What’s your favorite kind of cake? Mine happens to be carrot cake. Speaking of which, have you tried my healthy carrot cake recipe yet?!
Well, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could transform carrot cake into a healthy version you could enjoy for breakfast. After making my almond butter apple oatmeal cups, peanut butter banana oatmeal cups and pumpkin oatmeal cups, I thought it would be fun to try out a carrot cake baked oatmeal version.
AND OH MY FREAKING ZAC EFRON. These carrot cake oatmeal cups are my new favorite breakfast! They’re hearty, perfectly spiced with cinnamon, include plenty of carrots, applesauce and maple syrup for sweetness, and nuts, raisins and shredded coconut for texture and true carrot cake flavor.
Ingredients in carrot cake baked oatmeal cups
You’re going to LOVE the simple, delicious ingredients in these carrot cake baked oatmeal cups. Not only are they naturally sweetened, but they’re also great for customizing with fun add-ins. Feel free to get a little wild! First, here’s what you’ll need:
- Shredded carrots: you’ll need to shred about 2 medium carrots to get all of the carrot cake goodness, but make sure you measure 1 cup of shredded carrots!
- Unsweetened applesauce: this adds the perfect amount of moisture to the oatmeal cups. If you don’t have applesauce, then 1 ripe mashed banana should do the trick.
- Eggs: for some extra protein and help these oatmeal cups stay together. I haven’t tried flax eggs, but let me know if you do in the comments.
- Almond milk: I think coconut milk would also be delicious, but you can use any milk you’d like.
- Maple syrup: for a delicious, natural sweetness.
- Coconut oil: you’ll just need a couple of tablespoons for some additional moisture in these baked oatmeal cups.
- Rolled oats: feel free to use gluten free rolled oats if you’d like! I would not recommend steel cut or quick oats.
- Baking powder: to help these oatmeal cups rise a bit.
- Cinnamon: adds a cozy flavor to these oatmeal cups and gives them that carrot cake goodness.
- Salt: to bring the flavors all together.
- Shredded coconut: is there anything better than carrot cake with coconut? YUM.
- Yummy mix-ins: I used raisins and chopped pecans in these, but feel free to use walnuts or other dried fruit.
- For the glaze: cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and a splash of almond or coconut milk.
How to make carrot cake baked oatmeal cups
The best part about these oatmeal cups is that they’re easily made in just one bowl. So easy! Here’s how to make them:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. I recommend spraying your liners with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix together your wet ingredients: carrots, applesauce, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup and melted coconut oil.
- Next stir in your dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Then gently fold in your shredded coconut, pecans and raisins.
- Evenly distribute your carrot cake oatmeal mixture into the lined muffin tray and bake for 25-30 minutes until they’re set and longer look “wet.”
- Make your glaze by mixing the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond milk, and then drizzle or pipe it onto each baked oatmeal cup.
Tips for storing & reheating baked oatmeal cups
You can make these carrot cake baked oatmeal cups ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Once ready to eat, just reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Even better: freezing baked oatmeal cups is easy. Just allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in an airtight container or reusable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm.
More carrot cake recipes you’ll love
Healthier Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies (made with coconut oil + dairy free!)
The Best Healthy Carrot Cake You’ll Ever Eat (gluten free & paleo-friendly!)
Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Glaze
See how to make the carrot cake baked oatmeal cups
I hope you love these delicious, easy carrot cake baked oatmeal cups! If you make them I’d love for you to leave a comment and a rating letting me know how you liked them. I greatly appreciate it – xoxo!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups
Delicious, healthy carrot cake baked oatmeal cups with raisins, pecans and shredded coconut. These easy carrot cake baked oatmeal cups are naturally sweetened with a touch of maple syrup and topped with a light cream cheese glaze. A wonderful on-the-go or meal prep breakfast for your week!
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded carrots (2 medium carrots)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted and cooled coconut oil
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- For the cream cheese glaze:
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk, to thin
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent oatmeal cups from sticking.
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In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded carrots, applesauce, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil until smooth and well combined.
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Next stir in dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in shredded coconut, chopped pecans and raisins.
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Evenly distribute oatmeal batter between muffin liners and bake for 25-30 minutes or until oatmeal cups are set.
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To make the cream cheese glaze: in a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and almond milk. Drizzle or pipe over the oatmeal cups. Makes 12 oatmeal cups.
Recipe Notes
Oatmeal cups should be stored in the fridge and will stay good for 4-5 days.
Even better: freezing baked oatmeal cups is easy. Just allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in an airtight container or reusable bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat them, you can microwave them for 45 seconds-1 minute or until warm.
If you don't have applesauce, then 1 ripe mashed banana should do the trick!
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
34 comments
Hi there! I want to make these for my son who has a TON of food sensitivities! Can I use 2 flax eggs instead? And I dont have any raisins or nuts right (don’t know if that would go over well with him anyway), would it change too much if I just omit these?
Hi! I haven’t tried using flax eggs but I think it might work. Let me know if you try it! Also they should be fine without raisins or nuts.
I made these with my 4 year old. Very easy to make, and we subbed in regular milk because that’s what we had and it seemed to turn out fine. Preschooler, toddler, and adult approved!
Perfect! So happy everyone loved them!
I would love to make these! One question – is there something you would suggest to use in place of coconut? I don’t have any and this sounds delicious!
You could use 1/4 cup oat flour or 1/3 cup more oats!
These are delicious! I have made healthy carrot muffins before but these carrot oatmeal bakes are the best! So moist and flavourful. These are going to be made on a regular basis!
Amazing! I’m so glad you love them 🙂
Delicious and easy to make!
One of my new favs! Glad you loved them!
This looks amazing! A couple questions can I use honey instead of maple syrup and vegetable oil instead of coconut? Don’t have these 2 things in my pantry! Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! The only thing I’m missing is cream cheese for the frosting. Any recommendations for substitutions (or other glazes/frostings that I could make instead)?
Try the glaze from these cookies! https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/chewy-carrot-cake-oatmeal-cookies/
These are delicious! The texture is out of this world and the glaze makes these seem much more decadent than they really are (it invokes the feeling that I’m eating a cinnamon roll)! Oh my, it totally satisfies my sweet tooth as a dessert but also makes a perfectly filling snack in-between meals. I will
continue making these again and again. Thank you!
Absolutely! Such a great, nourishing breakfast (that tastes like dessert 😉 ).
I’m making these this week and freezing for meal prep and I can’t wait! I’ve been craving carrot cake! Can these be frozen with the glaze if I just do a small drizzle like your photos? Or would you recommend freezing without the glaze?
Love that! I’d recommend freezing without the glaze 🙂
Very tasty and great to store for a quick breakfast. I have made these multiple times always using a flax egg substitute, which worked out just fine.
Absolutely! I’m glad the flax egg works out well 🙂
Delicious! Easy to make and very tasty. Chock full of “healthier” ingredients. Thanks!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I liked the flavor of the recipe. I just made a few changes to my liking. I added 1/2 a cup of crushed pineapple, a 1/4 teaspoon of all spice, and because the batter was a lot more liquidy than I am use to, I added 1/2 a cup of flour.. .I know I know..not gluten free but it worked out fine. The other adjustments I made is I added 1/4 cup brown sugar, I used granola because I did not have any oatmeal oats. Overall they came out delicious. I just noticed they were not very cake like as they did not rise very much but they were very moist and I would definitely recommend this simple and tasty recipe. Thank you!
Hi Celia! All of those changes are likely what made these not rise very much and have lots of extra moisture. Glad you liked them regardless!
I loved having these in the morning! The icing is perfect for people who like a little more sweetness to their baked goods. The consistency was definitely different than I expected but I loved it (I had never made oatmeal cups before). Definitely a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed! Perfect breakfast 🙂
The mixture was way too moist. Had to add a cup of flour. Then couldnt get paper liner off. Taist was great
Sorry to hear you had issues! These were perfect for me when I tested them a few times. The paper liner likely stuck if you did not grease the inside of the muffin liners.
These have been great if you’re someone who needs a quick on-the-go breakfast. Meal prep win!
Absolutely! Love that.
Hi! I’m planning on making these tomorrow. I’m at a higher altitude (5,000 ft above sea level). Are there any adjustments I should make to the recipe before making it since I’m at a higher altitude?
Hi! I think they should be fine as is!
These turned out very well – I modified for a toddler by omitting the maple syrup and glaze. And actually, I used the same amount of grated apple instead of applesauce. But thanks for a great recipe. My kids loved them!
Perfect! Great snack or breakfast 🙂
I’ve made them a bunch of times. Usually I make them with whole milk, finally tried coconut milk, they were much moister and better. My husband loves them, particularly the frosting as I quadruple the recipe.