Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

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Creamy, flavorful, and simple to make, this carrot cake overnight oats recipe is like having dessert for breakfast! Full of grated carrots, raisins, rolled oats, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, this breakfast meal prep is perfect for busy mornings and will keep you feeling full all morning!

If you need an on-the-go breakfast for busy mornings, this creamy carrot cake overnight oat checks the box! It’s so easy to make and it’ll remind you of taking a huge bite of carrot cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Overnight oats are the perfect meal prep! It takes a couple of minutes to throw together, and after letting it set overnight in the fridge, you’ve got breakfast ready for the entire week! It’s perfect for busy mornings.
Overnight oats are one of my go-to easy breakfast recipes because they’re not only easy to make but also filling. Between the rolled oats, chia seedings, protein powder, and Greek yogurt, it’s such a satisfying breakfast, and I rarely need a mid-morning snack after.
This carrot cake overnight oats recipe is like a dessert oatmeal! It’s sweet and creamy with the same flavor profile as a carrot cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make carrot cake overnight oats.

Like my other overnight oats recipe, this overnight oats recipe uses a lot of pantry staples! Here is a run-down of the key ingredients and you can find the measurements in the recipe card down below.

rolled oats — make sure you are using old-fashioned rolled oats. Instant oats and quick oats do not hold up as well, so I do not prefer the texture of the oats after they’ve been soaked.

chia seeds — chia seeds come in both black and white varieties, but there is no difference in nutritional content. When they absorb the milk, it helps thicken the overnight oats.

vanilla protein powder — make sure you use protein powder you actually like for this carrot cake overnight oats recipe. The overnight oats cannot mask the flavor of the protein powder if you don’t like it!

maple syrup — maple syrup is my preferred sweetener, but you can use your favorite one. Make sure you are using real maple syrup and not pancake syrup. Maple syrup comes straight from trees, whereas pancake syrup is usually made with corn syrup. Brown sugar is also a great alternative as the flavor pairs well with the carrot cake flavors.

carrot — you can use store-bought shredded carrots or shred your own. It’s easy to do with a box grater or just any grater! I prefer shredding my own carrots as they are more moist in comparison.

vanilla greek yogurt — I prefer the sweeter flavor of vanilla Greek yogurt for this recipe.

salt — just a pinch of salt to help balance out the flavors. I always use Diamond kosher salt.

vanilla extract — a splash of real vanilla extract adds a nice vanilla flavor to the overnight oats. You can also use vanilla bean paste or powder.

milk — you can use any water or milk of your choice, from cow’s milk to non-dairy milk such as cashew milk or almond milk. If you don’t have milk, you can make it with water, like my overnight oats with water recipe. Keep in mind that the type of milk (or if you swap for water), can affect the overall protein count. You can even get high protein milk, where you get 18 grams of protein per cup. I found this at Costco, and it’s been such a game-changer for getting extra protein in!

ground cinnamon & ground nutmeg — for that classic flavor for carrot cake!

raisins — you can use regular raisins or golden raisins.

shredded unsweetened coconut — if you’re not a fan of coconut, then you can skip this. Coconut is a popular add-in for carrot cake but it’s not always a fan favorite.

chopped pecans or walnuts — you can use pecans or walnuts. If you want to add even more flavor, you can toast the pecans or walnuts beforehand. Make sure to let them cool before using.

How to Make Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

Set of two photos showing rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder, maple syrup, carrots, greek yogurt, salt, vanilla extract, and milk added to a bowl.

Set of two photo showing ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, raisins, and unsweetened coconut added in a bowl and mixed.

Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, protein powder, maple syrup, carrots, greek yogurt, salt, vanilla extract, milk, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, raisins, and unsweetened coconut in a bowl.
Mix until well combined. Cover and put the mixture into the fridge (or individual containers) for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Set of two photo showing the overnight oats in a bowl after setting overnight then portioned into a jar topped with greek yogurt, chopped pecans, and a dusting of cinnamon.

When ready to enjoy, top with more chopped pecans or walnuts, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, raisins, etc, and enjoy! I love adding some extra toppings but if you’re in a rush, you can skip it.

Jars of carrot cake overnight oats topped with Greek yogurt and chopped pecans.

Recipe Tips and Notes

For an on-to-go meal, mason jars are great. 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars are great if you plan on adding toppings, so you don’t spill anything. I also LOVE a good weck jar.
You can use a bit of kefir in place of the milk for some extra probiotics.
Make sure to stir the overnight oats well, as chia seeds can clump up. You can give it a second stir after the overnight oats sit in the fridge for a while.
If you prefer a thinner consistency to your overnight oats, add more milk.
For an even more creamy and dessert-like bite, you can top the carrot cake overnight oats with cream cheese frosting!
Want more dessert-like oatmeal recipes? Try my cheesecake overnight oats recipe, s’mores overnight oats recipe, or nutella overnight oats recipe.

Three jars of carrot cake overnight oats with one pulled in front.

Make Ahead Tips

Store the carrot cake overnight oats in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge without any toppings.
Only add toppings when ready to enjoy!

What are overnight oats?

Overnight oats are a no-cook method of preparing oatmeal! It’s made by soaking rolled oats in some liquid, such as milk, overnight, so they become soft and digestible.

Are overnight oats healthy?

I would consider this protein overnight oats recipe to be healthy as the ingredients are rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. They also contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals!

Can you use steel-cut oats for overnight oats?

While you can use steel-cut oats, keep in mind that steel-cut oats will need to be soaked longer, and the texture will be dense and chewy in comparison. This overnight oats recipe, in particular, uses rolled oats, so I recommend following the recipe if this is your first time making overnight oats.