Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with Orange

The softer side of carrot cake

This baked dish brings the flavor of carrot cake to a breakfast you eat with a spoon. Oats form the base, but the carrot does more than add color: the fine shreds distribute throughout the mixture and keep it moist as it bakes. Use a fine grater so you don't end up with tough strands in the middle. Orange zest releases fragrant citrus oils; cinnamon adds a warm, spicy note without overpowering the carrot.

The result should be firm enough to scoop, but not dry or cake-like. Oats absorb moisture as they bake. That's why the mixture is fairly liquid before baking, and the top only firms up toward the end. An egg helps bind everything together. Take the dish out of the oven as soon as the center has just set: a little softness beneath the crust makes this breakfast more enjoyable than overbaked oatmeal.

Carrots are available year-round and go well with the fresh flavor of orange, which is often plentiful in stores during the colder months. Grate only the colored part of the peel; the white layer underneath can taste bitter. A small baking dish keeps the mixture thick enough to stay soft. More moisture evaporates in a wider dish and the baking time may be shorter, so keep an eye on the firm top.

For a dairy-free version, replace the milk with unsweetened oat drink and the yogurt with a plant-based alternative. The flavor will be a little less creamy. You can replace the maple syrup with honey; it's best not to use a much larger amount, so the carrot and orange flavors remain distinct. If you don't have pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds also add a pleasant crunch. Toast the seeds briefly in a dry skillet and stay close by: small seeds brown quickly.

Serve the oatmeal warm with cold yogurt, adding the seeds at the last moment so they stay crunchy. You can add a few extra strands of orange zest, but they're not necessary. You can also bake the dish ahead and store it in the fridge; heat a portion thoroughly in the microwave or oven and add the yogurt and seeds just before serving. That way, the contrast between soft, cool, and crunchy stays intact.