Easy Homemade Hearty Oatmeal Cake — A Traditional, Healthy Comfort Cake

Meta description: Cozy, easy, and wholesome — this Hearty Oatmeal Cake is a traditional, homemade treat packed with fiber and warm spices. Perfect for breakfasts, Sunday brunch, or holiday dessert. Includes vegan, gluten-free, and low-carb swaps.

Introduction — A warm memory with every slice

There’s something quietly joyful about a slice of Hearty Oatmeal Cake fresh from the oven — it smells like softly lit mornings and hands sticky with jam. I’ve made this recipe for slow Sunday breakfasts, for school bake sales, and when I wanted to show up at a friend’s doorstep with something honest and comforting. This Hearty Oatmeal Cake is a little bit traditional, a little bit humble, and totally homemade — and it’s perfect for weeknight dessert, cozy weekend brunch, or a holiday spread.

Serve it warm with a smear of butter, a dollop of Greek yogurt, or alongside a steaming mug of tea. It’s filling enough for breakfast, special enough for guests, and healthy enough to feel good about eating.

🧂 Ingredients:

• 2 cups (200 g) rolled oats — pulsed slightly in a blender or food processor (coarse oat flour texture)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra to sprinkle)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/3 cup (70 g) brown sugar or coconut sugar (see swaps below)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup or honey (optional for extra sweetness)
• 3 large eggs (or flax eggs for vegan)
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk of your choice (dairy, oat, almond)
• 1/3 cup (75 g) melted butter or coconut oil (or neutral oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 medium apple, grated (about 1 cup), squeeze a little lemon to prevent browning
• 1 medium carrot, grated (optional but lovely)
• 9 dried apricots, rinsed in hot water and chopped (or 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit)
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional for crunch)

Optional glaze:

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar (90 g)
• 1–2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or 1/4 teaspoon maple extract

Notes: This recipe makes one 9-inch (23 cm) round cake or an 8×8-inch square pan. For a taller cake, use a 9-inch springform pan.

👩‍🍳 Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Pulse the rolled oats a few times in a blender or food processor until they’re coarsely ground (think rustic oat flour). Don’t overdo it — a little texture is good.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (or prepared flax eggs), milk, melted butter, maple syrup (if using), and vanilla until combined. Let this sit 5 minutes so the oats soak slightly — that adds moistness.
5. Stir the grated apple, grated carrot, chopped apricots, raisins, and nuts into the wet mixture. Fold the wet mix into the dry ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and a few extra oats or chopped nuts on top if you like.
7. Bake for 30–38 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Check at 30 minutes: a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter). If using a glass pan, add 3–5 extra minutes.
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If adding glaze, wait until the cake is mostly cooled so the glaze sets nicely.
9. (Optional) Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Total hands-on time: ~20 minutes. Bake time: 30–38 minutes. Cool time: 15–30 minutes.

💡 Tips & Variations:

• Make it vegan: Replace eggs with 3 flax “eggs” (3 tablespoons ground flax + 9 tablespoons water, whisk and rest 5 minutes), use plant milk, and use coconut oil or vegan butter. Omit honey and use maple syrup.
• Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats and confirm your baking powder is GF.
• Lower-sugar / diabetic-friendly: Skip the brown sugar, use 1/4 cup erythritol or 1/3 cup mashed banana + a touch of stevia to taste, and reduce dried fruit.
• Low-carb variation: This cake is oat-forward, so fully low-carb is tricky. For a denser, lower-carb option try substituting half the oats with almond flour and add 1–2 tablespoons psyllium husk to help texture (results will be different but still delicious).
• Make-ahead & storage: Refrigerate leftover cake (covered) for 4–5 days. Freeze slices individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or warm gently in the oven/toaster oven.
• Serving ideas: Warm with butter and jam, top with Greek yogurt and honey for breakfast, or pair with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Great with coffee, black tea, or chai.
• Add-ins: Swap dried apricots for chopped dates, figs, or cranberries. Stir in 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips for a decadent twist.
• Equipment tip: A 9-inch springform pan makes slicing cleaner — I often use one (affiliate link) for ease. If you use a glass pan, watch the bake time; it often needs a few extra minutes.
• Texture tip: Letting the oat batter rest 10–15 minutes before baking helps the oats absorb liquid and keeps the cake from being crumbly.

🩺 Health & Lifestyle Tie-in
Oats are a wonderful source of soluble fiber (beta-glucan), which supports heart health and helps keep you full longer. This Hearty Oatmeal Cake pairs whole grains with fruit and nuts for a balanced treat — a simple way to enjoy something homemade without leaning into overly processed sweets. Choosing small daily habits like cooking at home can support long-term health and potentially reduce medical costs later on — a gentle nudge toward both personal wellness and financial wellbeing.

❤️ Conclusion
If you try this Hearty Oatmeal Cake, please come back and tell me how it turned out — or tag me if you post a photo (I love seeing different twists!). Whether you bake it for a quiet breakfast, a family brunch, or to take to a friend in need, this recipe is one of those comforting, honest cakes that always feels like a hug.

Enjoy — and happy baking!

Hearty Oatmeal Cake

A cozy, easy, and wholesome Hearty Oatmeal Cake, perfect for breakfasts or dessert, packed with fiber and warm spices.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 38 minutes mins

Total Time 58 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 240

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Main Ingredients

• 2 cups 2 cups rolled oats — pulsed slightly in a blender or food processor Coarse oat flour texture
• 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Plus extra to sprinkle
• 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Optional
• 1/3 cup 1/3 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar See swaps below
• 1/4 cup 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey Optional for extra sweetness
• 3 large 3 large eggs Or flax eggs for vegan option
• 1 cup 1 cup milk of your choice Dairy, oat or almond
• 1/3 cup 1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil Or neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 medium 1 medium apple, grated (about 1 cup), squeeze a little lemon to prevent browning
• 1 medium 1 medium carrot, grated Optional but lovely
• 9 pieces 9 dried apricots, rinsed in hot water and chopped Or 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
• 1/4 cup 1/4 cup raisins Optional
• 1/3 cup 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Optional for crunch

Optional Glaze

• 3/4 cup 3/4 cup powdered sugar (90 g)
• 1-2 tablespoons 1–2 tablespoons milk or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Or 1/4 teaspoon maple extract

Method

 

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Pulse the rolled oats a few times in a blender or food processor until they’re coarsely ground (think rustic oat flour). Don’t overdo it — a little texture is good.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (or prepared flax eggs), milk, melted butter, maple syrup (if using), and vanilla until combined. Let this sit 5 minutes so the oats soak slightly.
5. Stir the grated apple, grated carrot, chopped apricots, raisins, and nuts into the wet mixture.
6. Fold the wet mix into the dry ingredients until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon and a few extra oats or chopped nuts on top if desired.

Baking

1. Bake for 30–38 minutes. Check at 30 minutes: a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
2. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. If adding glaze, whisk the ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.
4. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This recipe makes one 9-inch (23 cm) round cake or an 8×8-inch square pan. For a taller cake, use a 9-inch springform pan. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 4–5 days or freeze slices individually wrapped for up to 3 months.