This easy carrot cake oatmeal breakfast muffins recipe and shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HowToPlanetOat Originally published July 2020. Last updated September 2022.
Do you enjoy breakfast in the mornings? Or do you have to rush through it? I think we have a tendency to take breakfast for granted and just make something to get it over with and move on to the next part of our day. But it doesn't have to be like that!
Today, I am introducing you to the newest member of my baked oatmeal family: carrot cake oatmeal breakfast muffins made with Planet Oat® Extra Creamy Oatmilk. They are completely dairy free--vegan, in fact--and can be made ahead of time in just 30 minutes. But they taste like an indulgent dessert. How, you ask? Keep reading, sis.
If you like easy meal prep breakfast, check these out, too!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
This is a whole food focused breakfast recipe that just happens to taste like dessert. Here are my carrot cake oatmeal breakfast muffin ingredients to add to your grocery list.
- Almond Butter
- Carrot
- Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
- Nutmeg
- Pineapple
- Planet Oat Extra Creamy Oatmilk
- Raisins
- Rolled Oats
- Sea Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Walnuts
As far as tools, grab a spoon, two mixing bowls and a 12 count cupcake pan. And that's really it. No fancy tools required to make breakfast for the whole week in 30 minutes! I take this same approach when making my piña colada oatmeal muffins and my pumpkin walnut version, too.
Why Use Oatmilk in this Recipe?
I first tried oat milk a few years ago while in Amsterdam and was immediately enamored with the creamy texture. Dairy milk has been a thing of the past for me for almost 10 years now and I've tried many plant-based milks but Oatmilk is by far the creamiest. At the time, not everyone had heard of it and I'm so glad to now be able to find Planet Oat Oatmilk at my local Kroger. Planet Oat is Oatmilk for all: free from lactose, soy, gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts, and with the ability to be used across all dairy occasions (cereal, coffee, smoothies, cooking/baking), Planet Oat is a terrific option for everyone and every occasion.
How to Bake with Oatmilk
If you're wondering why Planet Oat Oatmilk or what it even tastes like, I'd describe it as rich, creamy, and full-bodied. The taste is just lightly sweet (Planet Oat Original and Vanilla flavors only have 4g of sugar per serving) so it works by the glass as well as in cereal. And it's nutritious, with calcium and vitamins A & D, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, as well as non-GMO. You can plug it into your routine without missing a beat--I use it as a one-for-one dairy milk replacement in cooking and baking.
What does it taste like?
Now for the carrot cake oatmeal breakfast muffins details! If you've been reading here for a while, you know that I love make-ahead breakfast ideas like this one. Meal prepping is a mainstay in my routine because it frees up my time and focus during the week BUT I don't do boring meals.
Especially since I've been working from home, I like to have something especially delicious to look forward to at mealtimes. These muffins are definitely that. The carrot cake flavor is spot on and the texture is as moist and dense as actual carrot cake. I'm sure you suspected as much after reading the ingredient list.
Grocery shopping looks and feels very different right now, which is why I appreciate Kroger's online shopping portal. I can pick out all the recipe ingredients from my phone then pick them up quickly and carefully at my local Kroger store. Go ahead and plug the ingredients for these carrot cake oatmeal breakfast muffins into your grocery shopping list!
Also, did I mention that my carrot cake for breakfast recipe is quick to make? Well, they are. They're also dairy-free, have no refined sugar, and, if you use gluten-free oats, can be gluten-free, as well. This is a great plant-based breakfast option that I think your entire family will enjoy. And with this recipe, you can make enough for everyone in almost no time. That's what I call winning.
Tips for this Recipe
- It's very important to use rolled oats (sometimes call old-fashioned oats) in any of my oatmeal muffin recipes for textural reasons. Quick or shredded oats just won't work the same.
- Be sure to warm the milk (and almond butter if you keep that in the fridge). This will make it much easier to mix together all the wet ingredients.
- Matchstick carrots can also work in this recipe. If you opt to use them, I recommend cutting them into halves.
- This is a pretty PCOS-friendly breakfast recipe as-is but if that's your aim, I recommend adding a boost of your favorite vanilla protein powder and some flaxmeal for healthy fat.
I encourage you to make 30 minute baked oatmeal breakfast part of your next meal plan and be sure to check out Planet Oat Oatmilk at Kroger. Sharing is caring so you'll want to pin this recipe for later and follow me on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Easy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe
📖 Recipe
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup shaved carrot
- ¼ cup walnut pieces
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ⅔ cup oatmilk warmed to room temperature
- ½ cup almond butter or nut butter of your choice
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup crushed pineapple
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (oats, shaved carrot, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt) together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together remaining ingredients (oatmilk, almond butter, maple syrup, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract) until smooth and uniform.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until well incorporated and no dry "pockets" remain.
- Spray a 12-count muffin pan with non-stick spray then evenly divide oatmeal mixture between the cavities. Lightly press mixture into each cavity so that the top of each muffin is smooth.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until tops of muffins are firm when pressed. Allow muffins to cool completely in pan before removing. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Notes
- It's very important to use rolled oats (sometimes call old-fashioned oats) in any of my oatmeal muffin recipes for textural reasons. Quick or shredded oats just won't work the same.
- Be sure to warm the milk (and almond butter if you keep that in the fridge). This will make it much easier to mix together all the wet ingredients.
- Matchstick carrots can also work in this recipe. If you opt to use them, I recommend cutting them into halves.
- This is a pretty PCOS-friendly breakfast recipe as-is but if that's your aim, I recommend adding a boost of your favorite vanilla protein powder and some flaxmeal for healthy fat.
Nutrition
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