Vegan carrot cake baked oatmeal is dense, satisfying, and the perfect springtime snack or breakfast. Made with just a few healthy ingredients, totally gluten free and naturally sweet.
Tomorrow is officially spring! So even if the weather refuses to accept that, we’re going to force spring to happen with oats. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate warmer weather being on the way than with one of my favorite foods!
I’ve been brainstorming a carrot cake recipe, so keep a eye out for that in the next few weeks depending on how recipe testing goes! But in the meantime, vegan carrot cake baked oatmeal will be juuuust fine. As in, I’ll be fine eating an entire batch on my own. It’s no secret that I LOVE oats, but I don’t bake it very often. Seems a little fussy and extra to me, but I decided to wing it with these because raw carrots don’t sound particularly appetizing to me in oats, and I’m so happy I tried it. Trust me, the extra time waiting for this to bake is so worth it!
Ingredients for carrot cake baked oatmeal
- Rolled oats: I always use old fashioned rolled oats for the best chewy texture and lots of healthy whole grains.
- Cinnamon: this warm spice goes great with carrot.
- Ground flaxseed: you’ll make flax eggs which will help to thicken and hold the baked oatmeal together.
- Medjool dates: you’ll blend the dates with hot water to make a paste, which sweetens the oatmeal.
- Carrots: make sure to chop the carrot into super fine, small pieces so you don’t get any giant chunks in the final product. I like to chop them from whole, rather than buying pre-shredded bags, which tend to be a lot more dry.
- Nondairy milk: a bit of milk brings the mixture together. I use unsweetened almond milk for neutral flavor, but any nondairy milk should work.
Tips for making vegan carrot cake baked oatmeal
- Chop the carrots into tiny pieces. I used organic carrots in their original, full length form and chopped them myself. As you can see in the photos, there are still some pretty intense carrot hunks in there. Too big for my liking, to be honest! The next time I made them I chopped them much more finely and loved it even more.
- Make sure to use a nonstick or parchment-lined pan. Use a nonstick or parchment-lined square pan so that the oats don’t stick after baking.
- Let the oats cool before cutting. Make sure to let the oats cool for 30 minutes in the pan before cutting into squares.
- Grab it and go, or make it fancy with whatever toppings you like. These are a great on the go breakfast, or you can make it a little more special with a drizzle of nut butter or some vegan yogurt.
Vegan carrot cake baked oatmeal is calling your name for meal prep this weekend! The extra step of baking the oats is so worth it, then you’ve got it ready to go for the week. This is the best dense, satisfying, and sweet snack or breakfast. I am SO ready for all things spring.
Xo,
Sara
Vegan Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 2 flax eggs – 2 tbsp ground flaxseed in a bowl with 6 tbsp water, set in the refrigerator for 15 minutes
- 1 cup date paste – 15 medjool dates blended with 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 cup nondairy milk – I used unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats and cinnamon.
- Add the date paste and chopped carrots and stir to combine.
- Add the nondairy milk and flax eggs, and stir into a thick batter.
- Pour the oat mixture into a nonstick or parchment lined square pan.
- Bake the oatmeal for 30 minutes, then let it cool in the pan for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Hi. What would be a good substitute for date paste? They Re really pricey. Thanks!
Hi Cindy! You could sub the same amount of ripe, mashed banana, but that would definitely change the flavor. You could also try the same amount of applesauce!