Years ago, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I could transform my favorite cake into a nutrient-dense, on-the-go breakfast. After making endless baked oatmeal recipes, I thought it would be fun to try out a carrot cake baked oatmeal version.
AND WOW. These carrot cake oatmeal cups quickly became one of my favorite breakfasts! They’re hearty, perfectly spiced with cinnamon, maple syrup for sweetness, and yummy mix-ins like nuts, raisins, and shredded coconut for true carrot cake flavor.
Bonus? They make both the perfect breakfast for kiddos and a nourishing addition to your Easter brunch table.
What you’ll need to make carrot cake baked oatmeal cups
You’re going to LOVE the simple, delicious ingredients in these carrot cake oatmeal cups. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 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: add the perfect amount of moisture with unsweetened applesauce.
- Eggs: you’ll need eggs for a boost of protein and to help these oatmeal cups stay together.
- Milk: I like to use almond milk, but coconut milk would also be delicious.
- Maple syrup: for a delicious, natural sweetness.
- Coconut oil: you’ll need a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil for some additional moisture in these baked oatmeal cups.
- Rolled oats: because these are oatmeal cups, of course! Feel free to use gluten-free rolled oats if you’d like.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the baking powder to help them rise, plus cinnamon and salt for flavor.
- Yummy mix-ins: we’re also adding shredded coconut, raisins, and chopped pecans for the perfect carrot cake flavor.
- For the glaze: cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a splash of milk.
Easy ingredient swaps
Here are a few ingredient substitutions I can recommend for these carrot cake baked oatmeal cups:
- Swap the applesauce. If you’re out of applesauce, you can actually use 1 ripe mashed banana instead. YUM.
- Choose the oil. If you don’t have coconut oil, feel free to use butter, vegan butter, olive oil, or avocado oil. You can also choose an oil like walnut or hazelnut oil.
- Use any milk. I like to use almond or coconut milk in this recipe, but feel free to use any dairy or non-dairy milk you’d like.
- Keep them dairy-free. Simply use your favorite dairy-free cream cheese for the glaze, or omit the glaze entirely. They will still be delicious!
Can I use steel cut or quick oats?
I would not recommend using steel cut or quick oats in these carrot cake baked oatmeal cups because it will change the texture.
Can I make these vegan?
I think a flax egg or a chia egg will work well in this recipe, but I haven’t tested it to be sure. Learn how to make a flax egg here, and let me know in the comments if you give it a try.
How to make carrot cake 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:
- Prep your pan. Preheat the oven and line a muffin tin with muffin liners. I recommend spraying your liners with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Mix together all of the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Stir in the dry. Add the dry ingredients, then gently fold in your shredded coconut, pecans, and raisins.
- Baking them up. Evenly distribute the mixture into the lined muffin tray and bake until they’re set and no longer look “wet.”
- Cool, glaze, and devour. Mix the glaze together, then drizzle or pipe it onto each baked oatmeal cup and enjoy!
Want to make regular carrot cake baked oatmeal?
It’s easy! Make it into a full oatmeal bake by pouring the batter into a 9×9-inch pan and baking for 40-50 minutes until slightly golden brown on the edges and the center is set.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: bake these carrot cake baked oatmeal cups ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Once ready to eat, just reheat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- To freeze: 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. I suggest freezing them without the glaze and simply adding the glaze when you’re ready to enjoy them.
Recommended tools
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More carrot cake recipes you’ll love
- Healthier Carrot Cake Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Carrot Cake Smoothie
- 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
Get all of our amazing carrot cake-inspired recipes here!
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!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup shredded carrots (2 medium carrots)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
- ¼ cup (78g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted and cooled coconut oil
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups (190g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if desired
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (43g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup (80g) raisins
- ⅓ cup (37g) 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
- 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.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded carrots, applesauce, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil until smooth and well combined.
- Stir in dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in shredded coconut, chopped pecans and raisins.
- Bake: Evenly distribute oatmeal batter between muffin liners and bake for 25-30 minutes or until oatmeal cups are set.
- 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
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on March 25th, 2020, republished on April 1st, 2021, republished on April 5th, 2022, and republished on March 26th, 2026.
I prep these every week and I look forward to breakfast every morning. 🙂 I’ve never gotten tired of them.
So happy to hear that!
These were really good, light and delicious. I was nervous about the ratio of carrot to oats (my carrots were on the larger side) but they turned out great! Def a keeper!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I love this recipe so much, I think it’s my favorite of the baked oats recipes. I make it in a 9×9 pan and it turns out perfectly. I have so many baked oats recipes saved from your site, thank you for sharing!
Amazing! So glad you love it 🙂
Delicious! I baked the recipe in a 9” square glass dish. Followed the recipe exactly. Will put this one into rotation.
So glad you enjoyed!
So damn good! I did the 9×9 pan version, knowing hubs would prefer a big chunk to take to work vice two muffs, and it turned out perfect. I subbed in flax egg for the heck of it (just wasn’t in the mood to get eggy with it), and while a touch squishier in the center where an egg would have been more firm, it turned out just fine. Used chopped dates vice raisins, cuz’ hubs is weird and hates “soft raisins.” Worked like a charm! Also did a mix of chopped walnuts and pecans, having both leftover from previous oat recipes. This might be my fave baked oats yet! I did experiment with the icing, though – I forgot to put my creatine into the oats, so I mixed cashew butter, vanilla coconut yogurt, and vanilla extract, then stirred my creatine into that. Shmeared it on top, and I have to say it was a pretty damn good faux frosting!
Amazing! Great idea of the faux frosting, too 🙂 Perfect breakfast!
I love your recipes!
Would you put the glaze on if you are keeping some in the fridge?
I’m not great at the finer details of these kinds of things : )
I will be freezing some of them ; do you just let them thaw out, then micro to warm?
Thanks for any suggestions !
Feel free to glaze them before storing in the fridge or just glaze the ones you’d like to enjoy right away! And yes, thaw them in the fridge overnight, then microwave them to warm them up 🙂
These are not carrot cake but oatmeal cup. Some flour, like almond flour would help the wetness and stablize the ingredients. I used sweeten almond milk and glad i did. They need a little sweet. While these are good, they can be improved.
Sorry but I didnt add the glaze which would have helped.
This just wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve made from AK. It needs a bit more sweetness and it’s a bit mushy. Maybe it needs a little binder of some kind of flour, GF or otherwise? Anyway, I have other favorites I’ll make instead.
Hmm the oats and shredded coconut should help them bind, but you could try reducing the applesauce a bit? If you add more maple syrup I’d also suggest adding a bit more rolled oats.
Made 3 times now…delicious recipe. I don’t do dairy so I skipped the icing but drizzle honey on top before eating and it’s scrumptious! The first time I made them I didn’t have raisins so I substituted Craisins. The honey on top paired really well with the tartness of the Craisins.
Perfect! So glad you love these!
Imade this recipe in a 9inch square pan. Iined it with parchment. The only thing I didnt have is the raisins and I used sweetened coconut.
Baked as directed. It took about 45 minutes in my oven. I love the texture and its so delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing. I will be making this often!
Thank you
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
The first time I made these I did them as muffins and they were so good! This time, I made it into baked oatmeal for ease, I replaced the raisins with dates because I had them already and prefer them, and instead of doing the drizzle, I made a Greek yogurt “frosting” for extra protein! I mixed about 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, then spread it on the baked and cooled oats. It was AMAZING all week long! Like eating cake for breakfast.
That sounds delicious!!
Another wonderful recipe! I gave some to my 2 year old toddler and he gobbled it up! I always look to your recipes to feed him and it has been so helpful.
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
I made these in normal, greased muffin tins which was a mistake. The batter is VERY wet and like the recipe says you need liners. Also used a flax egg with a ratio of 1:2 flax, water bc I thought this might happen
Sorry to hear that! Let me know if you try it again with liners – that should help!
I see most of the nutritionals posted except the one I really need- what is the sodium per serving please on the carrot cake oatmeal cups
Hi, Eve! So sorry, we don’t include sodium content in our recipes because it can vary so much depending on the brands of ingredients you use. Feel free to leave out the salt + leave off the cream cheese glaze to reduce the sodium!
Your cupcake recipes are so easy to do, it’s hard to resist. 🙂 I made these with a few changes. As I don’t like raisins and walnuts, I used dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. I used oat milk and added cardamom with cinnamon. I am also not a fan of white glaze, so I added a bit of melted dark chocolate on top. It was brilliant! For next time, I will put chocolate chips in the mixture. 😀
Your cupcake recipes are so easy to do, it’s hard to resist. 🙂 I made these with a few changes. As I don’t like raisins and walnuts, I used dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. I used oat milk and added cardamom with cinnamon. I am also not a fan of white glaze, so I added a bit of melted dark chocolate on top. It was brilliant! For next time, I will put chocolate chips in the mixture. 😀
These look fabulous! I need a breakfast dish to take to a ladies potluck. Do you think these would work in a mini muffin tin? Is it important to use a muffin liner?
Sure! I would probably decrease the baking time a bit.
Love these so much!
So glad you’re loving this recipe, Kate!
Omg I love these muffins!!! I just happened across this recipe and so thankful I did!!! Thank you 😊 I work long crazy hours and these are perfect for the road.
Only thing I changed was, I used crasins (I don’t like raisins for some reason) and added more cinnamon because I LOVE CINNAMON lol.
First time I made them, I used the glaze, which yum yum! But I decided to go without the glaze, because of the sticky mess they make in my lunch box (I only have a couple of minutes to eat…hard to explain my job and time, but I usually eat 1 of these completely in about 2-3hrs 😢 yes that’s how long it takes to be able to enjoy 1 without scarfing down my food ) anyway sorry for long post
BOTTOM LINE THSES ARE THE BEST!!! THANK YOU!
WOO! This is seriously the best, Bobbi 🙂 I am SO glad you’re loving these muffins and they turned out great for you!
These were delicious, I just used lactose free milk in them as I didn’t have the almond milk in the house. Love them nice that they don’t use artificial sweetners
Sounds amazing, so glad you’re loving this recipe and they turned out great for you, Kim ❤️
These are delicious!! I have made them 2x so far. 1x with applesauce and the second time with ripe bananas instead! The ripe bananas were a little sweeter. I like grinding 1/2 of my oats into flour. I don’t make the frosting but simply top them with whipped cream cheese! Like I said delicious!! I don’t eat oatmeal but I love these!! Thanks for my new favorite recipe!!
Nice!! Love the idea of using bananas in here. Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
I tried – followed all the directions but swapped maple syrup and used a couple tablespoons brown sugar. They did not puff up or really come together. The inside had a gummy texture, even though I baked them for longer because the seemed raw inside. They tasted OK but a weird gummy yet but crumbly texture.
Question: When I put the coconut oil in the microwave to melt it, it literally broke my microwave! It flashed and buzzed loudly like what happens when metal is in it, but it was simply a glass cup and the coconut oil. It was so weird. Has this happened to anyone else??
Hi! I would recommend subbing a liquid sweetener for the maple syrup, it’ll change the consistency of the batter which will change the end result… I have never had that happen to coconut oil, I would recommend melting it in intervals (10-15 seconds at a time). Hope that helps!
These turned out great! My batter was a bit “wet” when I filled the muffin cups, so I had to bake a little extra long, approximately 15-20 extra minutes. But, turned out delicious and moist.
I subbed 2 small bananas for the apple sauce (2/3) cup. I also used GF oatmeal. I didn’t have maple syrup, so just left it out. Taste great without. Thanks for the recipe!
These are moist but very flat; they need a lot more spice to compare with regular carrot cake. I was very disappointed. I’m on a dairy free, sugar free, gluten free diet and find most baked goods blaaah tasting.
So sorry these did not turn out as you had hoped. I have lots of other good gf/df recipes on my site. Hope you give them a try!
Yum, yum, yum! I love carrot cake, so does the hubby.
Yay! I am so glad 🙂
I have replaced the raisins with crushed pineapple, delicious.
Yay! SO glad this recipe turned out great for you, sounds delicious!
I made these over the weekend and they were a big hit. The only substitution I made was non dairy cream cheese in the icing. They are very filling and not overly sweet. I will definitely be making these on repeat
Yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that it turned out great for you ❤️
I made these, and they are delicious but turned out a bit wet. I baked for 30 min so they’re definitely cooked. Next time I’m going to try grinding half the oats in my nutribullet to make a flour. I think that might help with the wetness. Thank you for a healthy and delicious alternative to muffins!
These look amazing!