Creamy oats infused with the warm spices and sweetness reminiscent of carrot cake, perfect for a nourishing and indulgent breakfast. These easy-to-make Carrot Cake Overnight Oats offer a nutritious twist on a beloved dessert, satisfying cravings while keeping you full all morning long.
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The Best Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
It’s no secret I am obsessed with overnight oats! I have a handful of different flavors on the blog that I’ll link below that are all extremely tasty and satisfying. This Carrot Cake Oats recipe is no exception!
Hearty oats are mixed with warming spices, plus creaminess from the greek yogurt and milk these oats are a true winner. My Pear Overnight Oats recipe has a classic, well-rounded base, so I built this recipe off of it! Add in shredded carrots, chopped walnuts and golden raisins and you have a healthy take on the classic carrot cake flavors.
I love overnight oats for busy mornings as a healthy breakfast option or for an after workout snack. I have even topped these oats with whipped cream and ate them as dessert and it cured my sweet tooth!
Recipe Ingredients
- Old-Fashioned Oats - The best type of oat for overnight oatmeal as compared to quick oats or steel-cut oats.
- Milk of Choice - Plant milk like oat milk, coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk work fine. Or use regular cow's milk for extra protein.
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt - Makes the oats super creamy and contributes to the sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon - A classic carrot cake spice! If you're a cinnamon lover, you might also want to try these Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats.
- Mix-ins - Carrots, plump raisins and chopped nuts make these carrot oats just like the cake version!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Want more protein? Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder. I like vanilla or cheesecake flavor best in this recipe. Clean Simple Eats is my favorite (code APOP saves you $$). Note: You will want to add another ¼ cup of milk as the protein will absorb liquid as it sets.
- If you're not a fan of raisins, skip them! Or add chopped dates, apples, or blueberries in their place.
- Stir in a couple tablespoons of cream cheese to give the dessert flavors of cream cheese frosting.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir it until well combined.
2. Scoop the oat mixture into weck jars and seal tightly (you can also leave in your large bowl and cover with plastic wrap). Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight so they’re ready for the next morning.
3. When ready to eat, served chilled, thick overnight oats or add another ⅓- ¼ cup milk and stir for thinner, smoother consistency.
4. Top with yogurt, chopped nuts, dash of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
- Don’t guess the oat to liquid ratio! I encourage you to measure the milk because too little and your oats won’t soften, and too much you’ll end up with oat soup. Measuring will result in the creamiest consistency.
- For the carrots, use a box grater to shred whole carrots as opposed to using pre-shredded carrots which will not soften in your carrot cake oatmeal.
Recipe FAQs
Store in the refrigerator in a mason jar or similar airtight container. The oats are best enjoyed within 3 days of assembling them, making these a great option for meal prep! Storing for much longer, however, they'll become pretty mushy.
For best results, I highly recommend using rolled oats (check for certified gluten-free oats if necessary!). Instant oats/quick oats will become much too mushy as they sit in the liquid, and steel cut oats will be too tough to soak up the liquid at all and you'll end up with chewy oatmeal.
I like serving these oats with a dollop of greek yogurt, extra chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds (an easy way to get in extra fiber!), toasted coconut flakes, a little granola for some crunch or a smear of almond butter, cashew butter or peanut butter. Fresh fruit is always welcome, too! I think blueberries, sliced apples, or banana would be best. If you prefer your oats a little thinner and creamier, pour some extra milk on top before serving.
After the overnight soak, these oats can be served straight from the fridge or warmed if you prefer. I like cold oats (as I like cold carrot cake), but if you’d like warm morning oats, they can be warmed in the microwave right in the breakfast jar (lid removed) in 30 second intervals stirring between each to ensure it gets warmed throughout.
Serving Suggestions
For the perfect breakfast on the go, enjoy these oats with a Smoothie! The flavors would go great with this Banana Bread Protein Smoothie or this Butternut Squash Smoothie which is cinnamon forward, too!
More Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- measuring cups / spoons
- grater
- Rubber Spatula
- 3 weck jars
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 ⅓ cups milk of choice
- ⅔ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- ½ tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp lemon extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- ⅓ cup grated carrot, ~1 large carrot
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 1 tbsp golden raisins, chopped
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Stir it until well combined.
- Scoop the oat mixture into weck jars and seal tightly (you can also leave in your large bowl and cover with plastic wrap).
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight so they’re ready for the next morning.
- When ready to eat, served chilled, thick overnight oats or add another ⅓- ¼ cup milk and stir for thinner, smoother consistency.
- Top with yogurt, chopped nuts, dash of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
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I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
Sydney Van Acker says
I mean EVERYTHING about these. i love the textures, the flavor, all of it!!!!
Courtney Paige says
we loved this recipe for breakfast! SO so yummy and tastes really similar to carrot cake.