a pinch of salt, and shredded carrot.
For vegan carrot cake oatmeal, use dairy free yogurt and plant based milk. The recipe can also be low fat, low calorie, and gluten free.
I like to stir in about a tablespoon of softened coconut butter for richness or almond butter for extra protein.
Sometimes I will even add a spoonful of Homemade Nutella.
If you only have quick oats on hand, those will do just fine. I have not tried this oatmeal recipe with steel cut oats so have no idea how that substitution might work.
The carrots can be either large carrots or baby carrots. Feel free to go with orange, yellow, or purple carrots.
Use leftover carrots to make Carrot Bread
How to make carrot cake overnight oats
Peel the carrots if they are not already peeled. Shred with a vegetable peeler or in a food processor. I like using the food processor to shred carrots because I find it to be much easier and faster than doing it by hand.
To make the carrot oatmeal, combine all of the ingredients in a jar. Shake the jar very well, then seal tightly with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
The oats soak up all of the liquid as they sit, and this thick carrot cake breakfast will be ready to eat by the next morning.
Enjoy cold, or you can heat up the carrot oats in the microwave or on the stovetop. The recipe makes one serving.
If you prefer a baked version, try these Carrot Cake Baked Oats
Oatmeal add in and topping ideas
Raisins
Shredded Coconut
Chia Seeds
Almond Butter
Walnuts
Or you can crumble Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes on top of the oatmeal.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 – 3 tbsp shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt of choice
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 tbsp almond or coconut butter, optional
- sweetener of choice as desired (amount will depend on your tastebuds and whether or not you are using sweetened milk and yogurt)
- optional add-ins, such as raisins, shredded coconut, chia seeds, or chopped walnuts
Instructions
- To make the carrot cake oatmeal, combine all ingredients in a lidded jar, shake very well, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, you can eat cold or reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Healthy Overnight Oatmeal Ideas
Overnight Oats – 15 Flavors
Overnight Oats!
My ALL TIME favorite dessert! Can’t wait to try each and every one of these! I’ll have some awesome eyesight after all those carrots 🙂
is still a healthy breakfast if I top it with cream cheese frosting…? For uh, protein and calcium. Looks delicious!
You had me until the raisins. YUCK! (LOL.)
All joking aside — I’ll have to give this recipe a try. I love carrot cake and this sounds yummy for breakfast.
Only without raisins. 😉
Sheryl, I was scrolling down on the comments, and was a little apalled when I skimmed over yours. After all, Katie works hard to create recipes that are creative, yummy and easy; there is no need to so blatantly criticize her suggestion of adding raisins with a resounding, “YUCK!” Even to my ears, it sounded harsh and cold.
As with many things in life, people’s Food preferences wildly differ. As a mom, I can sure attest to that—one kid hates the lumpy texture of cottage cheeses while another loves diced fruit and some cottage cheese for a snack. Yet, when I serve dinner, I remind my kids to say, “No, thank you. It’s not my taste,” if they are offered foods they’ve already tried and didn’t appreciate. Even at the tender ages of three and seven, my kids have internalized the message of appreciating different tastebuds.
My point is, please try to be a little more thoughtful before posting. Good luck!
Hi, first and formost its always appreciated to see read and sometimes make recipes someone has created copied or suggests. That being said, comments remarks and opinions are very much like an onion. Some will care to comment some will judge and some will let it be. Depending on the perspective we give it, isnt that how life really is.Cheers to the neerers and cheerers.
M and Bambie
One thing I adore about spring is all of the seasonal carrot cake flavored goodies and recipes! I was STOKED to read how to eat carrot cake for breakfast, and I wasn’t disappointed once again! I definitely need to step it up and notch with my oatmeal game. It’s time I start whipping them up again!
Omg, I totally want to try this!
How do you think this would work with water in place of the milk? Looks delicious by the way!
Probably less creamy. Why not use your favorite plant-based milk, such as soy, almond, coconut, or ricemilk?
Katie,
You are amazing! Thank you for this recipe! Carrot cake is my fave but gave it up for my healthy eating routine. This truly tastes as naughty as carrot cake covered in cream cheese frosting without all of the guilt! So happy I found your site!
Believe it or not, I never used to like carrot cake…that is, unless I tried a piece at a popular restaurant where I lived. It was SO delicious that I was instantly hooked!! I too make carrot cake overnight oats, and a few other carrot cake-inspired recipes that are always on my to-make list!
http://www.bitesforfoodies.com/recipes/no-bake-carrot-cake-balls/
http://www.bitesforfoodies.com/recipes/carrot-cake-oatmeal-cookies/
http://www.bitesforfoodies.com/recipes/carrot-cake-oatmeal/
Great recipe! I had it for breakfast this morning. I added coconut butter instead of almond butter and all of the optional add ins. It really did remind me of carrot cake! Thank you for the recipe – and please do more overnight oats!