Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

These EASY Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars make a quick on-the-go breakfast or snack option that are dairy-free with zero refined sugar and drizzled with a delicious cream cheese frosting! 

Who says you can’t eat cake for breakfast?!

I am all about breakfast (or snacks) that I can easily grab on-the-go which is why these carrot cake bars are EVERYTHING you didn’t even know you needed.  They are the perfect combination of chewy yet moist and the cream cheese topping is literally the icing on the cake   See what I did there.

These bars are also lightly sweetened with maple syrup and vanilla along with my favorite spices cinnamon and nutmeg.  No need for any added sugar!  Plus if you love oatmeal for breakfast then this is the perfect recipe for you!

Having “cake” for breakfast probably doesn’t seem like the healthiest choice, but I’m hoping this recipe changes your mind!  These oatmeal bars are made with ingredients like rolled oats (the old fashioned kind!), shredded carrot, coconut oil, pure maple syrup as a sweetener, along with Silk Protein Nutmilk!  I always try to add extra protein to my breakfasts because it’s such a great way to start my day which is why I love Silk’s plant-based Protein Nutmilk.  Not only are there 10 grams of protein in every serving, but this nut milk is extra creamy making it the perfect addition for these carrot cake bars!

Silk Protein Nutmilk is made from a delicious blend of almond and cashew milk with a great source of plant-based protein from 100% peas.  It’s also dairy-free, lactose-free, gluten-free and soy-free with zero saturated fat and 80% less sugar than dairy milk so you know you can feel good about this product!  For this particular recipe I used the creamy vanilla flavor, but this nut milk would also taste delicious over cereal, in smoothies, or even on its own in a glass!

I also highly recommend using delicious Silk Protein Nutmilk as a dairy-free coffee creamer because of how thick and creamy it is!  Trust me you’ll thank me later on this one.

Making these bars are actually really simple to throw together and take about 35 to 40 minutes in the oven.  I like to make them on Sundays when I have time to spend baking and always enjoy one fresh out of the oven before saving the others for the rest of the week!  The other great thing about these bars are that they taste great after being stored in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for a few days, but I do prefer warming them up just a bit in the microwave – just my personal preference!

I also highly suggest adding in your favorite nuts to these too if you like a good crunch!  I mean chopped pecans or walnuts would taste amazing….just saying

If you haven’t noticed on my blog already, I’m pretty much in love with cream cheese frosting as seen here, here and here.  It’s just so easy to whip up and tastes AMAZING on any and all cakes, bars, desserts, bagels, I mean you name it!  A little drizzle of this cream cheese frosting was just the right amount to add to these carrot cake bars, but feel free to go crazy and spread frosting all over the top if you want to enjoy these as a dessert!

Don’t worry I’m not judging.

As I said before, these carrot cake oatmeal bars are soft and chewy with a delicious outer crunch that make these one of my new favorite snacks.  You can make these with your kids or the next time you have people over, either way they are bound to be gobbled up in no time!  I personally enjoy them for breakfast, but these bars make great after school treats or a quick snack in the middle of the work day.  I mean this recipe is literally for everyone!

Thank you Silk for sponsoring this post and make sure to register for Silk’s email list to receive a FREE coupon!

Carrot Cake Breakfast Bars

 

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Serves: 16 Servings

Ingredients

• 2½ cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Silk Protein Nutmilk (or milk of choice)
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ½ cup grated carrots

For the Frosting:

• ½ cup (4 oz) ? less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and stir until well-combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined then fold in the shredded carrots.
5. Pour oat mixture into a prepared 8x8-inch baking dish and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let the carrot cake bars sit for 5 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
7. While the bars are cooling, mix together cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla and whip until smooth. Feel free to add a teaspoon of milk if you like a creamier frosting!
8. Slice the bars into 16 pieces and drizzle the cream cheese frosting over top, enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 bar • Calories: 125 • Fat: 5.9 g • Saturated Fat: 3.7 g • Carbs: 16.2 g • Fiber: 1.8 g • Protein: 3.3 g • Sugar: 4.9 g • WW Freestyle Points: 4

3.5.3218

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

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