Instant Pot Carrot Cake Oatmeal is an absolute breakfast treat! Hearty, healthy, and loaded with shredded carrots, this breakfast will have you feeling strong all day. Did I mention it comes with a Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting sauce?
I have grown to truly treasure the moments when groceries are a bit sparse and grocery store trips are few and far between.
It's in these moments that I feel bound and determined to make sure every single thing in the fridge gets consumed in the most delicious way possible. Waste not, want not, right Grandma?
Why hello there scary, dried out, floppy carrots from the bottom of the produce drawer. I'm not sure when or where I bought you, but I'm going to turn you into something magical.
My kids were wanting this Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal, but I was completely out of any canned or Homemade Pumpkin Puree. I DID have a nearly empty, gigantic jar of applesauce taking up way too much space in my fridge though, so I put my invisible chef hat on and got to work.
I shredded those carrots up, used the last of the oatmeal, and a few other pantry staples, and Voila! Carrot Cake Oatmeal was born!
Oh, but I didn't stop there. I used the last of a tub of cream cheese to create the most delicious, “Cream Cheese Frosting” sauce to drizzle all over the top.
It was a slam dunk breakfast and I marveled at the fact that my kids were fighting over the last bit of a dish that contained carrots.
Turns outs out kids will eat anything if it's named after a dessert. Hmm . . . Crispy Tofu Candy Bars? Roasted Broccoli Pudding? Butternut Squash Brownies? I'll let you know how this game goes down.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT CARROT CAKE OATMEAL
- This oatmeal belongs in the family of these custard-like oatmeal recipes – Pumpkin Banana and Blueberry Oatmeal. The addition of eggs and milk make it creamy and almost pudding like. Next level oatmeal for sure!
- Hearty, whole grain, high in protein, and it even contains a vegetable – I feel as if I've done something truly amazing when my kids start their day out with this kind of food!
- Quick to mix together in the morning, but it can also be mixed up the night before and transferred quickly to the pressure cooker.
- Perfectly sweet and full of warm, comforting spices.
- Cream Cheese Frosting for breakfast! Except it's more like a thick, yogurt-y, naturally sweetened frosting, perfect for breakfast.
HOW TO MAKE CARROT CAKE OATMEAL IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Mix up your wet ingredients
- Combine with your dry ingredients
- Pour into a baking dish
- Place dish on a sling of some sort for easy transferring
- Place inside the pot on top of a trivet
- Pressure cook until set, soft, and creamy
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CARROT CAKE OATMEAL
- Use freshly grated carrots. Those store-bought pre-shredded carrots are too big, kind of dry, and mostly tasteless.
- If you happen to be a raisin hater, rest assured my “warm, squishy raisin” hating daughter thought they were amazing in this oatmeal. Give it a try!
- If you have an orange handy, be sure and add the zest. It's not a strong flavor but it brightens the oatmeal beautifully.
- I personally love walnuts and coconut added to this oatmeal, but if you have opinionated taste buds members in your family, serve them on the side and let people top theirs how they like.
- The Yogurt Sauce can be omitted if you like, the oatmeal is still amazing without it. You could also swap it for a spoonful of yogurt, a drizzle of milk, or, my favorite, French Vanilla Nutpods Creamer.
- Do not cook this oatmeal directly in the pot – it will burn.
- Do not swap rolled oats for steel-cut, they will not be fully cooked.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE CARROT CAKE OATMEAL
- Store: Cover cooled leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Leftovers reheat well in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of milk.
- Freeze: Freeze leftovers in a sealed container or in a freezer-safe Ziploc. When ready to eat, let them thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as directed above.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH OATMEAL
This oatmeal is basically a complete meal as is, but fruit or a smoothie makes a great addition to any bowl of oatmeal.
VARIATIONS OF CARROT CAKE OATMEAL
- Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake Oatmeal: Swap the raisins for a handful of chocolate chips for a “pumpkin chocolate chip” kind of vibe.
- Zucchini Bread Oatmeal: Swap the shredded carrots for shredded and drained zucchini.
- Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal: This is the recipe that inspired this carrot cake version – it's amazing!
- Blueberry Custard Oatmeal: Another thick, pudding-like oatmeal that you're going to need to try if you haven't already.
I take breakfast very seriously around here, so I'm grateful for dishes like this one that can cook themselves while we are getting ready in the morning. This one creates minimal dishes and maximum morning smiles.
And if your child happens to make the comment, “Mom, I really like your breakfast recipes, even more than your dinner recipes,” just go ahead and take that as a compliment and remember, they'll realize just how lucky they were to have you when they're older – at least that's what my mom tells me.
Enjoy this happy, hearty, oatmeal breakfast!
MORE INSTANT POT OATMEAL RECIPES
- Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CARROT CAKE OATMEAL
- Instant Pot
- Food Processor (this is how I achieve finely shredded carrots) or
- My Favorite Grater
- 7 inch cake pan
- Red Silicone Sling
- Nutpods Creamer – Use the code MARCITIDBITS to get 15% off your order.
Instant Pot Carrot Cake Oatmeal with Cream Cheese Yogurt Sauce
Hearty Carrot Cake Oatmeal with a creamy vanilla glaze to start your day off strong!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk will work)
- 1 cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- zest of 1 large orange
Optional toppings: Chopped walnuts, shredded coconut
For the Cream Cheese Yogurt Sauce
- ¼ cup whipped cream cheese
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 – 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly spray a 7 inch cake pan or a 1 ½ quart or larger heat safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and butter and mix well.
- Add the oats, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt; whisk to combine.
- Stir in carrots, raisins, and orange zest.
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water to the pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside. Place dish on the trivet using a silicone or tin foil sling to make for easier removal.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure cooker knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes.
- While the oats are cooking whisk together the Cream Cheese Yogurt Sauce until smooth.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 5 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of Cream Cheese Yogurt Sauce and a handful of walnuts and/or coconut.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- This oatmeal can be made up the night before, stored in the fridge, then cooked in the morning.
- Do not cook this directly in the pot. The mixture is much too thick and creamy and will result in a BURN message
- Do not substitute steel cut oats, they will not be fully cooked at 25 minutes.
Keywords: Instant Pot Oatmeal, Carrot cake oatmeal, healthy carrot cake
This sounds great! Do you cover the pot with foil or does the recipe need the moisture to properly?
Sue, I never cover this one and it does great 🙂
Would this freeze well? Looking forward to trying it.
Kim, Yes, really well!
I wonder if adding a bit of maple syrup to my homemade yogurt would work well as a topping? Seems like it might be yummy! Fewer things to think about. I think I will try this one!
Nancy, absolutely! Anything lightly sweet and creamy. Sometimes I lightly whip cream and use that.
Hi Marci, I have made this recipe so many times…making little tweaks each time. It’s a true favorite! I have a quick question. I have other friends who have asked for the recipe and while I have shared your link, I had one who does not have an Instant Pot and doesn’t want to buy “another Kitchen Item” :). Any suggestions on baking in the oven? Thank you for upping my instant pot game!
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Alicia, isn’t this one fabulous?! We love it! She could definitely try baking it. I’d probably put it in a 8 or 9 inch square pan and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. It might take longer, I’m not 100% sure, but that’s a starting point!
Thank you! I appreciate it and all your amazing recipes and instant pot guidance! I am now resident expert on dried beans!
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Alicia, thank you! Being a dried bean expert is a serious skill 🙂
This oatmeal recipe is fantastic! We have made it twice already and my kids and even my oatmeal hating husband love this!
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Kristen, funny you say that my kids are revolting against oatmeal right now, yet this one, they devour. I’m so glad you guys like it too!
Haven’t made this yet, but wondering if I could substitute something like brown sugar for the maple syrup. If so, how much would you recommend?
Ali, yes, I would just do the same amount. It will be delicious!
My husband and I really enjoyed your carrot cake oatmeal this morning. Definitely on my make again list. Thanks!
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Holly, I’m so glad! It’s a good one!
Marci,
Re the lemon cheesecake recipe—utterly fabulous. I used a generous dollop of lemon curd instead of the yogurt sauce—I always have the lemon curd on hand in the fridge—and the dessert earned rave reviews from family and friends who shared our Easter dinner.
Gail, I love the curd idea!!! My daughter loves to make it so I’ll have her make it for me next time. I’m so glad they loved it!
This looks so delicious. I have egg allergies in my house, but they can eat “baked in” eggs. I’m wondering if you think this would work with 1 (or zero) eggs?
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Jess, Yes, definitely. The egg makes it more custard-like, but if you don’t mind a more traditional oatmeal texture, you’ll love it.
Could this be doubled (maybe in a heatproof bowl or baking dish that is fairly deep)? If so, how long would I cook it?
Allyson, Yes, I think it would work great. I would add 5 minutes I think…Or maybe 10. The oats don’t need a lot of extra cook time, but I’m guessing the custard part will need the extra 10. Yes, I just talked myself through it, try 10 the first go, then back off to 5 if that seems like too much. And there’s your novel 🙂
Hi Marci, I made the Carrot cake oatmeal and it is delicious. I forgot the raisins but I will remember them next time! I couldn’t wait for my husband to come in to try, I was anxious and started without him! I wasn’t disappointed, it is just the thing I like to eat for breakfast. I can’t wait to make it for my granddaughter.
Thank you, I love your recipes and make them often. Especially your Crack chicken!
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Sharon, thank you for taking the time to report back! I was particularly excited about this one so it’s so great to hear that someone loved it as much as I did. Definitely add the raisins next time, I love warm, juicy raisins!
I made the carrot cake oatmeal yesterday. It is delicious.
I’m not sure that the calories are calculated correctly though. When I entered the recipe in MyFitnessPal I get 263 calories with out the addition of the cream cheese yogurt sauce.
I put plain milk on mine and loved it.
Thank you Marci for sharing the recipe with us
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Cindy, I’m excited you liked it! Thanks for reporting back. And thanks for the heads up on the nutrition facts, I’ll check into it.
This morning, I laid in bed and thought, “I wonder if Marci has another oatmeal recipe I haven’t tried?” And what was magically in my inbox? This recipe!!! I made it for breakfast. And my husband and I ate nearly the whole batch! I sent him off to work and now have another batch cooking to take to my in-laws later. Fabulous!!!
Angie, that seriously makes my day to think that someone up the road is making a recipe I posted! So cool that you made some for your inlaws too. Tyla and I are excited you liked it!