Carrot Cake Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

There’s nothing cozier than baked oatmeal! This baked steel cut oatmeal is carrot cake flavored, with cozy spices and pecans.

The other day I was in the grocery store and a woman with a little girl stopped to smile at Larson. Larson’s face lit up and he held the girl’s hand for a moment. “The news is so depressing. Why can’t things like this be on the news?”, the woman asked me. I laughed. But really, with all darkness and devastation, can’t two sweet babes holding hands in the grocery store make headlines, just once? Keep reading for how this relates to baked steel cut oatmeal, and the recipe.

Coming together around the table

Did you know that our human brains are more affected by negative events than positive ones? It’s the negative things that happen to us that are the ones we remember best. There’s a biological reason for it (it helps us flee from and avoid danger), but it can also be challenging to overcome. It’s why out of 99 positive compliments, we remember the one criticism. We’re wired that way.

But if we’re ready, to balance the current bleak outlook we can consciously meditate on the positive. We can come together for Sunday brunch with baked steel cut oatmeal, or movie nights or bike rides. We can talk about our fears, our hopes and dreams. We can strive for a world where there is more peace and compromise and listening, and less division and confusion and fear.

How to make baked steel cut oatmeal

This recipe, then, is one for those gatherings where we can come together. It’s a baked steel cut oatmeal recipe based on our favorite pumpkin pecan version. And best of all, it’s an idea brought to us by a reader, Heather! She let us know that she makes our pumpkin oatmeal so that she’s created a few other “flavors”. When she mentioned a carrot cake version, I knew we needed to try it out.

This carrot cake baked steel cut oatmeal is cozy and comforting, flecked with orange carrots and flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Heather suggested another tweak from the original: feeling “too lazy” to melt butter, she substituted olive oil and found the flavor of the baked steel cut oatmeal was just as delicious. Since I’m all about lazy hacks, we included the olive oil in this version and loved it.

This baked steel cut oatmeal takes over an hour to put together, so make sure to make it when you have plenty of time for prep. However, the leftovers save well and make for a healthy breakfast recipe that lasts throughout the week. It’s also a nice make-ahead dish for a special brunch. Since we’re not able to cook for you all in person, consider this our cozy fall treat, virtually. Sending warm thoughts to all.

More carrot recipes

Got leftover carrots? Here are some more carrot recipes to use up a bunch!

• Carrot Fries Full of flavor, these fries are completely irresistible covered in ranch seasoning.
• Roasted Broccoli and Carrots This pair has the perfect flavor and color contrast, and they come out tender and browned.
• Perfect Sauteed Carrots The perfect easy side dish, they’re made with just 3 ingredients and done in 10 minutes. Another method? Try them steamed.
• Carrot Juice No juicer needed! It’s easy to whip up this delicious, nutrient filled drink in a blender.
• Roasted Carrots or Roasted Carrots and Onions Bake until tender with lemon wedges and thyme.
• Carrot Cake Pancakes Moist and spiced, a healthy spin that’s just sweet enough!

This baked steel cut oatmeal recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For dairy-free, use almond milk.

Carrot Cake Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

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(122 votes, average: 3.83 out of 5)

3.8 from 122 reviews

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x

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Description

There’s nothing cozier than baked oatmeal! This baked steel cut oatmeal is carrot cake flavored, with cozy spices and pecans.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 large carrots (1 1/2 cups grated)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large egg (or flax egg for vegan)
• 2 cups 2% milk (or oat or almond milk)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup raw steel cut oats (do not use rolled oats)
• 1/3 cup pecan pieces

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish.
2. Peel and finely grate the carrots, enough for 1 1/2 cups.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg, milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and kosher salt. Pour into the bowl with the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Stir in the steel cut oats.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, then mix in carrots and spread them around evenly. Cover the pan loosely with foil.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil then sprinkle with pecans. Bake another 30 to 35 minutes until set. Serve warm, or refrigerate and eat leftovers for several days. (Note: This baked steel cut oatmeal is best warm or room temperature. Leftovers store well and can be reheated. To make it ahead, you could bake the entire pan and reheat: or prepare the wets and dries separately and refrigerate overnight, keeping the carrots in a separate container, and then mix them and bake the next morning.)

• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Baked steel cut oatmeal, Baked Oatmeal, Steel Cut Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, Brunch Recipes

Looking for healthy breakfast recipes?

Outside of this carrot cake oatmeal, here are a few of our favorite healthy breakfast recipes:

• Healthy Banana Bread Muffins
• Perfect Oatmeal or Steel Cut Oats (or Best Oatmeal Recipes)
• Acai Bowl Recipe
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes
• Tart Cherry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
• Cinnamon Pecan Homemade Breakfast Cereal
• Turmeric Vegan Blueberry Muffins
• Healthy Banana Bread
• Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
• Healthy Granola Recipe
• Homemade Acai Bowl
• 97 Brunch Recipes
• Homemade Instant Oatmeal
• Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
• Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas for Everyone

Last updated: July 2020

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