Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

All the amazing flavors of carrot cake and the ease of overnight oats, these Carrot Cake Overnight Oats hit the spot. Mornings just got a hell of a lot easier and 100% more delicious. This is a great easy meal prep breakfast for your busy weeks. Not only will this recipe give you some extra time to relax in the morning, you can get a little veg into your breakfast while satisfying your morning sweet tooth (am I the only one that gets that??). 

The grocery list.

The oats.

• Rolled oats – I think rolled oats are best for any kind of overnight oats that aren’t cooked. They soften much better than old fashioned oats so they won’t be tough or chewy. 
• Chia seeds –  I like the texture chia seeds add. Plus, they’re great for your digestive health! 
• Vanilla extract – To add a bit of vanilla flavor. 
• Plain greek yogurt – This will make your oats nice and creamy and add a little bit of protein. 
• Almond milk – You don’t want your overnight oats to be dry! In order to soften, your oats need to absorb a ton of liquid! I like using almond milk because it has a nice subtle flavor that I like. 
• Pineapple juice – This sounds like a mistake, doesn’t it? You may be thinking I made a typo or something, but no! Pineapple juice adds a delicious natural sweetness to your oats and a light acidity. These oats aren’t very sweet on their own. The only sources of sweetness are the maple syrup and pineapple juice, so don’t leave them out!!!
• Maple syrup – I take every chance I get to use local Vermont maple syrup. 
• Carrot shreds – Make sure your carrots are finely shredded. They’ll add a bit of texture but you don’t want giant pieces of carrot that you have to gnaw on while you’re enjoying your oats. 
• Cinnamon – Add a little bit of spice! 
• Ginger – I loovveee all these warm fall spices. 
• Clove – This tastes like fall. 

The cream cheese swirl.

• Cream cheese – You can’t have carrot cake without cream cheese “frosting!” 
• Greek yogurt – Combining yogurt and cream cheese will make a perfectly smooth and creamy topping to swirl into your oats. Without the yogurt it would be way too thick. 
• Maple syrup – Syrup adds a nice light sweetness to your cream cheese mixture so it’ll taste almost like a good ‘ole cream cheese frosting. 
• Toasted pecans – Top your oats with toasted pecans or the nuts of your choosing for a crunch! 

The preparation.

To make these Carrot Cake Overnight Oats, you’ll combine all the oat ingredients, put it in the fridge overnight and then when you’re ready to eat them you’ll top with your cream cheese mixture and swirl it all together.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds, vanilla extract, ¾ cup greek yogurt, almond milk, pineapple juice,  ¼ cup maple syrup, carrot, cinnamon, ginger and clove. Mix until well combined. 

Divide your oats into mason jars for serving or leave in the large bowl and place in the fridge. Allow your oats to refrigerate for at least one hour, but ideally overnight. They’re called overnight oats for a reason! 

To make the cream cheese swirl, beat the cream cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons of yogurt and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Add some cream cheese mixture on top of each portion of oats and swirl it around. Top with toasted pecans for a crunch! 

I love portioning out my overnight oats into little mason jars. Not only is it super cute and aesthetically pleasing, it’s nice to be able to just grab a pre-portioned breakfast out of the fridge and not have to think about it at all! 

Making overnight oats.

Every overnight oats recipe has similar components. Oats, obviously, are the first ingredient you’ll need. I like to use rolled oats because I think they have the best texture and soften really well.

I like to add some kind of seed to my oats for a little bit of texture, like chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds. All of these are really great for digestive health, just make sure to brush your teeth after eating because they’ll get stuck in your teeth! 

If you want, you can add some type of protein powder to your overnight oats. If you use flavored protein, make sure you use compatible flavors in your oats so you don’t end up with something totally inedible.

A little something sweet like maple syrup or honey is absolutely necessary! There is no other source of sweetness going into your oats so trust me, you’ll need some honey or maple syrup. I love these natural sweeteners! 

Sugar and spice and everything nice! Well, not quite…I do like adding some spices though! Cinnamon is great to add to your overnight oats. Play around with your flavors, it’s fall so maybe throw a spoonful of canned pumpkin in there with some pumpkin pie spices. Don’t be afraid to get creative! 

Lastly, you’ll need liquid. I like using milk, almond milk or oat milk. Really anything like that will work. You can also use water if that’s what’s available to you.

It’s pretty easy to eyeball ingredients for overnight oats. You’ll probably be able to tell when you have enough of each ingredient. A lot of it is also based on personal preferences. 

Combine your ingredients in an adorable little mason jar or cup and mix them all up! Throw your oats in the fridge OVERNIGHT and enjoy!

Looking for more oat recipes?

Here are a few to try:

PB&J Overnight Oats

Meal Prep Overnight Oats

Carrot Cake Crockpot Oats with Cream Cheese Yogurt Toppin

Lastly, if you make this Carrot Cake Overnight Oats recipe, be sure to leave a comment! Above all, I love to hear from ya’ll and do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of your dayyyummm good recreations is my favorite!

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