Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

A fun twist on overnight oats, inspired by the classic carrot cake we all know and love

prep time 5-10 mins
total time overnight
serves 1

Using carrots in overnight oats may seem unusual to some, but trust me when I say it works! It’s not only delicious, but a great way to add an extra portion of your 5-a-day first thing in the morning, and include more micronutrients into your diet. The mixed spice and coconut come together with carrot to make this a really fun twist on overnight oats. Just like the cake, this is perfect with a cup of tea!

The basic ingredients for overnight oats are always the same for me:

• Oats

• Vanilla extract

• Chia seeds

• Cinnamon

• Non-dairy yoghurt (my fave is always coconut for sweetness)

• Non-dairy milk

• Maple syrup

• Sea salt

Added to the basic overnights recipe, to create that yummy carrot cake flavour you’ll need:

• Carrot

• Orange zest

• Apricots

• Dessicated coconut

• Mixed spice

Start by prepping your basic overnight oats recipe. You can leave out the yoghurt if you prefer, as it isn’t totally essential. For this variation, first grate your carrot, zest half an orange, and finely chop the apricots. Add these to the oats, and mix together thoroughly with mixed spice and dessicated coconut. Make sure to save a little zest, coconut, and apricot for toppings.

Top with the extra apricots, zest, and coconut and then place in the fridge overnight to set. This will allow the chia seeds and oats to combine to create a delicious pudding-like texture.

I love to drizzle over extra maple syrup in the morning for added sweetness!

Ingredients

BASIC OVERNIGHT OATS RECIPE:

• 50g rolled oats

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of sea salt

• 100ml non-dairy milk of choice

• 2 tbsp vegan yogurt

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1-2 tsp maple syrup

CARROT CAKE ADDITIONS:

• Zest of 1 orange

• Pinch of mixed spice

• ½-1 small carrot, grated

• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut

• ½ tbsp dried apricots

• (Optional) Walnuts for sprinkling

METHOD

1. Mix the basic overnight oat ingredients in a glass, or if storing, a storeable container such as a jar with a lid, or tupperware.

2. Next, add half the orange zest, half the coconut, the carrot and the mixed spice, and mix together.

3. Sprinkle the coconut, dried apricots, and the rest of the orange zest on top.

4. Set in the fridge overnight, or for at least 2-3 hours to set. Enjoy the next morning, perfect with an extra small drizzle of maple syrup on top!

notes

• You can store these overnight oats in the fridge for a few days, so this is perfect for meal prep. I would advise doing it at most 2-3 days in advance just to be safe! It is so easy to whip up that you can do this on the weekend and again mid-week if you like to eat overnight oats each morning.

• If you want to enjoy this recipe with some nuts, walnuts would be perfect to replicate the classic carrot cake dish.