I’m still digging up cookbook recipes that I didn’t include in the final book. It’s like finding buried treasures in my Google document! The beauty of all the recipe testing that went down over the past 2 years is that I have so much inspiration leftover to tweak and share here – such as this baked carrot cake oatmeal. It was a big hit with my recipe testers, but ultimately I decided to go with the baked apple and pear oatmeal for the book, knowing I would eventually share this version on the blog anyway. My stove-top Carrot Cake Oatmeal has been popular over the years, so this baked version was a natural next step. And boy, is this baked version incredible. It tastes so much like carrot cake I almost thought I was eating the real thing. Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top and you are well on your way to breakfast nirvana. I’m thinking it would be a great addition to an Easter brunch too!
/ Behind the Scenes: Cookbook, Part 1: Recipe Testers /
I haven’t written much about the behind the scenes of cookbook creation, but I thought I would share the process a bit more now that I’m not juggling both things at once. Initially, I wanted to share the process in real time, but I quickly realized that I needed to get through it once before I felt like I could share anything helpful. It took a long time before I felt like I had a good system in place. I felt like a crazy person most of the time. Lots of trial and error. If I write a second cookbook, I hope that the organizational flow goes a bit more smoothly. Wishful thinking, maybe!
Anyway, I’m going to first tell you about my cookbook angels, otherwise known as my recipe testers. Writing a cookbook is much different than blogging, I soon found out. On the blog I have immediate feedback (some of you make my new recipes within the hour and let me know how it went!) and it’s easy to know if I’m on the right track, but with a cookbook there’s always that sense of unease and doubt. I felt like I was blindly trudging along each day hoping my instincts and taste buds were not leading me astray. I always asked myself, “Would my blog readers enjoy this? Would someone who’s not into vegan cooking enjoy it too?” And once it’s in print…well, it’s in PRINT! An intimidating thought. Two and a half years proved to be a very long time to wait for feedback from you (and other vegan-interested/healthy food/glow-seeking peeps!); that’s why my recipe testers are so important. They let me know if I was on the right track or veering off course; at least, when it came to the recipes. My editor helped me with the written portion of the book (intro, chapter openers, headnotes, and overall flow) and pushed me to keep digging deep to allow my story to flow into words.
At first, I felt overwhelmed because I didn’t know how I would find the time to organize a recipe testing group while doing everything else, but we eventually came up with a system that worked for us. Eric created a private blog just for my recipe testers. Once I gathered my group of recipe testers (family, friends, and blog readers/bloggers), I gave them the password to the private blog. I started posting potential cookbook recipes 2-3 times a week (with a photo for each) to the site for over 6-8 months. The recipes took a long time to get through as you can imagine. Even though my posts on the blog dropped a lot some weeks, I was actually posting double or triple the content than what you saw here. In the comment section of each post, my recipe testers responded to a series of questions after they made the recipe. I wanted to know everything from recipe clarity to enjoyment rating (on a scale of 10) to whether their kids or husbands approved. And, of course, I only wanted honest feedback! No sugar coating. The beauty of using a private blog is that everything is in one tidy spot and all of the feedback for each recipe is posted directly below it. Anything that makes life a bit easier is a plus in my books.
Here are some of the questions I asked my recipe testers:
How long did it take you to prepare the recipe (prep time)?
Rate this recipe on a scale of difficulty (1 – Easiest, 10 – Most Difficult)
Were the directions clear and concise? If no, please describe.
Did you do something different from the directions? If so, what did you change?
Were the ingredients readily available?
Were the “number of servings” correct? If no, please describe how many servings you got.
Rate how much you enjoyed the recipe on a sale of 1 to 10 (1 = didn’t like it at all and 10 = best recipe ever)
Is this kid/partner approved? (Yes/No/Not applicable):
Would you make this recipe again (yes or no) and why?
I’m sure these questions felt tedious to answer over and over and over, but it was personally so helpful, and it let me know if I needed to re-vamp a recipe or move forward.
When I dug up this oatmeal recipe and re-tested it recently, I thought it would also be fun to share some of the comments my recipe testers left about this carrot cake baked oatmeal. These comments are from over a year ago in February 2013!
“Grandpa liked it and even helped me make it (he grated the carrots). This recipe is a breakfast dish, but I think it is so tasty that it could be a pudding/cake dish too!”
“I’d say the number of servings is 6 because it’s the kind of recipe you can’t stop eating.”
“Healthy enough for breakfast, but tasty enough for dessert!”
“Yes, good variation on oatmeal. I would increase the raisins in my kid version to increase the sweetness for them.”
“My 9-month daughter seem interested in trying this and she loved it!”
Thank you, my dear recipe angels. And that goes for all of you who leave valuable feedback here on the blog each week! Your comments are not only helpful for me, but for others thinking about making the recipe or adapting it in various ways.
Here is the photo that I originally shot for the cookbook. At least, it gets to see the light of day! I’m glad this recipe does too. It’s a good one.
Heavenly Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Yield
6 large servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Carrot cake lovers, this one is for you! Refined-sugar free and packed with carrots, this baked oatmeal has all the taste of the popular dessert with a healthier whole-grain twist. Try it for a lazy weekend breakfast and enjoy the leftovers in the days to come. I love this served with a dollop of my coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Heck, it even makes a nice snack or dessert too. Actually, there isn't a time of the day when I won't eat this oatmeal. Baked oatmeal isn't just for mornings anymore!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (225 g) gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (130 g) lightly packed grated peeled carrots*
- 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1/4 cup (36 g) raisins or pitted chopped dates
- 1/2 cup (35 g) chopped walnut halves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 10-cup/2.5 qt. casserole dish. I use an 8" x 11" rectangular casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: shredded carrot, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and fresh ginger.
- Add the wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and smooth out with a spoon. Press down on the oatmeal with a spoon (or your hands) so the oats sink into the milk. Sprinkle on the walnuts and raisins (or dates, if using) and press down lightly again.
- Bake, uncovered, for 32-37 minutes until lightly golden along the edges. The oatmeal will still look a bit soft or wet in some spots when it comes out of the oven, but it will firm up as it cools.
- Let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with Coconut Whipped Cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, or some vanilla non-dairy yogurt. When the baked oatmeal is fully cool, it will firm up enough to be sliced into squares.
- Leftovers should keep for 3 to 5 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 weeks in the freezer. Enjoy it warm or chilled straight from the fridge!
Tip:
* If you don't mind visible, chewy strands of grated carrot in the baked oatmeal feel free to use the standard-sized grate hole. If you want the carrot to be virtually undetectable (this is sometimes a nice thing when feeding picky eaters), then use the smallest grate hole size.
For a nut-free option, replace the almond milk with a nut-free non-dairy milk, such as coconut milk. Also, omit the walnuts (you can try sunflower seeds or pepita seeds for a crunch).
If you'd like to save time in the morning, this can be prepared the night before. Simply cover the casserole dish with foil and place it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the foil and bake. I find it needs about 5 minutes LESS bake time when the mixture sits overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
/ OSG Virtual Cookbook Tour Reviews /
Lastly, I have more cookbook reviews to share with you. Thanks again to all the lovely bloggers who took part. You can find the full list of reviews on my book page.
Emily @ The Kitchn (review)
Canadian Gift Guide (review, giveaway)
Erin @ Erin’s Inside Job (review)
Nikki @ Food Riot (review)
Sarah @ My New Roots (recipe, review)
Gena @ Choosing Raw (review, recipe, interview)
What a great idea!
Hey!
I’m visiting my parents for a week and I just surprised them by making this for the whole family for breakfast. Thank’s for the recipe, they all loved it!
this is AMAZING! Thank you.
Sounds wonderful! Would love to try it but need a carb count at least. Would appreciate other nutritional information as well.
Just made this 2 days in a row. I love it. The carrots and rasians gave it such a sweet flavor and the plant milk ( I used soy) made it rich.
Trying this tomorrow morning!!! Any idea what the nutritional information is on this? It looks scrumptious! :)
I love how every time I make something of yours, it turns out looking just like the picture, minus fancy dishes. Thank you for being honest!! Why not, when the food is so pretty? Same goes for prep times, yours are consistently spot-on.
This is delicious topped it with maple-cashew cream cheese frosting mmmmmmmmmmmmm
Oh my goodness, sooo gooood!!!!! loved it.
I put a bit of real maple syrup on top of my bowl..yumm
thinking next time of adding some apples and make it a dessert.
thanks so much!
Wow, talking about dessert for breakfast! This is so good! I subbed the maple syrup for apple butter (I live in The Netherlands and maple syrup is not very common here, if available, very expensive) and topped it off with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. My husband, who considers anyone who eats veggies for breakfast a total whacko, is even considering eating it. I’m thinking about trying it with zucchini next time! Thanks for the recipe, Angela!
This stuff is so good!! Just finished a big bowl of it! It somehow reminds me of the inside of an eggy custard tart. I made half the recipe, no walnuts and no raisins (raisins are gross imo), but i was heavier on the spices! The dish I used wasn’t too big so the oats reduced to a thinner layer than in the image which meant more ‘crusty bits’! Thanks for the recipe!
So yummy and easy to do! I skipped the maple syrup and used Stevia to lighten the carb/sugar load. Still delicious! Add some chia seeds for protein and fiber!
This was SO good. I had some leftover for dinner tonight after a long day at work, had it with peanut butter drizzle over the top. Just warmed a small amount of almond milk on the stove and stirred in raw fresh ground peanut butter until it was at creamy pourable consistency and then dribbled that all over the top. Added a tiny bit of almond milk to the bowl around the oatmeal square and a sprinkling of cinnamon then DEVOURED it. Like dessert for dinner. So freaking good. Thank you!
Hi
I tried this recipe and love the texture and idea. Since I had leftovers after 2 days I didnt want it to go bad therefore I store it in the freezer. I then realized that the bottom on some areas was black. Is this no longer good to eat? Or is this normal?
What’s the baking powder for?
Yum! Came back to find this for my daughter and myself….. (we made it when we had friends over, but don’t want to wait for our friends to come back to make it again!) Thanks!
I’ve made this twice now and I am in love…best oatmeal recipe I’ve had in a long time!
This was so yummy!! Didn’t even need to reheat it and just ate in cold for a few days after. Loved it!
I just made this and it was awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
Amazing! I ran out of almond milk, so I used part water and it was still so delicious. Also added shredded coconut and pecans instead of walnuts. Om nom nom.
This recipe is excellent! I made this for my family. They LOVED it. I will definitely be making more of this!
Oh man, I just made this oatmeal and it was amazing, I ate it for breakfast lunch and dinner. I just got this chai spice blend off of etsy and added it to the oats, and it was over the top delicious!
https://www.etsy.com/listing/263470098/medicinal-masala-chai-blend
ENJOY!
This was my first time trying baked oatmeal, and I’m a HUGE fan! It’s like bread pudding, but healthy!
I added a 7oz can of crushed pineapple and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this today exactly as written- it IS heavenly and a great way to start the day with veggies! Thanks
Unfortunately for me, this was very bland and not as moist as I had hoped.
I made this today for a brunch with definitely-not-vegan folks and it was a huge hit. The coconut cream didn’t totally work – I’ll have to keep working on that – but even as a thickened sauce, it worked…..
I’m glad everyone enjoyed the baked oatmeal, Barbra! :) Do you mind if I ask, what was the trouble with the coconut cream? I’d be happy to offer suggestions for next time if I can.
YUMMO! loved it! used crushed pinapple and two droppers of liquid stevia in place of the maple syrup. It is important to not over-cook this. I halved the recipe and cooked for twenty minutes and it was perfect!
YUM! I’ve made this a few times – this time I baked it in donut molds and topped with fresh coconut butter – carrot cake baked oatmeal donuts = win! Thank you!! xoxoxo
What a great idea, Kylie! That sounds like an amazing twist on the recipe – thanks for sharing!
Hello! Love your blog and cookbook!
Would this recipe ,as well as the other baked ones, work in a crockpot ?
Thanks
Hi Kimberly, to be honest I’m not sure – I haven’t tried it! If you experiment, please let me know how it goes! :)
OH MY GOD! I am new to a totally plant based food plan and thus far I Am GLOWING!
That’s awesome, Teri! Happy cooking! :)
Hello! This recipe looks really nice. Can’t wait to try it! but I don’t have an oven. Can I use the microwave instead?
Prepped this last night for breakfast this morning. Deelicious!!
How many calories in this recipe.. Thank you.
Hi Jackie, Unfortunately, I haven’t calculated that nutritional info myself, and so I don’t know it offhand. But if you pop the recipe into an online tool like nutritiondata.com or caloriecount.com, you should be able to find out the calorie count fairly quickly and easily. Hope this helps!
this is so perfect for breakfast! oatmeal with one of a kind twist, so yummy! thank yo for sharing this recipe :)
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
I made cooked whole oat groats instead of rolled oats. I then combined the ingredients, except milk, and dehydrated this for my backpacking trips. I added powdered coconut milk and hot water to rehydrate. This is an amazing backpacking meal!!! Thank you Angela!
Thanks so much for sharing, Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the results.
Wow! This is a pretty creative and ingenious innovation. Thanks so much for the tip. I can’t wait to try this recipe using the groat and quinoa alternatives that have been mentioned throughout the replies. Never would have thought of the dehydrating and dehydrating applications. Wonderful :)
Thanks so much for this recipe – I’ve made it so many times since I’ve discovered it. It’s become one of my go-tos and has inspired me to try variations with different fruit etc. Also made your granola recipe from your first cookbook the other day. Dangerous stuff! :) Love your work!
This recipe is one of my faves too, Ang. :) And I agree – that granola can be suuuper tempting to have around, haha.
I’m not a big fan of oatmeal but this is sooooo delicious. It has become my go to breakfast because it’s so yummy, healthy, and convenient. I make a batch and then I can reheat a portion in the morning. I discovered the recipe from My Fitness Pal. I also tried a few other recipes .. lentil mushroom balls and oatmeal squares. My husband and I are trying to incorporate more vegan and vegetarian meals into our diet. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. They’ve all been a hit so far. Thank you so much for sharing!
Aw, I’m so glad this oatmeal’s a hit, Kelly!
I made these tonight, with a vegan maple-walnut cream on top. It was delicious!! My husband is a “passive vegan” in the sense that he will eat everything I cook, and he gave this dessert/breakfast a 10/10!! Thank you for all your great vegan recipes!! :D
So glad it was a hit, Marilyne! We really love this recipe too, it’s an old fave!
Hi Everyone,
I’m a big fan of baked oatmeal as it reminds me of leisurely breakfasts enjoyed in some of my favourite New England B and B’s (ah, happy days)! Have made this carrot cake variation a few times now and adding the suggested pineapple, coconut and pecans makes it a healthy, yet decadent breakfast delight which may rival the more calorie rich indulgences savored on getaway weekends. Thanks so much for that dear Angela :)
I wanted to post here about a new discovery I made when I prepared this recipe early this wintery week. I tweeked the recipe a bit, hoping it would make a nice holiday breakfast. And what a happy discovery! By adding a little blackstrap malasses, subbing in Christmas seasoning (basically your golden milk or chai spices I guess-cinnamom, pinch of termeric, ginger, nutmeg, etc.) and adding diced figs, apricots, dates, and dried cherries, this baked oatmeal smelled divine in the oven and tasted very much like plum pudding/figgy pudding! We reheated it in the oven after dinner (believe it or not it gets better with reheating) and served it for dessert. It was such a satisfying and tantalizing holiday treat which felt completely indulgent, and yet was packed with healthy ingredients! This will become a new seasonal favourite in our home for certain.
What a great idea, Tara! That sounds delicious–thanks for sharing!!
I love my oatmeal with craisins and pecans, now I’m going to add your recipe to mine. Thank you for your recipes.
Making this soon for the second time, great recipe. It’s lovely to get some veggies in with breakfast. Thank you!
My 1 and 2 year old loved this and its usually hard to get them to eat carrots. I used pre-cooked carrots that were leftover. Thanks for the idea!
So wonderful to hear the recipe won your little ones over, Laura!
This was AMAZING. So easy – the hardest part was waiting for it to bake!
How had I not ever tried this recipe before?! I made it this morning (came together SO quickly), and it was SO good! I used almond-coconut milk blend because that’s what I had on hand, and I used dried cranberries instead of raisins, because that’s what I had, but otherwise followed the recipe. I’ve been snacking on it all day! I will be making this again on a regular basis!
I have made this several times now (along with the other baked oatmeals) and its a winner. So delicious and easy. I love that I can get it ready the night before and pop in the oven in the morning. Great to bring to work and warm up for a mid morning snack. Its like eating joy – is that even possible – it is now!!
Oh my gosh……I just made this and it is incredible! I finely shredded the carrots, subbed some of the Almond milk with Whole milk, and I added a few more raisins on top. Also, I got this crazy idea to mix up a little bit of cream cheese, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and make a glaze/topping to go on top, and holy cow, it was literally like eating decadent carrot cake! I freaking LOVED it! Now, I realize that adding this glaze on was just adding unnecessary calories….but oh man was it tasty. Thanks for the great recipe! I check your blog every now and then, but I need to start checking it more often!
Hi! I made this for Sunday morning breakfast before church and it was amazing. Probably the best oatmeal I’ve ever eaten. I also used cow’s milk and added 1/4 tsp. of cloves. We served it with half and half poured over the top of each serving. Decadent without feeling guilty. Thanks for this great recipe!
This just made the first day back after a 3 day weekend suck a lot less. Sooooo yummy. I’m going back for seconds!
Hah, glad it could ease the transition, Sarah! ;)
OMG- my roommate and I made this for breakfast this morning and it was amazing! We go to medical school in the caribbean and only have a toaster oven, but were determined to try this out. Even though it is so hot outside, having this in the morning was perfect and an amazing start to the day! Since our oven is small, I made the full recipe but divided it in half into 2 smaller dishes. I left it in the fridge overnight and woke up early to put it in the oven – worked great! I froze the other dish, so hopefully that works.
Thanks for the great recipe Angela! I got one of your cookbooks for Christmas and want to try making even more things from it. I am not a vegan but love seeing what other food there is out there and am open to trying almost anything. Keep on creating!
Thanks so much for the “glowing” (heh) comment, Liz! So happy you two enjoyed the baked oatmeal. It’s great to know the recipe’s doable in a toaster oven, too!
Just made this and there is a serious danger I am going to eat the whole pan today. Soooo good.
Mine was super sweet (in a good way) but that’s probably because I had no maple syrup so used a combination of honey and treacle (molasses, I think?) instead…
So glad to hear you enjoyed the oatmeal, Shona! A combo of maple and molasses sounds like a pretty good twist on this recipe…I bet they’d be lovely with the carrot cake flavours. :)