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.
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 This Recipe is a Winner
- 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.
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.
What You Need
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:
- 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
- Stir together the oats, spices, chia seeds, and dried cranberries in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl stir together the plant-based milk, maple syrup, and grated carrots.
- Pour the milk mixture over the oats and stir until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight. (The longer it sits, the creamier it gets).
- 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.
Carrot Cake Recipes
If you love carrot cake, you’ll want to try each of these recipes:
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Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
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.
- 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.
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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.