I made my first carrot cake from scratch during my senior year of high school for our Easter lunch. After looking through my family’s 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 cake… And nearly considered skipping the honey-baked ham and side dishes!
With just six of us at our Easter dinner — the four of us, plus Mom’s cousin and her significant other — 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 snack… 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 snacks… 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 — and it’s 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 this… or this for a gluten-free version!) Instant oats are also called “quick-cooking” or “one-minute” 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. (← 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 carrots… 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 (I’m 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 ½ 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 snack… Afternoon snack… Bedtime snack… Maybe even breakfast… I may or may not have eaten this healthy snack cake for all of the above! 😉 And when I shared some with my dad, he gave it two thumbs up — truly high praise! ♡
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 I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy carrot cake oatmeal snack snack cake!
Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (150g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten free, if necessary)
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) whole wheat or gluten free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 2 cups (180g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first – and see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-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 350°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 recipes…
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Carrot Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Granola Bar Bites
♡ Healthy Banana Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Mini Muffins
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Bran Muffins
♡ Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Pancakes
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal snack cake recipes!
This is definitely the best kind of carrot cake! Love the use of Greek yogurt in the recipe.
Thank you so much Liz!! 🙂
Winter carrots and spices make this a perfect seasonal snack! Have you tried it with any other flours yet?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Manike! I’ve included the best flour alternatives in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss that section! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake!
Is there a non dairy substitute for the Greek yogurt?
Any non-dairy yogurt (ie soy- or almond-based) will work! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake Jan!
Hi Amy, is there any benefit in adding whole eggs rather than just the whites?
Some of my family members have high cholesterol, so I try to minimize the amount of cholesterol (especially from egg yolks!) in my recipes so they can enjoy them as well. If you prefer, you can add two whole eggs instead! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake Kate!
Hi Amy,
I hope this message finds you well. This snack cake is oh so yummy. I made this today for a lunch visit from my parents and nan. Now my nan is an amazing baker and she absolutely adored this. She couldn’t believe it was actually healthy for us as well. Thank you for helping me get a big thumbs up from my nan. It’s the biggest compliment I think you could ever have ? xx
I’m so glad you enjoyed this snack cake Natalie! I’m truly honored that your nan liked the cake too — that means SO much to me that she gave it a thumbs up too! You’re quite a talented baker! 🙂
Is there a calorie count or point value
Like weight watchers
Yes! Both the full Nutrition Information and Weight Watchers points are included directly beneath the recipe. They can be easy to miss! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake Iris!
Is it possible to make this vegan with substituting almond/coconut milk & yogurt, and the eggs for flax eggs?
Also: could the vanilla stevia drops be used in place of syrup?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Lisa! You can easily substitute non-dairy alternatives for the milk and yogurt. I don’t have much experience with flax eggs, but I know that Ener-G will work! My brother is allergic to eggs, and that’s our favorite egg substitute. It works perfectly in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! In my recipes, if you choose to use Ener-G, you’ll need 1½ teaspoons of Ener-G + 2 tablespoons of warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil for each egg yolk. If you’d like to substitute my favorite vanilla stevia (this one — just to confirm that’s the same product you have!), then you’ll need 1 teaspoon of the vanilla stevia + an additional 6 tablespoons of your preferred milk. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this snack cake!
I made this yesterday and it’s delicious and I had it for breakfast this morning. My 5 years old daughter loved it too. Yummy and very healthy, exactly what I want with food. Thanks for another great recipe.
I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed this snack cake Chi-Chi! That really means a lot to me. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you try next!
Hi , this recipe looks really nice . Do you have any recipe of an easy frosting to put on the top ? Thanks a lot , Julie
Yes, try this frosting recipe! In the future, the best way to find a specific recipe is to click on the “Recipes” tab at the top of my blog or use the Search Bar (located at the top of my blog, if you’re viewing on a computer, or the bottom of my blog, if you’re viewing on a mobile device). That will give you an answer much faster than waiting on a response from me! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this snack cake, Julie!
Is it possible to skip the greek yogurt and use more butter instead? Not sure how much butter would be required. Greek yogurt is expensive where I am
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Chloe! Is regular, non-Greek yogurt more affordable where you are? That’s the best substitute for Greek yogurt! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake!