Healthy Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

This recipe for healthy carrot cake overnight oats combines all of my favorite flavors of carrot cake into a healthy breakfast jar – because carrots for breakfast has officially become more appealing!

I am all for sneaking veggies into meals where they ‘don’t belong’. So, for whoever came up with carrot cake originally, I salute you. However, cake is still cake, and I have yet to find a way to eat cake for breakfast … until now. These healthy carrot cake overnight oats combine all the best flavor elements from carrot cake – but in a far healthier dish that’s perfect for anyone who loves carrot cake.

This recipe is refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan – but also wonderfully delicious and a great way to sneak more veggies into your diet. Plus, as with all overnight oats recipes, these jars can be prepared in advance. Thus, they are ready to just grab from the fridge when needed.

In fact, the only thing missing from these overnight oats is vegan cream cheese frosting – sorry! However, they contain a layer of yogurt instead. You could even add a dollop of cheeky whipped coconut cream (process described here) if you feel like it.

I’ve also decided to add a little extra protein to the dish by combining chia seeds into the oat mix. That way you’re getting a more nutritionally balanced meal. And, of course, this recipe is customizable too. For example, I know some people detest raisins if that’s the case then feel free to omit them.

I actually have a classic carrot cake recipe coming to the blog very soon. Let me know in the comments if you’d like me to post a healthy vegan carrot cake recipe too.

The two methods to prepare the oats

Once you learn how to make overnight oats, the sky is the limit. All you need are oats, a milk of your choice, and a few select ingredients to help flavor your dish – leave them to soak and voila! You have a super simple, meal-prep breakfast (or dessert) that can be kept in the fridge and grabbed, as needed.

However, I always include a ‘quick soak’ method on all of my oats recipes too – just in case that’s something you’d prefer. The main ‘feature’ of the overnight version is that the oats have softened and soaked up lots of the liquid and the remaining milk goes more gelatinous from the oats – thus you get a soft, mushy texture that is closer to porridge.

When using the ‘quick soak’ method, however, – you only need to soak the oats for around half an hour (I usually do it for an hour). What you’ll end up with are oats that still maintain a lot of their ‘bite’ and chew and milk that has yet to get thick. So it’s more like a ‘cereal’ texture.

Some people might be wondering why I bother mentioning this method – but I know some people love the ‘idea’ of overnight oats’ but struggle with the texture, and quick soak oats could be the way to go!

The Recipe How-To

Layer 1: The Oats – rolled oats, chia seeds, grated carrot, hemp milk (or your preferred milk), cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins ( I used golden) – however, you can omit these.

Layer 2: Yogurt – Your favorite plant-based yogurt – like this coconut yogurt or almond yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract

Decoration (optional) – pecans, cinnamon, edible flowers (completely optional)

Note* I always make my overnight oats recipes in little jars. You can use mason jars, a glass, or any container that you can make the layers in. 

Steps

The first thing to do is to prepare the oats. Start by grating one carrot. I used a ‘medium’ grater to do this so that it retains its texture within the oats. You can use the smaller grater for really small pieces if preferred.

Then, mix the rolled oats with the chia seeds, adding the milk, grated carrot, spices, and raisins. You can also crush some of the pecans to add, too. Stir well. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes (read the info on ‘quick soak oats’ above) or, for best results, keep in the refrigerator overnight.

To prepare the yogurt layer, mix the yogurt with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. You can use coconut yogurt, almond yogurt or natural yogurt.

To make your jar very pretty especially if you have guests, you can stick heart-shaped carrot slices on the side of the jar. Just make sure that you cut really thin slices, and the jar needs to be dry. If the carrot hearts are not sticking to the glass, you can use a bit of honey as “glue”.

Finally, layer the overnight oats with the vegan yogurt. Then top with a few flowers, pecans, and a pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy!

Other recipes you might be interested in

You may not know this, but I actually have a series of dessert-inspired overnight oats recipes. So, if you’re in the mood for more ‘dessert-for-breakfast’ vibes then you might like these apple pie overnight oats, peanut butter salted caramel overnight oats, cookie dough inspired overnight oats, or perhaps strawberry cheesecake oats.

I also have a selection of fruit-based versions, including Tropical Mango Overnight Oats, Pink Dragonfruit Overnight Oats, or Healthy Blueberry Overnight Oats.

If you have any questions, then you can ask them in the comments. I also love seeing your recipe recreations, so feel free to tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie.