Carrot Cake Oats | Instant Pot recipe
Instant Pot Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oats are a creamy, healthy breakfast made with fresh carrots, chia seeds, and whole grain oats topped with pecans, and soft, sweet raisins. It’s a kid-approved morning meal that tastes like dessert.
We’ve been making this carrot cake oatmeal recipe for spring breakfasts for years. It’s a favorite during the spring, especially for Easter breakfast.
This is one of our favorite Instant Pot breakfast recipes, especially for spring. If you love making easy, creamy porridges in your pressure cooker, be sure to try our classic Creamy Instant Pot Oatmeal, Breakfast Farro, and Instant Pot Apple Cherry Breakfast Risotto.
Update: We updated this post and recipe with new tips and photos to help you make the best carrot cake-flavored breakfast you’ve ever had!
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need for one-pot carrot cake oats:
- Butter. We use unsalted to better control the seasoning in the oats.
- Steel-cut oats. These are different from quick-cooking and old-fashioned oats, so check the label at the store.
- Carrots. You can freshly grate your carrots or buy pre-grated.
- Maple syrup. This is essential for a rich, caramel-like sweetness.
- Spices. We get the warming carrot cake flavors from cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Raisins. Dried fruit is a nice mix-in for oats to add pops of plump, juicy sweetness, but it’s totally optional if you’re not a fan.
- Chia seeds. These high-fiber little seeds help add a creamy, thick texture to your Instant Pot oats.
Tip: You can pulse the chia seeds in a coffee grinder to break them up if you don’t love the texture of the chia seeds.
How to Make Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oats in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
The first step is to toast your steel-cut oats in butter. Use the Sauté function to melt the butter, then add the oats and toast for about 3 minutes, until they’re fragrant. Next, add the water, carrots, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the pot and give everything a good stir.
Now you’re ready to pressure cook. Add the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When the cook time ends, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes then release any remaining pressure with a quick release.
Remove the lid and stir in the raisins and chia seeds. Place the cover back on the pressure cooking pot and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to help the oats thicken up and to hydrate the raisins.
Serve your carrot cake oats topped with more raisins, maple syrup, chopped nuts, and a splash of milk.
Important Tips
- Raisin haters don’t have to add the raisins. But if you’re skipping them, you’ll want to decrease the water by at least ½ cup.
- We love the raisins mixed in, but if they’re polarizing for your crowd, you can let everyone add their own raisins on top.
- For a creamier texture, you can replace half of the water with milk. Just be sure and use a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.
- Chia seeds help the oats thicken up and become super creamy, but if you don’t have them, you can make the recipe without them.
- You can use honey or another sweetener if you don’t have maple syrup.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Carrot Cake Oats
My favorite carrot cake of all time is a tropical carrot cake, so grated coconut would be a great addition too! We like chopped pecans on top, but walnuts or hazelnuts are also delicious.
Instead of raisins, you can use another dried fruit, such as dried cherries or dried pineapple.
When I have it on hand, I like to swirl in a dollop of cream cheese to get some of that tang
You can store cooled cooked Instant Pot oats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat leftovers with a splash of milk, as the oats will absorb the liquid as they cool.
You can reheat these carrot cake oats using the Sauté function on your Instant Pot, just be sure to stir them constantly and add enough water or milk to soften them up and prevent burning.
The stovetop and microwave also work well, the key is just to keep stirring the oats regularly as they heat.
You can freeze this oatmeal for up to six months. We like to freeze it in individual servings so we can quickly defrost one for a last-minute healthy breakfast.
More Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes
Here are our other favorite breakfast dishes to make in an Instant Pot / pressure cooker:
- Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro is a delicious porridge made with chewy farro, bright fresh lemon, and dried fruit.
- Breakfast Quinoa is a family favorite breakfast that comes together in minutes and can be topped with your favorite fresh fruit, cream, and sweeteners.
- Crustless Meat Lovers Quiche is a fully loaded egg dish with sausage, bacon and cheese
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 4 cups water*
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Add butter to pressure cooking pot, select Sauté. When the butter is melted add the steel cut oats. Toast, stirring frequently, until they smell nutty, about 3 minutes.
- Add the water, carrots, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Select High Pressure and 10 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Stir the oats well, then add the raisins and chia seeds. Cover and let sit for 5–10 minutes until oats reach your desired thickness.
- Top with additional raisins, maple syrup, chopped nuts, and milk.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sounds so delicious. Do you have instructions to prepare it using a crockpot?
Thank you.
Hi Christine – we haven’t tried it in the crockpot, but generally steel cut oats cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight) or on high for 4 hours. Let me know if you try it in the crockpot.
since it’s just me, i want to decrease the recipe for one person.. how long will it keep if i don’t finish it all at once?
Hi Karen – it’s keeps well in the refrigeratore for five days or in the freezer for 3 months. Enjoy!
I got the burn message and when opened the bottom of my pot had oats stuck to it. How can I prevent this next time? Smells good though!
Hi Gina – what size pressure cooker did you use? Did you use regular steel cut oats or the quick cooking steel cuts oats from Costco perhaps?
I have a 6 QT Instant Pot and I do have the quick cooking steel cut oats Quaker brand. I appreciate your help 🙏
Happy to help 🙂 For quicking cooking steel cut oats, I would try reducing the water to 3 cups and cook on high for 2 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. You may want to layer the carrots on top of the oats and don’t stir them in, that should help avoid the burn notice as well.
I always make steel cut oats in my crock pot with half unsweetened vanilla almond milk and half water. Have you tried making it in the IP with half milk instead of all water? I haven’t made any SC oats in my IP and want to make a double batch of your recipe, but don’t want to ruin it. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer – yes, you can use half milk and half water in the pressure cooker. Just be sure and use a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!
If I want to start this and then go out for my morning walk how to I adjust to keep warm until I am ready to eat it?
Hi Sandy – you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments. I think there’s plenty of liquid to keep on warm until you return from your morning walk.
Real maple syrup or the stuff we put on pancakes?
Hi Rose – real maple syrup 🙂
I made this for breakfast this morning. My girls and I LOVED it! Thanks for the great recipe! They added toasted coconut and toasted almonds to theirs and gobbled it right up.
Thanks Mary! Sounds like delicious additions.
Enjoying this right now! It is delicious! I will try using less water next time as it was very soupy–but I did use old-fashioned rolled oats and not steel-cut. Throwing chopped walnuts on top makes this taste and feel very carrot-cakey!
Thanks Sue! I haven’t tried old fashioned rolled oats yet in the pressure cooker. Glad to know it works with rolled oats, just need less water.
I just made this except also used whole rolled oats. Reduced water to 2 1/2 cups and it was perfect! Topped with walnuts for some crunch and the kids and I scarfed it all down. I was worried it would be too sweet but when done I thought it could have been just a touch sweeter. Maybe a drizzle of maple syrup or a sprinkle of brown sugar over the top would be good. Thanks for the recipe!
I like the sound of the recipes but 3 tablespoons
of maple syrup? I will try 1 tablespoon as I have lost my sweet tooth !
Hi Margaret – definitely adjust the recipe for your tastes. However, 3 tablespoons for 6 servings isn’t overly sweet when cooking something as bland as oatmeal.
What if you don’t have Chia seeds? Can I substitute something else?
The chia seeds add additional fiber and protein, but if you don’t have them, I would just omit them.
Popping back in to say I made this the other day and it’s delicious! The oatmeal was still a little chewier than what we like when I checked it after the quick release so all I did was select “sauté” and let it cook a little more-perfect! I stirred in 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. caramel extract after it finished cooking and knowing Bob loves raisins, used a heaping 3/4 cup. He just finished some and said “definitely make this again-it’s fantastic.”
I sure will! Thanks for the winning recipe, Barbara. 🙂
Thanks so much Carol! I was thinking just the other day that I should make this again soon. I’m glad you and Bob enjoyed it. You can’t go wrong with extra raisins in my book.
You say carrot cake, and I start licking my lips! This looks amazing! Pinning!
I am loving the idea of a carrot cake flavoured oatmeal.. never tried something like it before!
I recently enjoyed a carrot cake oatmeal bake that was brought to a local food blog brunch. It was so (unexpectedly) good. So much so, that I’ve been craving it ever since! Your recipe looks delish!
Another reason to buy a pressure cooker! This is one of the most tempting oatmeal recipes I’ve seen!
I love carrot cake so I know I’m going to enjoy this. I found a big bag of steel cut oats in the cabinet when I was looking for something else so for me, your timing couldn’t be better with this recipe. I love the idea of freezing the individual portions too.
Thank you Barbara-have a wonderful Easter.
Barbara: this recipe looks GREAT!
My question is: can one substitute 3 TBLS of honey in lieu of the maple syrup? Has anyone tried that?
Thanks Terry! I think any type of sweetener you wanted to use would be great. You could even reduce the amount of sugar/syrup/honey in the recipe.