I made my first carrot cake from scratch during my senior year of high school for our Easter lunch. After looking through my familyās cookbook collection and comparing each of the recipes inside, I finally settled on the one from my personal favorite cookbook.
I carefully measured flour and spices, creamed butter and sugar, and gently folded freshly grated carrots into the batter. After spreading it into the large sheet pan (and licking the beaters for a taste test!), I popped it into the oven and set a timer.
Later, once the cake had fully cooled, I beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar, along with a bit of vanilla, until I had a bowl of sweet and creamy frosting. I spread it on top of the sheet cake, then stepped back to look at my handiwork. My whole family admired the cakeā¦ And nearly considered skipping the honey-baked ham and side dishes!
With just six of us at our Easter dinner ā the four of us, plus Momās cousin and her significant other ā we ended up with plenty of leftover cake. With school out for Spring Break, my brother and I wandered into the kitchen multiple times over the next day to carve off a small slice for a snackā¦ So the sheet pan was completely empty in less than two days!
But because traditional carrot cake recipes don’t exactly make for the healthiest snacksā¦ I planned ahead this year and created this delicious recipe for a Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake!
It has the same flavors as regular carrot cakes, like lots of cozy spices and sweet carrots, along with plenty of hearty oats, and it’s really easy to make. Yet a slice of this healthy snack cake is 100 calories ā and itās totally acceptable to eat for breakfast, too!
That’s the best kind of carrot cake, don’t you think??
HOW TO MAKE A HEALTHY CARROT CAKE OATMEAL SNACK CAKE
Let’s quickly talk about how to make this healthy carrot cake oatmeal snack cake!
To start, you’ll need whole wheat flour (or gluten-free, if you prefer!) and instant oats (like thisā¦ or this for a gluten-free version!) Instant oats are also called āquick-cookingā or āone-minuteā oats, and you can find them right next to the old-fashioned oats at the grocery store.
It’s extremely important that you measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (ā That’s the kitchen scale I own and love!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out your cake batter, especially the oats. They act like little sponges and soak up as much moisture as they can!
My favorite part of carrot cake isn’t actually the carrotsā¦ And it’s definitely not the frosting! (I’m actually not a big frosting fan in general, surprisingly enough!) Instead, my favorite part is the spices! You’ll need cinnamon (Iām currently obsessed with this one!) and nutmeg. The nutmeg makes a big difference and creates an added depth and richness, so please don’t skip it!
Unlike traditional recipes, this healthy carrot snack cake only requires a mere Ā½ tablespoon of butter or oil. Yes, that’s it! Greek yogurt provides the rest of the incredibly tender texture. It adds the same moisture to your batter as extra butter or oil, and it gives your healthy snack cake a big protein boost, too!
You’ll also skip the refined sugar and sweeten your easy snack cake with pure maple syrup (like this!). Skip the pancake syrup or sugar-free syrup! Those behave differently in baking recipes and will change the texture of your cake. You want the kind that comes directly from maple trees. It has the best flavor and creates the best texture!
And now it’s time to fold in the carrots! Make sure you use freshly grated carrots, not the store-bought pre-shredded ones. The latter are thicker and tougher, and they don’t soften enough while baking. I promise it’s worth the extra effort of grating your own!
Morning snackā¦ Afternoon snackā¦ Bedtime snackā¦ Maybe even breakfastā¦ I may or may not have eaten this healthy snack cake for all of the above! š And when I shared some with my dad, he gave it two thumbs up ā truly high praise! ā”
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees Iāll see your picture! š ) Iād love to see your healthy carrot cake oatmeal snack snack cake!
Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1 Ā½ cups (150g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten free, if necessary)
- 1 Ā¼ cups (150g) whole wheat or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 Ā½ tsp baking powder
- Ā½ tsp baking soda
- 2 Ā½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Ā¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- Ā¼ tsp salt
- Ā½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Ā¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
- Ā½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first ā and see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F, and coat a 9ā-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Add in Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the oat mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the oat mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the oat mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently stir in the carrots.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350Ā°F for 24-28 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipesā¦
ā” The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
ā” Healthy Carrot Cake Granola Bar Bites
ā” Healthy Banana Oatmeal Snack Cake
ā” Healthy Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
ā” Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack Cake
ā” Healthy Carrot Cake Bran Muffins
ā” Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Snack Cake
ā” Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
ā” Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
ā” ā¦and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal snack cake recipes!
hi!
can I substitute the gluten free flour for almond flour?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Diana! I typically don’t recommend substituting pure almond flour in recipes that rise, such as muffins, scones, cupcakes, and cakes (like this snack cake!). This is because almond flour lacks gluten, and gluten is a protein that helps these baked goods rise and maintain their shape while cooling. Without it, your snack cake will likely turn out denser and may collapse some while cooling. But as long as you don’t mind this texture difference, the flavors should remain the same! š I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making this recipe!
Hey Amz.
I can’t find baking soda anywhere, I have self rising flour instead. Also I was wondering for the other carrot cake can I substitute Greek yogurt with plain yogurt?
I’m so honored that you want to try my recipes! Which carrot cake recipe of mine did you want to substitute plain yogurt for Greek yogurt? (I have 30+ different carrot cake recipes, so I want to make sure I give you the best advice possible!)
I typically don’t recommend using self-rising flour in my recipes (other readers have tried and the results haven’t been great!). This is because certain recipes require more leavening agents (baking powder and/or baking soda), while some require less, and you can’t control the amount if you use self-rising flours because they contain have a predetermined amount of leavening agents. Does that make sense?
However, if it’s impossible for you to find regular (non-self-rising) flour, then it’s probably worth a shot! If you have any baking soda at home, then I’d still recommend using 1 teaspoon of baking powder and Ā½ teaspoon of baking soda for this snack cake. If you don’t have any baking soda but you do have baking powder, then use 1 Ā½ teaspoons of baking powder in addition to your self-rising flour.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this snack cake! š
This looks divine for outdoor trips instead of sugar laden protein bars! Can I use the whole egg? Why just the whites?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sara! Some of my family members have high cholesterol and have been told by doctors to avoid egg yolks, so I try to use just the whites whenever I can so they can enjoy my baked goods too. š If you’d prefer to use 2 whole eggs in this recipe, then decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume. I’d love to hear what you think of this snack cake if you try making it!
Hi thanks for your oats carrot cake recepie. I see you have substituted refined sugar with maple syrup. Is there a way to substitute eggs too? What would you suggest I substitute eggs in the recepie with?
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe! My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 Ā½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and youāll need an additional Ā½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if youāre vegan!} for each egg yolk, although that doesn’t apply to this particular recipe!). š I canāt wait to hear what you think of this snack cake if you try making it!
I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your recipes! I have been having to watch my sugar intake because of medication I take for a condition I have. I have loved having something a little sweet, without having to worry about it affecting the meds and/or my health. I have tried several of your recipes and love them and look forward to seeing them in my inbox! Thank you!
Do you have any recipes that use egg white protein powder?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipes, Carolyn! I don’t currently have any that use egg white protein powder, but I’m happy to add that to my list of reader requests. š In the meantime, if it’s helpful at all, you can find all of my recipes that use other protein powders here ā and all of my higher protein recipes here!
Will using full fat Greek yogurt make any difference other than the ‘healthiness’ of it?
Sounds and looks yummy!
Thank You,
Becky
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Becky! It is totally fine to use full fat Greek yogurt in this recipe! We’d love to hear what you think about this snack cake! š