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This Carrot cake granola is crunchy, clumpy and so intensely delicious! It has all the cozy spices that scream fall and will make you want to curl up with a warm sweater and a BIG bowl. Carrot cake is one of my personal faves and I make my carrot cake at least twice a year, it is always gobbled up in no time. It has this way of making you feel healthy while also indulging and I wanted to bring that to this granola. Carrot cake can be labour intensive. 2 layers of sponge, and buttercream frosting. You know, the works. But it doesn’t have to be. I have a baked carrot oats recipe that comes together in no time and still brings the carrot cake vibes and let me tell you this granola would be the perfect topping for it!
Bake time: This granola takes longer than my other granola recipes. The grated carrot adds moisture so feel free to tack on extra time (even longer than I’ve written). As long as your granola isn’t burning you are ok to bake it as long as you desire. As per usual, you must wait for it to cool completely before removing it from the pan. If you don’t, your granola won’t clump.
Set your oven to 320°F convection and line a large baking pan (or two) with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, flax, spices, and salt. Grate the carrot directly over the dry ingredients and stir everything together.
In a small pot, combine olive oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring until fully combined. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until no dry bits remain.
Spread the granola evenly onto two baking sheets and press it down well with a spatula to encourage clumping. Bake for 35-45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the granola is dry and golden brown. Let the granola cool completely on the baking sheets before breaking it into clusters and storing it.
Don’t touch until completely cooled off! As someone who LOVES granola as much as I do, I know that this is truly the hardest step when making granola t at home. You need to let your granola cool off completely – plug your nose for about thirty minutes and forget about it while it cools completely to room temperature. Once at room temperature use your spatula to lift the granola from under and break it ever so slightly – you will have clumps the size of your face if you do this! If you still have questions about how to master clumps – check out this blog here where I spill all the details!
Hot tip, anytime you add a dried fruit to granola, don’t forget to soak them in hot water for 15 minutes before adding them to the uncooked granola. It will prevent them from turning into little rocks. Some people have an aversion to raisins. Like a red hot aversion. Personally, I love them BUT I kept this granola free of them to appeal to all my raisin haters but if you want to add them in do it!
This homemade carrot cake granola will stay fresh for up to a month when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. I highly doubt it will last that long, though—this granola is addictive!
To keep your carrot cake granola crunchy, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze it for up to three months if you want to keep a batch on hand. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
This carrot cake granola is incredibly versatile! Serve it over yogurt, sprinkle it on smoothie bowls, or enjoy it with almond milk as a crunchy breakfast. It also makes a great topping for baked oats or even ice cream for a dessert twist!
If your granola isn’t crunchy, it likely needs more time in the oven or you should have baked it spread across two pans. Keep baking it at a lower temperature until it’s completely dry and golden.
Absolutely! You can add dried cranberries or raisins for extra flavour and texture. Just be sure to soak dried fruits in warm water before adding them to prevent them from drying out in the oven.
This healthy carrot cake granola is not only delicious, but it’s also packed with wholesome ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, and spices. It’s a perfect breakfast, snack, or even dessert, and it tastes just like classic carrot cake—without the fuss! The addition of grated carrot adds moisture and flavour, while the spices bring those cozy fall vibes we all love. I promise you will be snacking on this granola day and night!
Food Photographer and Recipe Developer based in Toronto, Canada.
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18 Responses
How much the carrots in cups or grams please ? Thanks
Hi there, the measurements in grams have been added to the recipe card – please use the toggle and note that all of these measurements are automatically calculated and you may need to adjust slightly. Thank you and enjoy!
What can be the replacement for peanut butter.
Hey Nazia, any other nut or seed butter, you could use tahini if you’d like I think it would pair nicely
What size baking sheets?
The bigger the better – if you don’t have a very large one go with two medium. You don’t want your mixture to be too thick but you do want there to be a layer so your clumps can form
What do you mean by 320 Convection?
Some ovens have a regular bake option and some ovens have a convection option. I like using convection for the granola because the fan in the convection creates more air in the oven. It dries out the granola more than regular! If you don’t have that option then just turn your oven to 325 degrees. I hope that helps 🙂
This looks amazing. What can be used in place of the oil please. Thank you.
Hi! I only use olive oil or sometimes coconut oil in my granolas. I am working on a granola using egg white instead of oil but can’t confirm ratios yet.
Made it today. Maybe I shouldn’t have mixed it halfway since it was in big pieces when I mixed it. However it is crunchy
And tastes great. Will have it with my yogurt. Going to try the breakfast cookies next
Hey Cherylene, definitely better to leave it unmixed and let it cool completely before you mix it because that’s when you’ll get the absolute best clumps! I am so happy that you enjoyed this 🙂
I made it last night and my whole house smelled AMAZING!!!!! It came out so good! I might have added too much clove. I’ll dial that back next time. I had done the recipe conversion to make a smaller batch, and the measurements got a little strange on my setting.
Hey Lucinda, thanks so much for this review – I am pleased to read that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I couldn’t help myself and squeezed the liquid from the grated carrot before adding it, so I wonder if you intentionally did not? The flavor of this was uniquely nutty, but I definitely didn’t taste the carrot. Really enjoy the unique flavor of this!
Hi Maureen! I love that you squeezed out the carrots—you’re right, it does change the texture a little. I usually don’t squeeze mine because I like the extra moisture, but it’s totally personal preference! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the flavor.
I made this carrot cake granola last week and it’s excellent — I’m really enjoying it! I left out the raisins because my sister hates them and never wants to try granola when they’re in it. This time, I just add raisins to my own bowl when I eat it, and honestly, I like it even more this way.
I’ve tried this granola with yogurt, apple cooked in a Lékué silicone steamer, 100% chocolate, and raisins — so good. Next time I’m going to try it with pancakes – I’m sure it’ll be delicious!!! There are so many ways to enjoy your granola, the possibilities are endless. Love it 😍
Berta!! You’re on a roll 🙂 Thank you so much for trying my recipes and enjoying them! I am so happy to read that you’re making them and sharing with others, enjoying the process and most importantly the taste 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to review and rate my recipes 🙂