Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

This oatmeal breakfast cake is loaded with nutrient-dense ingredients, making it the perfect pick for a satisfying, delicious morning meal!

What is a breakfast cake?

Just as it sounds, a breakfast cake is a cake that you eat for (you guessed it!)…breakfast! Breakfast cakes are usually packed with nutrient-dense foods and a little bit less of the refined sugar that’s included in the typical cake, making them a balanced breakfast option.

This oatmeal breakfast cake was developed by Lindsay Bare with a LOT of love. Lindsay tested this recipe out several times, making tweaks to it along the way. I (as an official taste tester) can say with confidence that this variation is absolute perfection (especially when topped with coconut whipped cream). We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Is breakfast cake healthy?

While this breakfast cake is well balanced and made with wholesome ingredients, it’s important to know that “healthy” varies from person to person. Because of that, it’s a good idea to check the ingredient list before you dive into this cake. If you’re able to tolerate all of the included ingredients, I think it’s a great option for you!

Oatmeal Breakfast Cake Ingredients

For the Cake

• 2 cups of old-fashioned oats
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup of creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup of melted coconut oil
• ¼ cup of honey
• ½ cup of light brown sugar
• ½ cup of applesauce
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ⅓ cup of pistachios
• ⅓ cup of walnuts
• ½ cup of cranberries
• ⅓ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of white sesame seeds
• Toasted coconut flakes, for serving

For the Coconut Whipped Cream Frosting

• 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk (refrigerated so that the cream solidifies)
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Ingredient Modifications & Substitutions

• Use a different dried fruit – feel free to substitute the dried cranberries for raisins, dried blueberries, or chopped dried apricots.
• Add chocolate chips – add some chocolate chips into the batter for a yummy, satisfying hint of sweetness.
• Use maple syrup – sub an equal amount of maple syrup for the honey.
• Use a different kind of nut – if you don’t have (or don’t like) pistachios or walnuts, no worries! Sub an equal amount of any combination of nuts that you do have.
• Use a different nut butter – feel free to swap the peanut butter for your favorite nut butter. Almond, sun butter, and cashew would all be delicious.

How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

1. Prep – preheat the oven to 350°F, and then line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a little bit of an overhang.
2. Break down the oats and nuts – place the oats, pistachios, and walnuts into a blender or food processor and pulse until they’re broken down (note: they do not have to be a fine powder – in fact, a little chunk gives more texture).
3. Combine the wet ingredients – in a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients, including the melted coconut oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla.
4. Combine the dry ingredients – in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, including the rolled oats, salt, baking soda, pistachios, walnuts, coconut, sesame seeds, and cranberries (add these to the blender pitcher or food processor bowl to save a dish).
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients – transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
6. Bake – bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F.
7. Make the coconut whipped cream – scoop the cream from the top of the cans of coconut milk, leaving the water behind, and place the cream in a mixing bowl. Add the honey and vanilla extract, and using either a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix on high speed until the cream is smooth, forms soft peaks, and is slightly increased in volume. Find all of our tips and tricks for perfect coconut whipped cream HERE.
8. Let cool – let the oatmeal cake cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, and then remove it and place it on a cooling rack.
9. Frost, slice, and enjoy!

Oatmeal Breakfast Cake Recipe Tips

• Let the cake cool completely before cutting into it – this will keep the cake from becoming too crumbly!
• Don’t pulse the nuts and oats into a fine powder. Some variance in the grind of the nuts and oats will add to the texture of the cake!

How to Store

Store your breakfast cake in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3 days.

How to Freeze

To freeze your cake, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe container. Stored this way, they’ll be good for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply pull a slice and let it sit out at room temperature for an hour or two or in the fridge overnight.

Frequently Asked Questions