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Healthy Carrot Zucchini Oatmeal Snack Cake – moist, tender & only 97 calories! This easy recipe is perfect for meal prepping breakfasts & snacks! It’s always a huge hit at my house. Even my picky eaters love this! ♡ low calorie clean eating carrot zucchini oatmeal snack cake. greek yogurt carrot zucchini snack cake with gluten free and whole wheat options. simple homemade diy snack cake recipe.

Healthy Carrot Zucchini Oatmeal Snack Cake

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 16 square slices
This snack cake is really moist and tender, and it’s full of sweet vegetables, cozy spices, and hearty oats. Such an irresistible combination! It’s great for meal prepping for breakfasts or quick grab-and-go snacks. Leftovers will keep for at least five days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and the individual slices also freeze well!
4.67 from 3 votes
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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
  • ¾ cup (79g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first!)
  • ¾ cup (68g) freshly grated zucchini, thoroughly patted dry (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 and zucchini.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 32-36 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: 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.
 
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This cake has the sweetness level of breakfast scones or muffins. It's not as sweet as a true "dessert" cake! For a slightly sweeter flavor, increase the maple syrup by an additional 2 tablespoons (½ cup total), and decrease the milk by 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons instead).
 
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or one-minute oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find them in canisters right next to the old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (You’ll also use instant oats in all of these cookie recipes of mine, too!)
 
To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
 
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
 
EGG WHITES NOTE: You must use both egg whites; their protein helps prevent the cake from collapsing while cooling. If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs, and reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
 
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Do not substitute sugar free maple syrup! If you do, your cake will collapse while cooling and turn out overly dense.
 
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
 
CARROTS NOTE: 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!
 
ZUCCHINI NOTE: Measure the zucchini before patting it dry. You must pat it dry to remove the excess moisture because that excess moisture will cause the muffins to collapse while cooling. To pat the zucchini dry, lay a double-thick layer of paper towels onto a cutting board, and arrange the freshly shredded zucchini on top. Place another double-thick layer of paper towels on the zucchini, and firmly press down until the top towel turns completely wet. Repeat with a second double-thick layer of paper towels on top.
 
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten free instant oats (like these). 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 (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
 
{gluten free, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.