Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
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Last updated on Mar 05, 2025
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Loaded with grated carrots, raisins and cinnamon flavor these carrot cake overnight oats taste like cake for breakfast! Vegan and gluten-free.
Spring is here and I’m so excited for fresh produce, visits to the farmers market and moving towards light and fresh foods (yeah, salads) instead of the heavy comfort foods we crave throughout the winter.
I hope you’re ready for the transition because today I have a new overnight oats recipe for you! The recipe is very similar to some of my other overnight oatmeal recipes, but with a carrot cake spin.
Healthy dessert-inspired breakfast recipes like this are my favorite because they feel so decadent. I have a ton of dessert-inspired breakfast recipes like these banana bread overnight oats, this carrot cake smoothie, birthday cake baked oatmeal and chocolate baked oatmeal.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Light, fresh, and full of flavor – The perfect spring-inspired breakfast that’s wholesome and satisfying.
- Carrot cake vibes – All the cozy flavors of carrot cake, but in a nutritious, make-ahead meal!
- Great for meal prep – Make it once and have breakfast ready to go for the week. Perfect for busy mornings!
Ingredients Needed for Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
- old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the best for overnight oats. Instant/quick oats and steel cut oats don’t work well because they don’t absorb liquid the same way rolled oats do. My fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free old fashioned rolled oats.
- almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- grated carrots – can’t have carrot cake overnight oats without carrots! I love the health benefits of carrots. Besides being delicious, they’re high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin K and potassium.
- raisins – for a little sweetness. If you’re not a raisin fan, feel free to skip them!
- maple syrup – pure maple syrup is the perfect natural sweetener to use because it’s liquid so it blends in nicely with the oat mixture and I personally love the flavor.
- cinnamon – for a little spice.
- vanilla extract and almond extract – these are optional, but they add such a nice flavor!
- unsweetened coconut flakes – this is also optional, but the addition of coconut pairs so nicely with the cinnamon and oats. Highly recommend!
- chopped walnuts or pecans – for topping. I love the added crunch the nuts add to the oats.
Substitutions & Variations
- Nut-free option: Simply omit the walnuts or pecans, or use sunflower seeds or hemp hearts for a little crunch.
- Milk options: Any milk works! Use dairy milk for extra creaminess or swap in oat, cashew, or coconut milk for a plant-based option.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup adds a lovely caramel-like sweetness, but honey or agave work too. Want to keep it naturally sweet? Mashed banana or a date blended into the milk can do the trick.
- Raisins & coconut: Not a fan of raisins? Try chopped dates, dried cranberries, or just skip them. And if coconut isn’t your thing, feel free to leave it out!
How to Make
Overnight oats couldn’t get any easier to make! All you have to do is combine all your ingredients (except the toppings) in a bowl or mason jar, mix, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least a few hours.
The next morning, grab your overnight oats from the fridge, give the mixture a big stir and top with your favorite toppings. At this point, you can simply dig right in as overnight oats are meant to be eaten cold. See my note below if you’re not keen on eating cold oats.
Brittany’s Tip
- My secret to filling overnight oats is to add protein! If you feel like you’re hungry shortly after having oatmeal, try adding protein. I like adding in a little protein powder or Greek yogurt to the mix. My favorite brand of protein powder is Nuzest! Use code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
Topping Ideas
This is the fun part! There are so many options for flavor additions. Here are some of my favorites:
- Chocolate chips – Carrot cake + chocolate = best combo ever!
- Sliced banana – One of my go-to toppings for overnight oats.
- Nut butter – We’re already adding nuts on top, but you can’t go wrong with an additional drizzle of nut butter!
- Raisins – Sprinkle more raisins on top for some added sweetness.
- Coconut flakes – Add more flaked coconut on top for some added crunch.
- Granola – Another great way to add crunch to your overnight oats! I love my hemp granola.
- Cream cheese frosting – Drizzle with some homemade cream cheese frosting to make things extra decadent!
Frequently Asked Questions
Overnight oats don’t actually need to soak overnight! While 8 hours gives the best texture, you can enjoy them after just 2-4 hours. The oats won’t be as soft and may be a bit liquidy, but they’re still tasty—perfect for when you need a last-minute breakfast.
Short answer, yes! You can definitely warm up overnight oats, but the whole point of overnight oats is to eat them cold like muesli. Even if you think cold oats sound strange, I recommend giving it shot before you write them off. Of course, if you simply can’t do the cold oats you can always heat them up. Just pop the overnights oats in your microwave, cooking in 30-second increments until the oats are warm throughout and enjoy.
When stored in an airtight container in the fridge overnight oats should last for up to 5 days. They will soften more the longer they sit so I find they’re best on days 1-3, but they’re still safe to eat on days 4 and 5. With this said, overnight oats are great for meal prep. Feel free to make a whole batch for the week on Sunday. I like prepping them in wide mouth 16 oz mason jars.
More Carrot Cake Inspired Recipes
- Oatmeal Carrot Cake
- Carrot Cake Smoothie
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Carrot Cake Bars
- Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies
- Healthy Carrot Muffins
More Overnight Oats Recipes
- How to Make Overnight Oats (start here!)
- Gingerbread Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Crumble Overnight Oats
- Cookies and Cream Overnight Oats
- Birthday Cake Overnight Oats
Be sure to check out the full collection of overnight oats recipes and all my oatmeal recipes here on EBF.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup oats
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk, or any milk
- 3 Tablespoons grated carrots
- ½ – 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ Tablespoon raisins
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract, optional
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts or pecans , for topping
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except the nuts in a container and stir until well combined. Seal with a lid and place in the fridge overnight (or at least a couple hours).
- Bring out of the fridge in the morning and stir. You'll notice that the oats soak up a lot of the liquid so you may want to add a little more almond milk before serving. Top oats with chopped nuts and serve.
Notes
- Almond milk: Feel free to use any dairy or non-dairy milk of choice.
- Maple syrup: Honey or another natural liquid sweetener will work here as well. If you want to reduce the sugar in this recipe, feel free to use a sugar alternative like stevia or monk fruit.
- Want to add protein? Add a scoop of protein powder or 1/4 cup Greek yogurt and reduce the milk to 1/2 cup.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy recipe..Thank you for sharing such delicious recipe.
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed these overnight oats, Tayyaba. Thank you so much for sharing your review, I appreciate it! 🙂
I am going to make this as soon as I purchase the very necessary carrots. Your whole write up was so helpful. I love rolled oats recipes of all kinds from you Brittany! XOXO
Yay!! Let me know how it turns out, Molly!
I love carrot cake and these overnight oats taste just like it! I love that I can get a helping of veggies in with this dish! I prepped it with protein powder and enjoyed it as an afternoon snack. It is very filling and delicious!
Woo!! I love hearing this, Ashlee! I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. Thanks so much for the review and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Wow! This an amazing overnight oats recipe! Will be making again and again!
Yay! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed these overnight oats, Brennan! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
I loved this version… it really does taste like carrot cake, this recipe is amazing. EBF at it again with the dessert for breakfast magic! For a girl with a sweet tooth, these are a dream!!
So glad you loved this recipe, Jaclyn!! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!!
These look and sound fabulous! Many years ago (maybe 2008 or so) I created a warm carrot cake oatmeal recipe. I need to make it again as well as this cold version!
Caution “gluten-free” it is not. Great recipe though.
As long as your oats are certified gluten-free (and that there’s been no cross-contamination with anything else like the coconut flakes), the recipe qualifies 🙂