Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

If you haven’t guessed, I’m a huge overnight oats fan. Specifically, overnight oat recipes that mimic my favorite sweet treats like Almond Joy Overnight Oats, Black Forest Overnight Oats, Salted Turtle Overnight Oats, Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats, and Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats. 

However, this Carrot Cake overnight Oats recipe takes the cake literally!

Want more overnight oats inspiration? Check out my How to Make Overnight Oats Guide to make the perfect jar of oatmeal and our favorite recipes. 

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Delicious and healthy! You get to enjoy all the flavors of carrot cake without guilt. Also, this carrot cake overnight oatmeal recipe is gluten-free and vegan.
• Use up those leftover carrots. Do you have a few carrots leftover from the tasty, healthy carrot cake you made over the weekend? No worries, make a few jars of carrot cake oats.
• Meal prep champion. With a minimal prep time you can quickly make a few jars on Sunday to have ready for breakfast during the week. 

Ingredients

• Rolled oats, also called old-fashioned oats, work best in all overnight oat recipes. Make sure not to purchase instant or quick oats or steel cut oats. Also, If you have a gluten sensitivity or allergy, purchase certified gluten-free oats. 
• Chia seeds are my favorite superfood to use in overnight oats recipes. It adds protein, fiber, and omega 3 fatty acids while creating a delicious creamy pudding texture to the oatmeal.
• Unsweetened coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk are both great dairy-free options. Of course, regular milk will work too.
• Cinnamon gives the oatmeal a kiss of warm spice flavor.
• Pure vanilla extract adds another layer of warm sweet flavor.
• Grated carrots, put the carrot in the carrot cake overnight oats. I recommend finely-grating the carrots.
• Raisins are somewhat controversial in carrot cake, but if you like raisins, then go ahead and stir some in for little bites of sweetness.
• Pure maple syrup for an extra sweet flavor.
• Chopped pecans for crunch.

Supplies

• 16-ounce mason jars with plastic mason jar lids.

How to Make Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Here are the easy instructions for preparing a jar of carrot cake oats. Of course, make a few so you can have breakfast ready during the week.

• In a 16-ounce mason jar container, stir the rolled oats, cinnamon, and chia seeds together.
• Pour in the coconut milk, pure vanilla extract, grated carrots, and raisins.
• Stir together until all of the oats are coated with the liquid.
• Tight place the lid on and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning, add the pure maple syrup a little until you get the desired level of sweetness. If the oats still seem thick, stir in a few splashes of coconut milk until you get the desired consistency. You can enjoy it from the jar or pour the oatmeal into a bowl.
• Sprinkle with pecans and more raisins. Enjoy.

Cooking Tips

• Use honey or your favorite sweetener in place of the maple syrup.
• Start with a small amount of sweetener and then add more to taste.
• Use other superfoods like flax seeds, hemp hearts, or coconut oil for an extra boost of nutrition.
• If you love pineapple in carrot cake then stir in a tablespoon of fresh or canned crushed pineapple.
• Swap in zucchini for carrots for a zucchini bread flavor. 
• The raisins will soften and bloat overnight after sitting in the liquid. If you prefer the raisins to stay chewy, stir them into the oats before eating.
• Top with vanilla greek yogurt for more protein and a layer of creamy, tangy flavor that mimics cream cheese frosting.
• If you prefer warm oatmeal then either heat the oatmeal in the microwave for a minute or on the stovetop.
• Swap in your favorite nut for the pecans. Walnuts or cashews are delicious!

Storage tips

For the week.

You can prepare 3-5 jars of overnight oats and store them in the refrigerator for the week. Remember that the longer the oatmeal sits in the fridge, the thicker the oats will be. To loosen them up to a creamier consistency, stir in a few splashes of milk.

For the freezer.

You can also assemble the ingredients (minus the milk and pecans) into individual kits for the freezer. This is a great way to use up all your leftover carrots and has the ingredients for carrot cake overnight oats ready ahead of time. Here are some more tips on overnight oats meal prep freezer kits.

Other Overnight Oats Recipes

• Blueberry Overnight Oats
• Raspberry Overnight Oats
• Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
• Chocolate Banana Overnight Oats
• Cherry Overnight Oats

See more healthy oatmeal recipes.