Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

I’ve tried making a Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal a few times in the past, but I’ve never gotten it quite right until today. It has been a long time in the making, so I’m very excited to finally add the Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal to my baked oatmeal collection. This version is packed with carrots and is only faintly sweet, with the occasional pop of sweetness from the raisins and cheesecake-inspired topping. So, when I say “Carrot Cake” Baked Oatmeal, please know that it’s a little figurative. This is breakfast that is reminiscent of carrot cake, not a dessert for breakfast. But if you do want a sweeter dessert-like oatmeal, you can simply increase the brown sugar to about 1/2 cup or more. 

If you’ve never tried one of my baked oatmeal recipes, let me describe the texture for you. While the outer edges may get a  little brown or crispy, the majority of the oatmeal is soft and moist, almost like a custard soaked oatmeal. Think bread pudding, but with thick oats instead of soft bread. And speaking of “thick oats” I do suggest using old-fashioned roll oats for this because they have such wonderful texture. People often ask if they can use instant oats, but this recipe is designed for old-fashioned rolled oats. Using instant oats will definitely change the texture and may throw off the moisture level since they absorb liquid differently than the thicker old-fashioned oats.

Baked oatmeal is wonderfully versatile because it can be eaten hot out of the oven, chilled from the refrigerator, or reheated. I like to pour cold milk over top of the heated oatmeal for a nice temperature contrast. This is a great dish to prepare Sunday night so you can have a quick breakfast to reheat throughout the week. It will keep for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen.

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is packed with good-for-you carrots, only a little sugar, and pops of sweetness from raisins and a cheesecake-inspired topping. 

• 1 lb. carrots ($0.89)
• 2 large eggs ($0.54)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar ($0.08)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.03)
• 1 tsp baking powder ($0.06)
• 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
• 2 cups milk ($0.75)
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.51)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts* ($0.53)
• 1/3 cup raisins* ($0.57)

Cream Cheese Topping

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ($0.60)
• 1 large egg yolk ($0.27)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract ($0.21)
• 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.02)
• 2 Tbsp sugar ($0.02)

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Peel or scrub the carrots, then slice them into rounds. Boil or steam the carrots until they are extremely soft (I steamed for 15 minutes, but this will depend on the size of your carrots).

2. Place the cooked carrots in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined.

3. Add the milk to the bowl and whisk until combined again. Finally, add the rolled oats, walnuts, and raisins and stir with a large spoon until combined. Pour the oat mixture into a 3 quart casserole dish coated with non-stick spray.

4. In a separate small bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar. Whisk or stir with a fork until smooth. If needed, microwave for 15 seconds to slightly warm the cream cheese mixture so it is slightly more fluid, then drizzle it over the oat mixture in the casserole dish.

5. Bake the Carrot Cake Oatmeal for 45 minutes, or until the cream cheese mixture is slightly golden brown on top. Serve immediately, or divide into single portions, then refrigerate.

Walnuts and raisins are optional. If you have some family members that like them and some that don’t, you can always add them to each bowl individually just before serving.

Step by Step Photos

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Peel or scrub one pound of carrots, then slice them. Either boil or steam the carrots until they are VERY soft. I steamed my carrots in about 1-inch of water for about 15 minutes, but if your carrots are larger around, they may take longer to get to the point where they are soft enough to mash.

Place the cooked carrots in a large bowl and mash them with a potato masher.

Next, add 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth.

Whisk in 2 cups of milk until combined, then add 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, and 1/3 cup raisins. The walnuts and raisins are optional. I actually forgot to add them this time because I was too busy following a Facebook discussion about bad drivers, so I ended up adding them to my bowl just before eating, which is another option.

Next, in a separate small bowl, combine 4 oz. room temperature cream cheese, 1 large egg yolk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp sugar. Stir them together until smooth. This is basically a mini-batch of cheesecake, FYI. ;)

Spread the oat mixture into a 3 quart casserole dish that has been coated in non-stick spray. Press it down so that all the oats are as close to being in the liquid as possible. Warm the cream cheese topping, if needed, to make it pourable, then drizzle it over the oats (I microwaved it for 15 seconds. Just be careful not to COOK it in the microwave).

Bake the oatmeal for 45 minutes, or until the outer edges are a little brown and the cream cheese topping is golden brown. 

Serve the Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal immediately, or divide into single portions and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

I like to pour a little cold milk over my hot Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal to get a nice temperature contrast. You can eat this oatmeal cold or hot!

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