I’ve made an oven-baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal several times before. However, I’ve never managed to get it until today. It’s been quite a while to make, and I’m thrilled to finally include my Carrot Cake Baked oatmeal inin my baked oatmeal collection. This one is stuffed with lovely carrots and has a sweet tang due to the cheesecake-inspired raisins and topping. When I refer to “Carrot Cake” Baked Oatmeal, Please be aware that it’s somewhat symbolic. This breakfast has the flavor of a carrot cake and is not an option for a sweet treat to eat breakfast. If you want a sweeter dessert-like oatmeal, add more brown sugar until around half a cup or more.

WHAT IS BAKED OATMEAL?

I’ll describe the texture if you’ve never enjoyed trying some of my oatmeal-baked recipes. While the edges on the outside might turn a bit crisp or brown, most oatmeal remains moist and soft, similar to custard-soaked oatmeal. Imagine bread pudding with thick oats instead of soft, chewy bread. Also, speaking about “thick oats,” I recommend old-fashioned roll oatmeal to make this recipe because they have a fantastic texture. Many people ask if they could use instant oats; however, this recipe was created to be used with old-fashioned rolled oats. The use of instant oats is sure to alter the texture, and it could cause a change in the moisture level as they absorb liquid differently from the thicker and more traditional oats.

HOW TO SERVE BAKED OATMEAL

Baked oatmeal is incredibly versatile as it can be consumed hot from the oven, chilled from the fridge, or heated. I prefer pouring cold milk on top of the cooked oatmeal to provide the perfect contrast in temperature. This is a fantastic recipe on a Sunday night to make breakfast in a snap to heat during the week. It should last 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or be stored in the freezer.

INGREDIENTS

One lb. carrots ($0.89)

Two large eggs ($0.54)

1/3 cup brown sugar ($0.08)

1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ($0.03)

1 tsp baking soda ($0.06)

1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)

2 cups of milk ($0.75)

3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.51)

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts* ($0.53)

1/3 cup raisins* ($0.57)

Cream Cheese Topping

Four oz. cream cheese, room temperature ($0.60)

One large egg yolk ($0.27)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract ($0.21)

One teaspoon of lemon juice ($0.02)

2 Tbsp sugar ($0.02)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325oF. Clean or peel the carrots, then cut them into rounds. Steam or boil the carrots until they’re very soft (I steamed them for 15 minutes. However, this depends on the dimensions of the carrots).

Put the cooked carrots in an enormous bowl and then mash using the potato masher. Add eggs, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Combine these ingredients until they are well mixed.

Pour the milk into the bowl and whisk it until remixed. Add the oats that have been rolled, as well as walnuts and raisins, and mix it all up using the large spoon until they are all combined. The oats mixture should be placed in the 3-quart casserole dish with a non-stick coating.

Mix eggs, cream cheese yolks, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sugar in a separate bowl. Stir or whisk with a fork until it is smooth. If you need a microwave, cook in 15-second increments to make the mix of cream cheese until it’s slightly softer. Then sprinkle it over the oatmeal mix in the dish for casserole.

Make the Carrot Cake Oatmeal for 45 minutes and until the cream cheese mixture is lightly golden on the top. Serve immediately or divide into single portions, then keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week.