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 this healthy snack cake is just 100 calories—and it’s totally acceptable to eat for breakfast, too!
That’s the best kind of carrot cake, don’t you think??
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 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! 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 snack cake!
| Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake | | Print |
- 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!)
- 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.
For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture—especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cake batter.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots. They’re thicker and drier, and they don’t soften properly while baking. I promise it’s worth the extra effort of grating your own! (And if your food processor has a grater attachment, that makes it even easier!)
For a sweeter flavor, increase the maple syrup by an additional 2 tablespoons (½ cup total), and decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons instead).
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}
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
I tried the recipe as is and it is delicious! But I was also missing some of the traditional bites in carrot cake.
Will this recipe still work if I ate walnuts and raisins? Would I need to add more liquid?
*sorry typo, if I ADD carrots and raisins
I’m so glad you enjoyed this snack cake Jennifer! I actually don’t like nuts in my carrot cake, which is why this recipe doesn’t include any. 😉 You’re welcome to add in both walnuts and raisins, if you prefer! I recommend hydrating the raisins first though. To do so, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and cover them with water. Place a lid or piece of plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 1 minute. If you do this at the very beginning of the recipe, before you’ve measured or mixed together any of the other ingredients, and let them sit until you’re ready to fold them in at the end of Step 2, then they’ll be really plump and juicy! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of that little modification!
Hi Amy,
Quick query re the eggs – do you use the egg yolks out for a technical or nutritional reason?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sophie! I omit them more for nutritional reasons. Some of my family members have high cholesterol, so by omitting the egg yolks, they’re able to enjoy more of my recipes. If you’d like to use 2 whole eggs in this particular recipe, that’s fine! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try this snack cake!
hi!
this looks so good, can’t wait to try it!
i have a question though…
i want this cake lactose-free, what can i substitute the yogurt and milk for? do you think more coconut cream will do the trick?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Nuphar! I’ve actually covered whether it’s possible to substitute other milk in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 Then dairy-free yogurt (ie coconut-based, almond-based, soy-based, etc) is the best substitute for the Greek yogurt. I’d love to hear what you think if you try making this snack cake!
turned out great!
i made some adjustments: flour> used spelt flour, and yogurt> used coconut cream.
the flavour is amazing, the nutmeg adds so much!
turned out quite dry though, i guess it’s the spelt… might need to add some more liquid next time.
thank you 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this snack cake Nuphar! I’m happy to help you solve that dryness issue. 🙂 How much coconut cream did you use in place of the Greek yogurt? How did you measure the spelt flour and oats? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure?
Can I use hung curd instead of the Greek yoghurt ?. I live in a town-ish area and can’t fancy dancy baking products here. But I really wanted to make this cake. I have everything except the Greek yoghurt. I hope you’ll help me out. 🙂
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Ebersy! Although I have no experience with hung curd, I did a little research on it. It appears that hung curd is typically yogurt that’s been drained of most of its water; is that correct? If so, then I think it should work in this recipe! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this snack cake!
Can I add drained crushed pineapple to this recipe? Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Terri! If you drain the crushed pineapple really well and pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the batter, I think it should work. Too much moisture will make your snack cake collapse, but I think if you drain and dry ¼ cup of crushed pineapple, it should be fine! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this snack cake if you try making it!