Healthy carrot cake baked oatmeal cups packed with carrots, raisins and walnuts. These deliciously wholesome carrot muffins are naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. Top them with a light cream cheese icing for a satisfying breakfast or snack!
Baked oatmeal is such a satisfying, nutritious morning meal and makes for a super convenient make-ahead breakfast. We especially enjoy oatmeal cups (lemon blueberry is another favorite of mine!) because they’re so great for a grab-n-go snack or breakfast.
The last couple of weeks, I’ve been baking up a batch of these carrot cake oatmeal cups on Sunday and we have breakfast or easy snacks to enjoy throughout the week. They’re kid-friendly, too – my kiddos LOVE this carrot cake version. This recipe is loaded with healthy ingredients — oats, carrots, raisins, and walnuts. The eggs bind it all together, and a light drizzle of cream cheese icing makes them taste like a treat.
Ingredients needed
These oatmeal cups are made with nutrient-dense, healthy ingredients, but they have that delicious taste of carrot cake. Naturally sweetened, whole grains and a wonderful flavor. Here’s everything you need:
- Milk – I like to use both unsweetened almond milk and canned coconut milk in this recipe, but any milk variety will work. You can even use homemade oat milk.
- Eggs – This recipe uses two eggs to provide structure and bind all of the ingredients together. You can swap four egg whites if you want more protein.
- Maple syrup – To naturally sweeten the oatmeal cups. Honey would work great as a substitute. If you prefer a sugar-free alternative, try monk fruit-based maple syrup.
- Vanilla extract & cinnamon – For warmth and flavor.
- Oats – The base of this recipe is made up of old-fashioned rolled oats and oat flour. Use gluten-free as needed. However, do NOT use quick oats or steel-cut oats because the texture will not be good.
- Baking essentials – We’re adding in baking powder and sea salt to give these oat cups a little lift and ensure they bake properly.
- Mix-ins – For that classic carrot cake flavor, a mix of shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts are stirred into the batter.
- Icing – Optional, but highly recommend! The glaze is a simple mixture of cream cheese (dairy-free if you’d like), powdered sugar (monk fruit is a low sugar option), vanilla, almond milk, and orange zest.
How to make this recipe
Carrot cake-baked oatmeal cups are so simple to throw together! This recipe is really just a matter of stirring the ingredients together in one large bowl, pouring the mixture into a muffin pan, and baking.
For full, printable instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prep. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with liners and spray each one with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the oat flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt with the wet mixture until fully combined. Fold in the shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
- Bake. Evenly distribute the batter between muffin cavities and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cream cheese frosting. Make the frosting by stirring together all of the frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Then, scoop the frosting into a small ziplock bag and seal. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Once the muffins have cooled, pipe the icing over the oatmeal cups. Serve & enjoy!
Customize your oatmeal cups
These soft, chewy, texture-filled carrot cake-baked oatmeal cups are naturally gluten-free (make sure your oats are certified GF), kid-friendly, and totally customizable. Here are a few ideas for making them your own:
- Nuts. We love adding chopped walnuts for extra texture and crunch. If you can’t have nuts or just don’t like them, feel free to omit them. You can also change it up and use a different nut, like pecans or almonds.
- Dried fruit. Raisins are classic for anything carrot cake flavored, but craisins, cranberries, chopped dates, or any other dried fruit will still give these muffins a nice added sweetness.
- Shredded coconut. If you’re a coconut fan, adding in some unsweetened shredded coconut would be a fun and tasty option.
- Banana oatmeal cups. For a totally different flavor option, try my banana oatmeal cups.
Frequently asked questions
Are these oatmeal cups healthy?
Made with wholesome old-fashioned oats, nutrient-rich carrots, nuts, eggs, and unsweetened almond milk, these oatmeal muffin cups are a highly nutritious breakfast option. They’re easy to make dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
Can this recipe make regular baked oatmeal?
If you would rather make a full pan of baked oatmeal, simply pour the batter into a 9×9 inch pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until slightly golden brown on the edges and the center is set.
Can baked oatmeal cups be eaten cold?
Yes! Baked oatmeal is great cold, and if you enjoy chilled overnight oats, you’ll probably like baked oatmeal cups straight out of the fridge too. It’s surprisingly tasty that way, especially if you need a quick bite after a workout or an easy snack fix. Of course, if you’d rather your oatmeal be heated, simply rewarm in the microwave.
Are oatmeal cups good for meal prep?
Yes! These oatmeal muffins keep in the fridge for almost a week and they freeze beautifully! Allow them to cool completely after baking, then place them in a freezer-safe zippered bag or in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label the bag with the date! When you’re ready to eat one, you can microwave it for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until warm.
Serving suggestions
I typically just eat these oatmeal cups on their own – they are plenty satisfying. But they do pair well with a variety of breakfast sides. Below are some tasty options:
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad
- Yogurt
- Bacon, sausage, or ham
- Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
Storage tips
Keep oatmeal cups fresh by storing them in a zippered bag or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to about 5 days. When ready to eat, reheat them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or enjoy cold.
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Icing
- 6 tablespoons dairy free cream cheese (you can use any type of cream cheese if not dairy free)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (choose a monk fruit option to cut back on sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 teaspoons almond milk or coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with muffin liners and spray each one with nonstick cooking spray to prevent oatmeal cups from sticking. In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, coconut milk, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
![Whisking egg with milk.]()
- Next stir in dry ingredients: oat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts.
![Mixing together carrot cake baked oatmeal batter.]()
- Evenly distribute oatmeal batter between muffin liners and bake for 25-30 minutes or until oatmeal cups are fragrant, golden brown and set.
![Carrot cake oatmeal batter in muffin pan.]()
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond milk and orange zest.
![Cream cheese icing mixed in a bowl.]()
- Scoop icing into a small ziplock bag and seal. Cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. Once the muffins have cooled, pipe the icing over the oatmeal cups.
![Carrot cake oatmeal muffin topped with cream cheese drizzle.]()
Notes
Nutrition
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