If you’re looking for a tasty make ahead breakfast, you’re going to love this protein carrot cake baked oats recipe! It tastes like traditional carrot cake, but is made with wholesome ingredients like oatmeal, pineapple, coconut and walnuts for a satisfying and sweet breakfast or dessert that’s perfect for a crowd. Simple to make, it’s light, moist, and always a winner! {Gluten-free, dairy-free-friendly & vegetarian}
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Healthy Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
If your mornings are anything like mine (i.e. total chaos), then you’ll definitely want to add these healthy carrot cake protein baked oats to your list of must-try recipes. They’re a great option for breakfast meal prep and so convenient to grab as you run out the door!
Plus, who doesn’t want to eat carrot cake for breakfast? My boys LOVE this recipe — it has that classic carrot cake flavor and is the perfect fuss free, healthy breakfast for the whole family!
Carrot cake lovers no longer need to wait for Easter to enjoy their favorite dessert; you can make it any time of year!
Featured Comment
“This is a great breakfast, snack or dessert! My whole family loved it!” – Jo
For more healthy carrot cake recipes, be sure to try out this Low Sugar Carrot Cake Recipe and these Healthy Carrot Pineapple Muffins, and Carrot Cake Energy Balls!
Why This Recipe is Dietitian-Approved
- Nutritious enough to serve for breakfast yet delicious enough to serve for dessert!
- Uses natural sweeteners like pineapple and maple syrup
- Packed with fiber-rich whole grains, healthy fats, and plenty of vitamins and minerals
- Uses simple, everyday ingredients
- Tastes like one of your favorite desserts!
- Great brunch option for Easter or special occasions
- Can be served as-is or with a homemade tangy cream cheese frosting
Ingredient Notes
- Oats: Old fashioned or quick oats can be used in this recipe. Use old fashioned if you prefer a chewier texture or quick if you’re going for more of a cake-like texture.
- Protein powder: Adds some extra protein and sweetness. I like to use Good Protein powder.
- Baking powder: This helps make the oatmeal more light and fluffy.
- Seasonings: Warm spices like cinnamon and allspice add a nice cozy flavor. You’ll also need a little salt and vanilla extract. Feel free to increase the amount of spices or add in some dried ginger as well.
- Coconut flakes: Add a great flavor and texture. Use unsweetened desiccated coconut flakes to minimize added sugar.
- Milk: Helps add moisture. Dairy or plant-based milk such as almond milk can be used in this recipe.
- Eggs: To bind the oats together.
- Pure maple syrup: To sweeten the oatmeal bake. Honey or date puree can also be used.
- Pineapple: Provides some moisture and natural sweetness to the baked oats. Use canned crushed pineapple packed in water or pineapple juice. Avoid the crushed pineapple packed in heavy syrup.
- Walnuts: These add a great crunchy texture. I love to include them, but you can leave them out if you prefer. You can also sub in chopped pecans.
- Carrots: Shred carrots using a box grater or food processor with a grater attachment. For convenience, you can buy pre-grated carrots from the grocery store if you’d like.
- Raisins: You can add raisins into the mix for added sweetness and more carrot cake vibes. Finely chopped dates are also delicious.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish or small rectangular baking dish with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oats, shredded coconut, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt until well combined.
- Pour in the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and crushed pineapple, stirring until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Fold in the walnuts, grated carrot, and raisins or chopped dates, if using. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. For a little extra sweetness and texture, sprinkle a few more raisins over the top if desired.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centre is set with a slight spring when gently pressed.
- Allow the baked oatmeal to cool in the dish before slicing and serving. If you’d like, finish it with the optional frosting for a delicious carrot cake-inspired touch.
Recipe Tip: To make your own cream cheese frosting, try mixing 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and a splash of vanilla extract and spread over baked oatmeal.
Expert Tips
- Use rolled oats if you prefer a more chewy texture and quick oats if you want a more cake-like texture.
- Chop up the walnuts finely so that you get little bits of crunchy nuts in each bite rather than large chunks of nuts.
- If serving these carrot cake oat squares to babies or toddlers, leave out the nuts to prevent choking.
How to Store
Refrigeration: You can store the carrot cake baked oats in the fridge covered in the baking dish with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezing: Allow baked oatmeal to fully cool and cut into squares. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. If stacking the pieces, separate the layers with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw or pop the bars into the microwave to warm them up.
Serving Suggestions
Grab some of this baked oatmeal as you run out of the door for a quick grab and go breakfast or serve it topped with any of the following for a delicious treat:
- Greek yogurt
- Whipped cream
- Chopped walnuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
- Sprinkle of coconut flakes
- Drizzle of maple syrup
- Cream cheese frosting
Recipe Variations
- To make vegan: Use flax or chia eggs and a plant-based milk.
- To make nut-free: The walnuts can be omitted to make these nut-free. They can also be swapped for other nuts like pecans or almonds.
- Dried fruit: Instead of raisins, chopped dates work great, or try other dried fruits like cranberries to switch things up!
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Chocolate Banana Baked Oats
- Banana Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
- Raspberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Healthy Oatmeal Muffins
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Protein Carrot Cake Baked Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk or milk alternative
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups grated carrots
- 3/4 cup crushed pineapple
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raisins or finely chopped dates (optional)
Optional topping
- 1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ degrees. Grease an 8×8 square baking dish or a small rectangular dish with a little oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, coconut, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and mix until combined.
- Add the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and crushed pineapple to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Fold in the walnuts, grated carrot and raisins or dates (if using). Spread into the prepared baking dish and top oatmeal with extra raisins, if desired.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. The edges should be golden and the centre should be slightly springy. Allow to cool in the baking dish. Top with optional frosting if desired.
Notes
- Use rolled oats if you prefer a more chewy texture and quick oats if you want a more cake-like texture.
- When adding the crushed pineapple, don’t drain the excess moisture since the extra juices add additional moisture to the baked oatmeal.
- Chop up the walnuts pretty finely so you get little bits of crunchy nuts in each bite rather than large chunks of nuts.
- If serving this carrot cake baked oatmeal to babies or toddlers, leave out the nuts to prevent choking.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in March 2022 and was updated in March 2024 to include more helpful tips. It was updated again in March 2025 to include revised photos, text and formatting. The recipe was revised in April 2026 to increase the spices, moisture level and add some extra protein.
Hi, is there any substitute to the crushed pineapple?
You could try subbing in unsweetened applesauce for the crushed pineapple. Keep me posted on how it goes if you try it out!
Great recipe! I’ve made it a handful of times and have tweeked it a bit. I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 so that I could use up my 14oz can (a little over 2 cups) of crushed pineapple without any leftovers and because I like bigger portions of this delicious oatmeal. I replaced the maple syrup with pineapple as well because it worked out and is much cheaper and made up the difference with more milk. I upped all the seasonings quite a bit and added clove because I like the punch. Topping with Greek yogurt and a little drizzle of honey really makes it special. I’d be more than happy to save everybody the math if you’d like me to post my revised recipe!
Thanks so much for sharing your modifications! So happy you’ve been enjoying the recipe and that you’ve found a way to make it work for you :)
This is a great breakfast, snack or dessert! My whole family loved it!
Glad it was a winner! Thanks so much for the feedback :)