Don't sleep on the cream cheese drizzle.
If you love an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast, this Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal is for you. Shredded carrot, pecans, and raisins mingle with spiced oats in this breakfast twist on everyone’s favorite springtime cake.
Carrot cake mix-ins are always controversial. I’ve always loved pecans and raisins in mine, but feel free to swap in walnuts if you prefer or leave out the raisins entirely if they’re not your thing. If you decide to add nuts, be sure they’re well-toasted before you chop and stir them into the batter so you get the maximum nutty flavor they have to offer. And if you choose to add raisins, rehydrating them in simmering water will prevent them from stealing the batter’s moisture and drying out the oatmeal. Regardless of what nuts or dried fruits you include, I’m betting you’ll say yes to the one feature of carrot cake that we can all agree on: the cream cheese frosting. The thin drizzle of the lightly sweetened icing on top adds the perfect finish to warm spiced oatmeal.
This baked oatmeal can be eaten warm, cold, or at room temperature. Cut the cooled bake into bars and pack it in plastic bags for the perfect portable weekday breakfast, or serve it up warm from the casserole dish on a lazy weekend morning. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days, and if you don’t think you’ll eat through it by then (a likely scenario!) you can always freeze the leftovers. I recommend freezing single-serving portions on a baking sheet before storing them separately in plastic wrap or airtight plastic bags. That way, all you have to do is grab a bag out of the freezer when you need a quick ready-made breakfast—or a healthyish late-night treat.
Enjoy!
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
(Serves 9)
¾ cup (60 g.) raw, unsalted pecans
½ cup raisins
Cooking spray
2 cups (160 g.) rolled or old-fashioned oats
½ cup (100 g.) light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. kosher salt, plus a pinch
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk plus 1 tbsp., divided
¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable or refined coconut oil
1 ½ cup (120 g.) shredded carrot
2 oz. (1/4 block) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
Special equipment: 8" square metal baking pan; parchment paper
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread out pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until smelling toasty and golden-brown in the center. Cool, then roughly chop.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine raisins with ¼ cup water. Heat over high until water begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit until raisins are plumped, at least 10 minutes. Strain out excess water and set aside at room temperature to cool.
Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees. Grease an 8”x 8” metal baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, allowing the paper to overhang the edges on two sides for easy removal.
In a large bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ground nutmeg. Add eggs, 1 cup milk, and oil, and stir until combined. Stir in carrot, chopped pecans, and raisins.
Pour batter into prepared pan, tapping lightly to evenly distribute the batter. Bake until oatmeal is set and no longer looks gooey in the center, 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely in tin, then lift from pan using overhanging parchment paper handles.
In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of kosher salt until smooth. Whisk in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until a smooth drizzling consistency.
Drizzle cream cheese icing over bars as desired. Cut into squares and serve.
Originally posted April 23, 2023.
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