This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is the breakfast version of a favorite seasonal dessert, complete with a cream cheese icing glaze. Packed with cinnamon, carrots and nuts, you’ll feel like you’re having dessert for breakfast!
Every year for his birthday, Nick asks for a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. In December.
I suppose you can eat carrot cake all year round, but it sort of seems like a spring time dessert to me. So even though we’ve had it every December for the past few years (because of course I oblige!), it kind of just seems wrong.
I always use this Betty Crocker Carrot Cake recipe, with one modification of subbing coconut oil for the vegetable oil, and it’s really good! Even in December! Betty knows her stuff, after all.
Now that it’s spring, I’m thinking about carrot cake again. And since we don’t really need cake when summer clothes are just around the corner, why not turn that carrot cake into breakfast!?
This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is the perfect way to get all those seasonal flavors in a healthier way. Breakfast packed with veggies, nuts and oatmeal is the perfect way to the start the day.
I added a little cream cheese icing drizzle for fun, and because it completes the carrot cake flavor profile. Plus, cream cheese is a breakfast food, right?
This super yummy and filling baked oatmeal is perfect to make ahead and keep in the fridge all week for easy breakfasts.
It would also be perfect for your Easter brunch! Or you can be a crazy pants and make it in December… because who doesn’t want carrot cake all year all round?
- 3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1½ cups grated carrots
- ¾ cups roughly chopped walnuts or pecans
- For the Glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together oatmeal, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Then whisk in milk and melted butter.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combine. Fold in the carrots and nuts.
- Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes until center is set and edges are just beginning to brown.
- Meanwhile, to make the glaze, whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Drizzle glaze over baked oatmeal and serve warm.
And here’s some more baked oatmeal inspiration for you!
Peaches ‘N Cream Baked Oatmeal
marcie says
Carrot Cake baked oatmeal is such an awesome way to start the day! This looks absolutely incredible and I’m loving that glaze!
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
This looks like oatmeal that I could get on board with! I’m not generally a fan, but healthy carrot cake for breakfast sounds pretty fantastic so I may need to try it! Plus, the rest of my family would love it cause they’re oatmeal fanatics! 🙂
jessfuel says
Thanks, Stacey! It’s definitely way more fun and tasty than plain old oatmeal. 😉
Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom says
Yum! This looks and sound delicious. We love baked oatmeal around here and I can’t wait to give this version a try.