Gluten-free Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
gluten-free | dairy-free option | tree nut free
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | March 28, 2024
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I love carrot cake, and I love baked oatmeal….. so let’s just say when this amazing combination turned into a delicious breakfast cake, I was thrilled! This gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal is probably one of my favorite early-spring breakfast foods! I love the soft, sweet oats combined with the bold flavors of the shredded carrots and carrot cake spices. It’s literally like eating oatmeal carrot cake! Topped off with some pure maple syrup to add a sweet and sticky element to the oats… there’s not much that could be tastier than this carrot cake baked oatmeal! It’s the perfect breakfast to make from scratch in the homestead kitchen using simple, wholesome ingredients.

Modern Pioneer Recipe

While this gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal may be a modern pioneer recipe, it is definitely based off of the popularity of baking cakes during the early pioneer days. And these aren’t cakes like you would think of them in modern-day terms. We are talking more along the lines of breakfast cakes (like baked oatmeal). Pretty much the pioneers considered anything that was sweet and square to be a cake. Also, molasses or sorghum was an essential ingredient (and sweetener) in a lot of the pioneer ‘breakfast’ cakes.

Two such cakes include the Mormon Johnny cake, which is basically like a molasses cake, and the sorghum cake, which is a sorghum-based cake. Like baked oatmeal, these cakes included a mixture of flour (or cornmeal) along with milk, eggs, and sometimes butter. However, in our case with baked oatmeal, oats are used instead of a flour!

While I don’t exactly know where baked oatmeal comes from, I like to think that the idea of a sweet breakfast cake was carried on by the late-day pioneers. For my baked oatmeal recipe, I like to stick to simple, wholesome ingredients that are also allergy-friendly and healthy!

Check out what makes this gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal a modern pioneer recipe:

• gluten-free
• corn free
• nut free
• dairy-free option
• anti-inflammatory
• naturally sweetened
• simple ingredients
• use homegrown carrots
• make-from-scratch meal

Tips for Baking with Carrots

Of all the veggies, I think carrots are one of my favorite root vegetables to eat, grow, and bake with (zucchini is included in that list too). They are so versatile and add a sweet, healthy touch to any meal or recipe. As a homesteader, I try to eat and bake as seasonally as possible. However, with Easter right around the corner, I couldn’t resist making a carrot recipe despite the fact that carrots aren’t in season yet. But this carrot cake isn’t just for Easter! Once carrots do come in season (and I can start growing my own), this carrot cake baked oatmeal will certainly be on the menu.

Of the many things I’ve baked using carrots, I have learned a few tips and tricks when dealing with carrots. Here are a few notes I’ve taken when baking with carrots:

• Type of Carrot Matters- Different carrots have different flavors, which will ultimately affect the taste of your baked good. Look for small, locally grown carrots or use homegrown carrots!
• Shredded vs Grated– Personally, I like using shredded carrots the best, but they are also the easiest for me to make since I can just run the carrots though my food processor with a shredding blade.
• Fine or Course- Fine carrots shreds are the easiest to bake with since they soften and bake down faster.
• Dried or Moist- I have never dried or pressed out all the moisture from the shredded carrots I use since I like the additional moisture they add to the baked good.
• Baking Time- Any baked good that includes raw carrots should be baked for at least 30 minutes at 350°F to ensure the carrots soften.

Carrot Recipe Ideas:

With those tips under your belt, you should be all set for making a variety of carrot-based recipes! Here are some of my favorite carrot-based recipes that I like to make around Easter time or when carrots are in season:

• Grain-free carrot cake
• Gluten-free carrot cake quick oats
• Grain-free carrot sweet rolls
• Gluten-free carrot cake breakfast muffins
• Gluten-free carrot cake whoopie pies

And of course, one of my new favorite carrot recipes is this gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal!

Not into carrots? That’s okay! I have a maple version of baked oatmeal that is just as delicious and is my dad’s favorite breakfast (he doesn’t like carrots)!

How to Serve Baked Oatmeal

I find baked oatmeal pretty straight forward to serve, but I wanted to use this section to jot down a few kitchen notes on serving ideas and the many versatile ways that you can use this baked oatmeal recipe!

Breakfast & Snack– This carrot cake baked oatmeal is so delicious, I love having it for both breakfast or a snack! As a breakfast, it serves as a nutritious, energy-providing, protein and fiber rich way to start the day. It’s filling, tasty, and provides some nutrition, which makes for a great, quick breakfast option. I also love having a slice as a snack. It gives me energy and provides something sweet but still relatively healthy to snack on.

Toppings– I can’t help but mention my favorite part about baked oatmeal: the toppings! Despite my love for toppings, I am stuck on one single topping for baked oatmeal…. pure maple syrup. I know, it’s sugary, it’s sweet, and it’s probably not the healthiest topping, but it sure is the BEST baked oatmeal topping!

Maple syrup adds a sticky, sweet texture to the baked oatmeal, which makes it just that much tastier! If you’re like my dad and want to make a healthy breakfast option less healthy, you will add a tablespoon of butter to your baked oatmeal bowl and pour on 1/4 cup of maple syrup. However, if you’re more like me, and just want the pleasure of having a slightly sweet and sticky bite of oatmeal, then go with a more moderate drizzle of maple syrup on your baked oatmeal. Other yummy topping ideas include:

• homemade dairy-free milk (make sure you use a nut milk bag!)
• organic banana slices
• chopped nuts
• raw honey

Tips for Storing Baked Oatmeal

As for hot or warm, I don’t know how you like your oats, but I like eating oats when they are warm OR cold! Baked oatmeal fresh out of the oven is delicious, but in my opinion, cooled baked oatmeal at room temperature is just as fantastic!

Which brings us to the fact that baked oatmeal can easily be prepped and stored or baked head of time. Once all the ingredients are combined, the un-baked baked oatmeal can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After the baked oatmeal has been baked, it can be stored (in an airtight container) at room temperature or kept in the fridge.

I find that baked oatmeal makes a great travel meal! I can prep it ahead of time and either pack it in the camper fridge un-baked, or bake it and store it in a cupboard. Baked oatmeal can even be frozen for later! Cut it into slices and place it in an airtight container for freezing. Let it unthaw in the fridge or pop it into the toaster oven to defrost it faster.

Baked Oatmeal Recipe Tips

This baked oatmeal recipe is a super easy and super quick breakfast option to whip up! There’s not much that can go wrong when putting together a batch of this carrot cake baked oatmeal. Unless you are like me and end up slicing all your carrots instead of shredding them in the food processor! Don’t worry, I solved that problem by chopping all the carrot slices with a hand chopper and the baked oatmeal still turned out fantastic!

Here are a few recipe tips to keep in mind when whipping up a batch of this baked oatmeal:

• Whole Oats– Use whole, rolled oats. While I’m sure that other kinds of oats would work fine, I have not tested it with quick oats, steel cut oats, or other forms of oats.
• Flaxmeal– You can use whole flax seeds or flaxmeal. Flaxmeal is easier to digest so that’s why I use it.
• Eggs– I have not made this baked oatmeal without eggs, so I don’t know how an egg-free version would turn out.
• Natural Sweetener– You can use all honey or all maple syrup for the sweetener. I like using a combination of both.
• Dairy-free– Coconut oil can be used instead of butter to make a dairy-free version.
• Spices– Feel free to add your own amounts of carrot cake spices!
• Milk or Water– You can use coconut milk beverage or any other dairy-free milk alternative instead of water for a creamier oatmeal consistency.
• Overnight– You can store the un-baked batter for up to 24 hours in the fridge!

Simple to make, easy to prepare ahead of time, delicious to eat… there’s nothing you won’t love about this gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal! And of course, I always like to play the card of ‘getting my vegetables in at breakfast’ since it contains carrots, right!?

Where to Find the Ingredients

• Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
• Bob’s Red Mill ground flax meal
• Simply Organic ground cinnamon
• Otto’s Naturals baking powder
• Simply Organic ground ginger
• Redmond real salt pink sea salt
• Pacific coconut milk
• Raw honey
• Supplies: 8×8″ glass baking dish, Cuisinart food processor

Gluten-free carrot cake baked oatmeal is the perfect modern pioneer recipe that is allergy-friendly, anti-inflammatory, made with wholesome ingredients, and is super delicious! I love topping my baked oatmeal with a drizzle of maple syrup to create a sticky, sweet, carrot cake flavored bowl of delicious oatmeal goodness. That whole sentence is making my mouth water right now! Guess I’ll be making some more in the near future!

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