Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Glaze
yields: 6 servings
Make-ahead carrot cake baked oatmeal with walnuts, dried cranberries, and dried tart cherries. Serve drizzled with maple cream cheese glaze for a crowd-pleasing hearty breakfast that tastes like cake.
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, from 1 orange
- 1 cup finely grated carrot, from 1-2 large carrots
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup dried fruit, cranberries, raisins, and/or tart cherries
- Coconut oil for greasing the baking pan
Maple Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese (blocked), room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1½ tablespoons whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grease a 8 or 9-inch square (or 7x11) baking pan with a thin layer of coconut oil and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, shredded carrot, orange zest, baking powder cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Use your hands to rub the mixture together to evenly disperse the zest and shredded carrots.
- In a measuring cup or separate bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour this over the oats and toss to combine.
- Spread half of the oats mixture into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with half of the nut and fruit blend, breaking up the large walnut pieces with your fingers as you go. Spread with the remaining oats mixture on top of the fruit and nuts. Then top with remaining fruit and nuts. Bake for 40 minutes until set and beginning to brown. If making it in advance, let it cool completely before covering in foil or plastic wrap and storing in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, prepare the maple cream cheese glaze. Combine the cream cheese, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla in a small food processor and pulse until smooth. Alternatively you can do this by slowly working the liquid into the cream cheese with a silicone spatula against a small bowl until smooth. If making ahead, you can either drizzle the glaze over the oatmeal before serving, or, as I prefer, store the glaze separately and drizzle it over slices to serve.
- Serve the baked oatmeal warm drizzled with maple cream cheese glaze. Store any leftovers covered in foil or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat according to the instructions in the post below.
Notes
Make Ahead Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal is a great make-head breakfast option! I often make baked oatmeal in advance and reheat it for breakfast the rest of the week for my kids. In our house, we call it "breakfast cake" and slice it up as such every morning. Bake the recipe as instructed. Once it's done baking, let it cool completely before covering the pan in plastic wrap or foil and storing in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you make it in advance, you can either drizzle the cream cheese glaze over the top before storing or store the glaze separately to drizzle on just before serving. When you're ready to serve, reheat as instructed below.How to Reheat Baked Oatmeal
To reheat the entire pan, cover the pan in foil and bake 350°F for about 20 minutes until warm in the center. To reheat individual servings, place a slice in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm (depending on the power of your microwave) Serve warm drizzled with cream cheese glaze!