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Carrot cake for breakfast? Yes please! This Carrot Cake Oatmeal is loaded with everything you love about the classic dessert! It’s made with rolled oats, naturally sweetened with a ripe banana, veggie-loaded with carrots, and is topped off with banana slices, homemade vegan carrot banana bread, and then drizzled with almond butter. Needless to say, it tastes like a creamy version of your favorite cake! Plus, this exquisite oatmeal breakfast is vegan, gluten-free, and is incredibly easy to make!

White coffee mug filled banana and carrot oatmeal. Topped with banana slices, banana bread, and almond butter, on a white marble counter.

If you love carrot cake or if you’re trying to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, you need to try this recipe! This Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe is the ultimate oatmeal breakfast. It encompasses all of the flavor that you love from a classic slice of carrot cake, but in a creamy oatmeal form. What more could you ask for in an oatmeal breakfast?

A Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe

This Carrot Cake Oatmeal tastes like a deserved dessert, but is justifiable enough to have for breakfast. In this oatmeal recipe, we’ll be adding a ripe banana, in addition to the sweet carrots, because it makes it sweeter and creamier. Along with the banana and carrots, we’ll be using coconut milk, to make this oatmeal bowl extra creamy.

White coffee mug filled banana and carrot oatmeal. Topped with banana slices, banana bread, and almond butter, on a white marble counter, with a spoon in it.

Types of Oats to Use

This delicious Carrot Cake Oatmeal bowl can be made with rolled oats, steel cut oats, or even quick oats.

Rolled Oats: Rolled Oats, also known as old fashioned oats or whole oats, are my favorite type of oats to cook with. Their texture is great and they cook relatively quickly, compared to steel-cut oats.

Steel-Cut Oats: Steel-cut oats, usually take much longer to make, about 20 minutes. However, they contain more fiber.

Quick Oats: Quick oats are soft in texture and cook extremely quickly. They’re the best type of oats to use in the microwave versus cooking on the stove.

Whichever type of oats you select, before preparing, be sure to read the package instructions, for the liquid oat ratio, because the amounts may vary.

Now, who’s ready for some creamy carrot cake?

Key Ingredients

For this Carrot Cake Oatmeal breakfast recipe, you only a few ingredients, to achieve the breakfast of your carrot cake dreams.

Oats: I used old fashioned rolled oats, but steal-cut or quick oats work as well. However, be sure to read the package instructions for the liquid oat ratio and the cook time, because they will vary. This recipe is written for old fashioned rolled oats.
Banana: Adding half of a ripe banana to the recipe makes this breakfast sweet. Also, the more ripe your banana is, the sweeter your breakfast will be.
Carrot: It would be a carrot cake breakfast without any carrots. This oatmeal bowl recipe requires 1 shredded carrot for this carrot cake.
Raisins: I used regular raisins, but feel free to any other dried fruit.
Shredded Coconut: Is there anything better than carrot cake with some shredded coconut? YUM.
Spices: Don’t forget the cinnamon. It truly helps bring out that spiced carrot cake flavor!
Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are loaded with nutrients, high in omega-3 fats, rich in dietary fiber, and you can’t even taste them. They are completely optional, and be substituted with chia seeds, so no problem if you don’t have them…yet!
Coconut Milk: I love using coconut milk in this recipe, because it adds a tropical, creamy flavor. However if you don’t have any coconut milk, feel free to use any milk that you have on hand.

Ingredients for oatmeal recipe. 1/2 cup of rolled oats, flaxseeds, cinnamon, and shredded in a small clear glass bowl, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 shredded carrot in a small glass bowl, white coconut milk in a glass bow, and a ripe banana. All items on a marble background.

How to Make Oatmeal

Baking homemade carrot cake can take hours, but this Carrot Cake Oatmeal breakfast is super simple and fast. There is only 3 steps to achieve your cake for breakfast.

Begin by adding the mashed ripe banana to a small saucepan. Add the oats, shredded carrots, raisins, shredded coconut, spices, flaxseeds, and stir to combine.
Simmer until the milk has absorbed into the oats, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
Place into a serving bowl. Top with banana slices, vegan banana carrot bread, and a drizzle of almond butter, if desired.

A saucepan filled with oats, coconut milk, mashed banana, carrots, and raisins, mixed together, sitting on a white marble counter.

Tips to make the perfect oatmeal

To make the perfect Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe, be sure to follow these suggestions!

For the best texture, I suggest using rolled oats, but you can use quick oats, or if you have more time, you can also use steel cut oats.
If you prefer your oatmeal to be thicker, you can cook your oats on the stovetop for a couple more minutes. On the other hand, if you prefer it thinner, cook your oats for a slightly less time.
Be sure your banana is ripe. The more ripe your banana is, the sweeter your oatmeal will be.

Oatmeal Toppings

The toppings for this Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe are endless. I personally topped mine with banana slices, vegan banana carrot bread, and a drizzle of almond butter. You can go all out or you can keep it sweet and simple. Either way, you will love this oatmeal breakfast recipe.

Banana slices
Fresh berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberry, blackberries, etc.
Nut butter: almond butter, pecan butter, creamy peanut butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, etc.
Chopped nuts: almonds, pecans, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.
Homemade vegan carrot banana bread
Coconut flakes or shredded coconut

This oatmeal bowl will be a sweet and creamy breakfast, regardless of how you enjoy it.

More oatmeal recipes to try:

If you tried this Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment & rating below! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Also, tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe, so I can see your creation!