Carrot Cake Oatmeal

close up overhead shot of bowl of garnished oatmeal with cup of coffee in background

This Carrot Cake Oatmeal is loaded with everything you love about the classic dessert! Fresh carrots, pecans, coconuts and an ultra creamy base of oatmeal. Pair with a mug of fresh coffee and you’re all set for a wonderful morning! 

If you’ve been around OBB for a while, you know that I love oatmeal. All types of flavors – and I try to make seasonal flavors when applicable. Like, hi this Gingerbread Oatmeal is my favorite for Christmas. Or these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats are amazing anytime of the year. 

Point is – oatmeal is delicious. It’s a cozy, hug in a bowl comfort food that makes getting our of a warm bed early in the morning worth it. 

I specifically love this Carrot Cake Oatmeal! 

side view of garnished oatmeal in bowl with spoon

With Easter right around the corner, I figured what better time than to create this incredible breakfast treat you can have?!

Why You’ll Love this Oatmeal: 

Ohhhhh, well, first off, who doesn’t love carrot cake?! It’s hands down my favorite dessert. There is something so incredibly warm and cozy about it. From the spices, to the cream cheese frosting…

Now, this recipe doesn’t have cream cheese frosting in it. Would I be opposed to that?! Heck no! However, I feel like the creamy base of the oatmeal really takes the place in a way of the creamy frosting. It’s so thick and velvety, each bite melts into your mouth. 

bowl of un-garnished oatmeal with toppings in small wooden bowls around it

The fresh carrots in the oatmeal itself keep it super moist (sorry for that word!) but it’s the truth. Some oatmeal can just be dry and cakey (not in a good way). Not this recipe! 

I also love how it’s not overly sweet. The carrots and pecans add a natural sweetness, as does the sweetened coconut (although you can use unsweetened if you prefer!) but otherwise, it’s sweetened with maple syrup! 

The spices in it are classic: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice….all the usual suspects you would normally find in a slice of carrot cake. It even has a touch of vanilla for an extra hint of baked good yumminess. 

Overall it’s scrumptious and perfect paired with a slow morning drinking coffee, tea and sitting under a blanket waiting for the day ahead. So let’s get into what you need! 

Ingredients You Need: 

  • Old fashioned rolled oats 
  • Milk (of your choice – I used whole but I’ve also used oat milk) 
  • Maple syrup 
  • Vanilla extract 
  • Fresh carrots 
  • Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg
  • Pecans, shredded coconut and extra carrots for garnish 

Best Oatmeal Making Tips: 

First, I HIGHLY recommend that you shred the carrots yourself vs. buying them already shredded. When you buy them already shredded it seems like they’re SO dry. When they’re freshly shredded, they retain that delicious moisture that yields into the oatmeal itself. 

So, into a medium size pot, add in the oats, milk, maple syrup, freshly shredded carrots, vanilla and spices. Mix until combined and bring it to a soft boil. 

carrot cake oatmeal ingredients in pot pre-cooked

Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium low and let it cook for 5-7 minutes, or until it begins to thicken – be sure to always be stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. 

creamy cooked oatmeal in pot

A big tip is to just watch the thickness – everyone has a different desire of texture when it comes to oatmeal. My husband likes his oatmeal super thick – I like mine a little bit more runny/thin.

If you feel like you have made yours too thick, you can always add in an extra splash of milk to help thin it out. 

This recipe makes 2 servings – so divide them into bowls and garnish away! It’s so so yummy. 

Oatmeal Garnish Ideas: 

For this recipe, I love garnishing it with pecans, shredded coconut and extra fresh carrots. 

overhead shot of spoon digging in for a bite of the garnished oatmeal

If I want it to be extra delicious, I love putting a pat of butter in it or a splash of heavy cream. 

extreme close up of creamy carrot cake oatmeal

I hope y’all enjoy this delicious oatmeal. XO – Haylie 

Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like: 

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies 

Carrot Cake Pancakes 

Carrot Cake Blondies 

Carrot Cake Bread 

Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie

5 from 2 votes
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Carrot Cake Oatmeal

This Carrot Cake Oatmeal is loaded with everything you love about the classic dessert! Fresh carrots, pecans, coconuts and an ultra creamy base of oatmeal. Pair with a mug of fresh coffee and you’re all set for a wonderful morning! 

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword carrot cake oatmeal, easy oatmeal, homemade oatmeal recipes, yummy oatmeal recipes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 people
Author Haylie

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/4 cup rolled, old fashioned oats 
  • 1 cup freshly shredded carrots 
  • 2 cups milk of your choice (I have used whole milk or oat milk)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup (or more if you like it sweeter!)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice 
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Garnishes

  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans 
  • 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut 

Instructions

  1. If possible, freshly shred the carrots! Add these to a medium size pot.

  2. To the same pot, add in the oats, milk, maple syrup, spices and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix together with a large wooden spoon and let it come to a gentle boil.

  3. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until desired thickness is achieved. 

  4. If it's too thick, add a splash of milk to get your desired oatmeal consistency.

  5. Divide the oatmeal into 2 bowls and garnish with pecans, shredded coconut and extra carrots! Enjoy!

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