These Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are soft, wholesome and packed with oats, shredded carrots and warm spices, then drizzled with a maple cream cheese frosting. Perfect for an easy grab-and-go breakfast, snack or healthier dessert!
Calling all carrot cake lovers! These Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars have all the warm, cozy flavors of classic carrot cake in an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack. I originally shared this recipe back in 2017, but over the years I’ve had a few complaints that the bars were too crumbly and fell apart. SO I have tested and re-tested this recipe a few times, made some tweaks and I’m LOVING how they turned out! I found that using quick oats instead of rolled oats helped hold the bars together more, making them more cake-like while still holding their shape. Made with wholesome ingredients and the maple cream cheese drizzle on top is literal icing on the cake!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- These healthy carrot cake bars are super easy to make all in one bowl!
- Made healthier with whole grain oats, a heaping cup of carrots and zero butter. Drizzled with a luscious cream cheese frosting!
- Enjoy these bars as a grab-and-go breakfast, as a midday snack or even healthy dessert bars.
- Perfect for Easter brunch and packed with a whole cup of grated carrots!
If you love easy make-ahead breakfasts like these, you’ll also love my blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars for another grab-and-go option!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- quick oats – I used Bob’s Red Mill quick-cooking oats, just make sure they’re certified gluten-free if making GF bars. I don’t recommend using old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe as the measurements would be off since quick oats are packed more tightly when measured out.
- oat flour – this helps make the bars lighter and pairs perfectly with the oats. See notes below on how to make your own oat flour. You could also use 1 to 1 gluten-free flour, whole wheat flour or all purpose flour. I do not recommend almond flour or coconut flour in these bars.
- baking powder – acts as a leavening agent to help the bars rise.
- carrots – you’ll need one heaping cup of shredded carrots, about 2 medium carrots. Shred carrots using a box grater or food processor. Pre-shredded carrots from the grocery store will work too.
- eggs – adds protein and gives these bars their fluffy texture and height.
- coconut oil – for additional moisture and fluffiness! Feel free to substitute with another type of oil if you prefer or even butter.
- sweeteners – I used a combination of maple syrup and cane sugar to lightly sweeten these bars. You could also use honey, coconut sugar or other natural sweeteners.
- vanilla extract – extra boost of flavor.
- warm spices – a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
Feel free to add in some fun mix-ins such as raisins, chia seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans or any other type of nuts that you prefer. You could even sprinkle them on top of the maple cream cheese glaze for a delicious treat!
How to Make Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars
- Mix ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, quick oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, cane sugar, coconut oil and vanilla and whisk until well-combined. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients, add in the shredded carrots, and mix until just combined.
- Bake the bars. Pour the carrot cake batter into a prepared 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Until edges are golden brown or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the carrot oat bars sit for 5 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make cream cheese frosting. While the bars are cooling in the baking dish, add cream cheese, maple syrup, milk and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use an electric hand mixer) and whip on high until smooth. Feel free to add in more milk one teaspoon at a time until you have your desired creaminess.
- Prepare bars. Drizzle the healthy cream cheese frosting over the bars once they have cooled and cut into 16 pieces. Enjoy!
How to Make Your Own Oat Flour
To make your own oat flour, you simply take old fashioned rolled oats (or instant oats) and blend them in your food processor or blender for about 60 seconds until they resemble a fine, powdery flour – and that’s it! You can of course just buy your own oat flour at the store, but this method saves you money and the flour will last up to three months in your pantry. The ratio for oat flour is one cup of oats = one cup of oat flour so it’s pretty easy to measure out.
Frequently Asked Questions
These carrot cake oatmeal bars are made with wholesome ingredients like oats, carrots, applesauce and Greek yogurt. They’re lightly sweetened with maple syrup and cane sugar and make a delicious grab-and-go breakfast, snack or healthier treat.
For the best texture, I recommend using quick oats in this recipe. Quick oats absorb moisture more easily and help create soft, cake-like bars that hold together well. Old-fashioned rolled oats are thicker and may result in bars that are more chewy and crumbly.
Yes! Simply use certified gluten-free quick oats and a gluten-free oat flour to make these carrot cake oatmeal bars gluten-free. As always, check the labels on your other ingredients if you need to avoid gluten.
Absolutely! These bars are perfect for meal prep. Make a batch ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They’re an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack throughout the week.
Yes! Once the bars have cooled completely, slice them into individual portions and store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. I recommend placing parchment paper between the bars to prevent them from sticking together. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or let an individual bar come to room temperature before enjoying.
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More Bars You’ll Love
- No Bake Almond Butter Granola Bars
- Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Bars
- Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- No Bake Chocolate Pumpkin Bars
- Healthier Pumpkin Bars
- Homemade KIND Bars
More Desserts You’ll Love
- Healthy Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- The BEST Flourless Chocolate Chip Brownies
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fudgy Zucchini Brownies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Hope you all enjoy these Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars! If you love these as much as we do, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! Follow for more healthy recipes!
Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup grated carrots
For the Frosting:
- 3 oz cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp milk of choice
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together quick oats, oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, cane sugar and vanilla. Stir until well-combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients, add in the grated carrots, and mix everything until just combined.
- Pour the oat mixture into a prepared 8×8-inch baking dish and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the carrot cake bars sit for 5 minutes then remove from pan and let them cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. If you cut them too warm, they may crumble easier.
- While the bars are cooling, add cream cheese to a small bowl and heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Add in the maple syrup, a tablespoon of milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and whisk together until smooth. Feel free to add more milk a teaspoon at a time until you get your desired consistency.
- Slice the bars into 16 pieces and drizzle the cream cheese frosting over top, enjoy!
Notes
- To Prep: These carrot cake oatmeal bars are perfect for meal prep! Make a batch at the beginning of the week for an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
- To Store: Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: Once completely cooled, store the bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, placing parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had the same issue as Amaryah, mine looked like granola bars. The whole oats never “blended” into the batter and definitely look nothing like yours. That being said, they were still delicious but lacked the pretty, cake-like look I was hoping for, especially when trying to entice my kids. 🙂
Made these last night and they are so good! I’m always on the lookout for healthy breakfast ideas for my 12 year old daughter who doesn’t like breakfast and and she absolutely loved them this morning – thank you!
I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed these! 🙂
great
Saved this recipe, and will definitely be making it soon! 😁
I’ll be making these FOR SURE!
Did you make oat flour from the oats first? In your pictures they look so delicious and cakey! I just put these in the oven, but at this step at least, it looks more like granola than cakey texture… I also tried subbing applesauce for the oil, and added chopped pecans/walnuts and some hemp and chia seeds as well! We’ll see how they turn out!
The batter will look like oatmeal/granola before they bake, mine did as well! 🙂 And no I didn’t blend the oats, just used them whole. Let me know how they turn out!
They taste delicious, but definitely don’t look anywhere as good as yours….looks like whole oats still, but who cares, they taste great! And I forgot to mention I used a “flax egg” (1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 Tbsp. water) instead of the egg, so these are easily made completely vegan too (other than omitting the delicious looking topping). Thanks for the great recipe idea!
Have you tried freezing the bars?
I haven’t tried freezing these particular bars yet, but I think they would freeze pretty well! I like to wrap mine individually with plastic wrap then place them into baggies 🙂
These look so yum! Could you freeze them after baking and then reheat somehow? What would you recommend to best store/reheat? Thanks a bunch! 🙂
Absolutely! I would wrap each bar with plastic wrap then place the wrapped bar in a sealed plastic baggy to freeze, squeezing as much air out as you can. To thaw out, unwrap the bars and let them come to room temperature then nuke them in the microwave if you prefer them warmed up 🙂
Thank you. We are a busy household with 4 people going at different times throughout the day. I have purchased (gasp) processed bars like these but now I can offer better. I am curious if you have tried any fruit bars like this? I loved the ginger maple chicken but next time will use breasts instead of thighs. My group didn’t like the greasy part and we know thighs are that way.
What could I substitute for the coconut oil?
Any type of oil would be fine!
Would honey work to substitute for syrup? Or what do you suggest for a healthy syrup?
Honey would be a delicious substitute! 🙂
Amazing! Just what I was looking for.
Okay so I made these this morning after reading all of the comments. I added about a 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut, probably closer to 3/4 -1 cup of carrots and I used silk vanilla almond milk. The only suggestions I would make is maybe make sure that the almond milk is at room temp before starting because I melted my coconut oil, let it cool but when I mixed into the rest of the wet mixture it clumped back up (maybe its just the type I used but I was kind of dumb to mix it with cold milk anyway, it was early in the morning). They aren’t quite as cake-y looking as these pictured but even with the chunky coconut oil, they are quite moist and hold together well. I will definitely be making these again and I do want to try them in muffin tins. I commented earlier asking if anyone had tried in the muffin tins before but now that I’ve made them, I think they MIGHT get a little dry. I’m going to try doubling the recipe and making them in the muffin tins next time.
These look fantastic! I am a huge fan of silk cashew milk and I am sure this would work well with it!