We believe there’s a special kind of joy in a slice of homemade carrot cake. It’s the perfect harmony of sweet, spicy, and moist cake, finished with a luscious layer of cream cheese icing. But what if we could capture that classic comfort in a more wholesome form? Allow us to introduce our definitive Oatmeal Carrot Cake Recipe. We’ve thoughtfully replaced conventional flour with hearty oats and swapped refined sugar for natural alternatives. The result is a cake that’s not only incredibly tasty but also wonderfully nourishing. This is more than just a recipe; it’s a fresh take on a beloved classic, celebrating simple, good-for-you ingredients. Prepare to rediscover your love for carrot cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s incredibly moist and bursting with flavour. Infused with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and sweetened naturally with maple syrup, each bite is a true pleasure.
• This recipe is delightfully easy to follow. The batter is mixed in one main bowl, and there’s no need for any complicated equipment—just a blender to create your own oat flour.
• It’s a healthier way to indulge. As a flourless and refined sugar free bake, this cake is packed with fibre from the oatmeal and goodness from the carrots, making it a treat you can feel wonderful about enjoying.
• It’s wonderfully versatile and easy to adapt. Feel free to add a handful of walnuts for a satisfying crunch, some sultanas for a chewy burst of sweetness, or a little orange zest to elevate the flavours. This is your cake to customise!

Ingredients

To bake this wonderfully wholesome cake, we’ll be using a selection of simple, nourishing ingredients. The true hero is the oatmeal, which we’ll magically turn into a light, fine flour. Here is everything you will need to get started.

For the Carrot Cake:

• 250g rolled oats (ensure they are certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 180ml pure maple syrup
• 120ml melted coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 300g carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 3 medium carrots)
• 100g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (optional)
• 75g sultanas or raisins (optional)

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

• 250g full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 120g thick Greek yoghurt
• 60ml pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

We have created this recipe to be as simple and enjoyable as possible. By following these easy steps, you’ll soon have a perfect oatmeal carrot cake cooling on your worktop. Our top tip? Be gentle when combining the wet and dry ingredients to avoid over-mixing!

1. To begin, let’s get the oven and your tin ready. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Then, grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Now, it’s time to make the oat flour. Tip the rolled oats into a high-powered blender or a food processor. Blitz on high for around 30-60 seconds, until you achieve a fine, floury texture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together your freshly made oat flour, the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mixing these dry ingredients first helps to ensure everything is distributed evenly.
4. Using a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs until they become light and airy. Next, pour in the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and continue to whisk until thoroughly combined.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together until it is just incorporated. A few little lumps in the batter are perfectly okay, so don’t be tempted to over-mix.
6. It’s time for the best part of any carrot cake! Carefully fold in the finely grated carrots, followed by the chopped walnuts and sultanas if you have chosen to include them. The batter will be lovely and thick.
7. Spoon the batter into your prepared tin, using the back of your spatula to level the surface. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it’s a beautiful golden brown, feels firm, and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool in its tin for approximately 15 minutes. Afterwards, gently turn it out onto a wire rack to cool down completely. It is essential that the cake is entirely cool before you add the icing, or it will simply melt away.
9. While your cake is cooling, you can prepare the yummy cream cheese icing. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer (or a whisk and a bit of effort) to beat the softened cream cheese until it’s smooth. Add the Greek yoghurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, and beat again until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
10. Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the icing evenly and generously over the top. You can make pretty swirls with a spatula or the back of a spoon. For a final flourish, you could sprinkle over a few more chopped walnuts. Your beautiful cake is now ready to slice and enjoy!

Tips for Success

We’re keen for your oatmeal carrot cake to be an absolute triumph. Here are a few extra pointers we’ve picked up:

• Grate Your Own Carrots: For the best texture, grate your own carrots. While shop-bought pre-grated carrots are handy, they can be a bit dry. Freshly grating your own will add essential moisture, resulting in a much more tender cake.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: To get that perfectly smooth, lump-free consistency for the icing, your cream cheese should be properly softened. It helps it blend seamlessly with the other ingredients. The same principle applies to the eggs for the cake.
• Don’t Over-Bake: Be sure to check on it near the end of the cooking time. An over-baked cake can become dry, and our goal here is a deliciously moist result. The skewer test is the most reliable way to check for doneness.

If you’re in the mood for another comforting and wholesome bake, our Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies are always a favourite and are made with a similar oat-based method. For those with a taste for something truly indulgent, you simply have to try our incredible Peach Crumb Cheesecake.

Frequently Asked Questions

And that’s our guide to a truly wonderful Oatmeal Carrot Cake, which shows that healthier baking can be just as delicious and satisfying as traditional recipes. We adore this recipe for its simplicity, nourishing ingredients, and above all, its fabulous taste and texture. It is the ideal cake to enjoy with an afternoon cup of tea, for a special celebration, or any time you crave a little homemade treat. For another delightful dessert idea that’s sure to be a hit, why not have a look at our recipe for Biscoff Truffles?

We are so pleased to share this recipe with you and hope you’ll give it a try. If you do, we would love to hear how it went! It always makes our day to see what you’ve been baking, so please feel free to leave us a comment or tag us on social media. Happy baking, everyone!

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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• For the Cake:
• 250g rolled oats (ensure certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 180ml pure maple syrup
• 120ml melted coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 300g carrots, peeled and finely grated
• 100g walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
• 75g sultanas or raisins (optional)
• For the Icing:
• 250g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 120g thick Greek yoghurt
• 60ml pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. To begin, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Make the oat flour by placing the rolled oats into a high-powered blender. Blitz on high for 30-60 seconds, until you have a fine, floury texture.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together your oat flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt to distribute them evenly.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs until light and airy. Then, whisk in the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently fold them together with a spatula until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
6. Carefully fold in the finely grated carrots, followed by the chopped walnuts and sultanas if using. The batter will be quite thick.
7. Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake must be fully cool before icing.
9. To make the icing, beat the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the Greek yoghurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
10. Once the cake is completely cool, spread the icing generously over the top. Decorate with extra chopped walnuts if desired, then slice and serve.

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