Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Looking for the perfect, filling breakfast? This carrot cake overnight oats recipe makes a breakfast that’s filling and delicious! Serve them for breakfast? Sure! But they’re so good, you can have them for dessert, too.

A small glass is full of carrot cake overnight oats and a cinnamon stick. There's another glass of it in the background, and a bowl of dried cranberries and walnuts.

I absolutely love carrot cake. That’s why I made an egg-free carrot cake recipe oh so many delicious years ago. I wanted to extend the yummy carrot cake flavor throughout the day, even including breakfast. That’s where these vegan carrot cake overnight oats come in.

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Adding cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice creates an undeniably delicious flavor for these carrot oats
  • Raw grated carrots become tender after sitting with the creamy oats mixture overnight
  • Walnuts provide the perfect crunch and nutty flavor that transforms this into a true carrot cake-flavored recipe.
Closeup of a bowl full of chia seeds.

Why Add Chia Seeds to Overnight Oats?

Chia seeds are great at absorbing moisture, which means they make things like overnight oats thick and creamy. They also add fiber, making dishes more filling and nutritious, too. The seeds will soften as they sit in the creamy mixture overnight.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients are on a counter. The labels next to them read, "vegan cream cheese, soy milk, spices, maple syrup, chia seeds, walnuts, oats, cranberries, and carrots."

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Oats — We’ll be using old-fashioned or rolled oats for this recipe. You can substitute instant oats, but it will impact the consistency. The good news is that instant oats soften quicker so if you’re in a hurry, they’re great!
  • Spices — You’ll need ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for the ultimate flavors.
  • Chia seeds — You can buy chia seeds at most stores these days or you can buy them online. If you don’t have chia seeds, you can substitute ground flaxseed.
  • Dried Cranberries — For a pop of color and sweetness, we’ll add some dried cranberries. You can substitute raisins.
  • Plant-Based Milk — I prefer using unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any plant-based milk, such as pecan milk, cashew milk, soy milk, and more. If your milk is not vanilla-flavored, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Maple syrup — Adding maple syrup gives this oats recipe its sweeteners. You can substitute agave nectar or any of your favorite syrup sweeteners.
  • Carrot — You’ll need one carrot, finely grated.
  • Walnuts — You can buy walnuts in the produce aisle or the baking section of your grocery store.

How to Make Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

  1. Stir together the oats, spices, chia seeds, and dried cranberries in a bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl stir together the plant-based milk, maple syrup, and grated carrots.
  3. Pour the milk mixture over the oats and stir until well combined.
  4. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight. (The longer it sits, the creamier it gets).
  5. Before serving, add chopped walnuts.

Marly’s Tips

For extra crunch and flavor, toast the walnuts in an oven at 200°F for 5 minutes. Then allow them to cool before chopping and adding them to the top of your carrot oats.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Is it ok to eat overnight oats at night?

You can eat overnight oats any time of day, including for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. Oats are healthy and filling so eating them at night can keep you full until breakfast the next day.

Can I eat overnight oats after one hour?

Letting the overnight oats sit for at least an hour helps soften the oats, while still retaining a bit of the chewy bite. However, if you let them sit longer, the oats absorb even more liquid, creating a creamy mixture.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your carrot cake oats with some of these tasty toppings:

  • Granola — Add some tasty high-protein granola on top for crunch and flavor.
  • Yogurt — Drizzles of dairy-free yogurt on top is a nice touch.
  • Whipped Cream — This dairy-free aquafaba whipped cream is light and delicious!

Storage Tips

Cover the oats in the bowl or individual servings and refrigerate for up to 4 or 5 days.

Looking down on a glass with overnight oats. There's a bowl of dried cranberries and walnuts.

Carrot Cake Recipes

If you love carrot cake, you’ll want to try each of these recipes:

A glass holds carrot cake overnight oats with another glass behind it. There are carrots in the background.

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Enjoy the delicious, tender flavors of carrot cake for breakfast with this vegan carrot cake overnight oats recipe. A complete part of a healthy diet, the heart-healthy fiber from oatmeal combined with carrots, raisins, and walnuts, will start your day out right!
5 from 2 votes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 330kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dried cranberries , chopped
  • 1 ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ cup finely grated carrots
  • 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped

Instructions

  • Combine the oats, spices, chia seeds, and dried cranberries in a bowl. Stir to combine.
  • In a separate bowl combine the plant-based milk, maple syrup, and grated carrots. Stir to combine.
  • Pour the milk mixture over the oats mixture and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
    A hand holds a measuring cup pouring wet ingredients into a bowl with oats and spices. There are raw carrots in the background.
  • Before serving add chopped walnuts. For extra crunch and flavor, you can toast the nuts in an oven at 200°F (93°C) for 5 minutes first.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 275mg | Potassium: 312mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 4413IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 3mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Rate / Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.