This one is for all of the carrot cake fans! Creamy, crunchy, chewy, and sweet, this Carrot Cake Oatmeal packs in a full cup of carrots and a handful of healthy ingredients.
As winter sets in and my desire for a hot breakfast grows, I find myself searching for the perfect bowl of hot oatmeal.
I’m pretty picky when it comes to hot oatmeal. If you have been reading the blog for a while now, you may remember that I used to dislike homemade hot oatmeal. There was just something about it that made my stomach feel off after eating.
But I don’t go down without a fight. I have been on a quest to make a hot oatmeal recipe that I would fall in love with and I think I have finally found my match. I attempted a couple carrot cake oatmeal recipes last winter, but they never turned out as good as I was hoping. This recipe finally got it right!
If you enjoy carrot cake, you will go absolutely crazy for this bowl of oatmeal. I could totally see this as a fun, quick, and easy holiday breakfast for families who are looking for something that tastes indulgent, but is packed with nutrients and a full cup of carrots per bowl.
I believe i t would turn any oatmeal hater into a fanatic with first bite.
Don’t forget to check out my other Carrot Cake Recipes:
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter! This one is for all of the carrot cake fans! Creamy, crunchy, chewy, and sweet, this recipe packs in a full cup of carrots and a handful of healthy ingredients. This oatmeal is also wonderful as part of a holiday breakfast with loved ones (the serving size can be scaled up). I love serving it with Coconut Whipped Cream to take it over the top! This recipe is an updated version from my 2010 version.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Yield
Serves 2Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
For the oatmeal:
Topping suggestions:
Directions
Tip:
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Carrot Cake Oatmeal (original recipe)
This one is for all of the carrot cake fans out there! Creamy, crunchy, chewy, and sweet, this recipe packs in a full cup of carrots and a handful of healthy ingredients that will keep you feeling full for hours and hours. This oatmeal is also wonderful as part of a holiday breakfast with loved ones. If you are adapting this recipe for several people, I suggest pouring the oats into a large casserole dish when they are ready, adding your toppings, and using a large spoon to scoop portions onto plates or bowls.
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 heaping cup finely grated carrot (about 1 large)
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk cream (or use more almond milk)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup regular oats
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, divided
- 2 tbsp raisins, divided
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut, for garnish
- 1 tbsp coconut milk cream + 1/2 tsp pure maple syrup, to garnish (optional)
Directions: Finely grate 1 heaping cup of grated carrots. You want to use the fine grate and not the large one so the carrot shreds are very small. This helps the carrot blend in more.
In a medium sized pot over medium heat, whisk together the almond milk, optional coconut milk cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and a pinch of salt.
Stir in the grated carrots and oats. Adjust heat if necessary or bring heat to low if it starts to boil. Cook for about 8-9 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mixture has thickened up, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, 1 tbsp walnuts, 1 tbsp raisins, and 2 tbsp of maple syrup. Remove from heat and portion into bowls.
Top the oatmeal with the remaining walnuts, raisins, and shredded coconut. If you are using coconut cream, you can mix a bit of the cream with maple syrup and drizzle on top of the oatmeal, as shown in the photo. Sprinkle with cinnamon for garnish.
Gather up the troops.
I urge you to make this recipe exactly as I wrote it above…it was that good!!!
Finely grate your carrot.
Gnaw on stump.
Who knew you could eat a heaping cup’s worth of carrot in a bowl of oats and it would taste amazing?
Heat over low-medium.
After cooking for about 8 minutes it will be nice and thick:
Pour into a bowl.
I picked up this cute mini casserole from Benix the other day and it makes the perfect oatmeal vessel!
The best part about the mini casserole dish is that you can pop the lid on and refrigerate any leftovers that you have. I had some leftover and I just ate it as a snack later on in the day, straight from the fridge!
Garnish with 1 tbsp of crushed walnuts and 1 tsp of shredded coconut. Sweetened coconut, if you are feeling downright crazy.
Now pour on the 1 tbsp of coconut milk cream + maple syrup mixture and drizzle your heart out!
This mixture tastes incredible. Silky, creamy, and sweet. It is the perfect topping for the carrot cake oats!
Want a bite?
I also tried this recipe making vegan overnight oats and it wasn’t as good as the cooked version. I will have to do some tweaking of the recipe…
I was feeling crazy, so I ventured outdoors for some pictures!
The great thing about oatmeal is that you can take it outside in the cold for a photoshoot, come back indoors, and it is still hot! bahaha.
My mini casserole dish got me thinking how great this recipe would be adapted for several servings and poured into a large casserole dish.
You could easily double, triple, quadruple (etc) the recipe to serve the amount of people that you need to. Then simply, pour the cooked oats into a large casserole dish, add your toppings, and use a large spoon to serve so others can scoop out their desired portion onto their plate.
I think it would be a wonderful holiday breakfast!
If you are looking for a delicious, healthy, and super quick holiday breakfast, you should give this one a shot.
Just be warned….an obsession may set in…
BYE!
Carrot Cake is my all time favorite dessert!! There’s no way I wouldn’t love this :)
WOW Angela. That’s gorgeous.
Your so good at presenting food.
I wish I had more bowls and scenery and stuff.
ANyways I have had a form of carrot cake oatmeal on my blog but not quite that good sounding nor looking.
I am trying that when I go to the store next to buy some carrots and coconut milk! COUNT ON IT!:)
Ohhhhhh this looks just heavenly! Both the grub and the snow :)
I adore carrot cake oatmeal.
I would have no problem with eating the biggest serving of it :D
That may just end up being our Christmas breakfast if I can convince my family how much they would love it. The one I really need to work on is my Mom- she’s the only one who doesn’t like oatmeal in my family and I really can’t comprehend it! I offer to make her some probably every other day when I’m home for Christmas haha. I’ve got all the ingredients except the coconut milk cream…
Im sad that I already had oatmeal today because I want to make this NOW! I will have to be patient until tomorrow morning ;)
YUMM!! I just had oatmeal for breakfast, but I still feel like I NEED THAT CARROT CAKE OATMEALL!
that looks incredible! carrot cake is yum, i bet this is amazing.
Mmmmmm…… I am definitely going to try this!
I used to not like oatmeal either – I found the texture off-putting. That’s why I LOVE steel cut oats! Angela, if you have never tried making steel cut oats I heartily recommend you try it sometime in these cold winter months – you’ll thank me later! They do take a while to cook (low and slow) but it’s worth it. I’ve heard of people using a crockpot or other overnight methods to speed up the process in the morning but never tried it myself.
If you try steel cut oats, let me know what you think – better yet, blog about it :) I hope you like ’em!
That looks fantastic! I’ll have to pick up a few ingredients that I’m missing and make this soon!
I never even thought about putting carrots in my oatmeal. You are always coming up with creative breaky ideas! Thanks!
mmm looks delish! What a fun way to switch up oatmeal. I love oatmeal for breakfast but it can get kinda boring after a while. I’ll have to try your recipe soon!
This looks amazing! I was thinking the other day about how to incorporate carrots into my oats because as you know, I am a carrot monster! I bet Eric is loving you for making these! :)
yes! He said it was the only bowl of oats he has ever wanted to try! I am going to make it for him one morning
I really wish I could just reach my spoon into your pictures and take a bite :) This looks sooooo goood :)
You are so right, if this doesnt turn someone into an oatmeal lover, nothing will!
I love carrot cake…ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, all those flavors…I heart them all. And I know I would love this spin on oatmeal! Yum!
I ordered my Dslr last night. One day I hope my photos are as beautiful as yours…truly, if your blogging/cooking/recipes/advanced degrees ever dont pan out for you (yeah, right!) you could be a professional photographer. I learn when I see your pics. Thank you :)
you are sweet! I cant wait to see how you like your dslr…there is a big learning curve at the beginning so don’t get discouraged.
so creative! i LOOOOOVE carrot cake! its my favorite dessert ever — might have to try this! =)
That looks amazing! :) Do you soak your oats before eating them? I’ve been reading a lot about the phytic acid content in oats and grains, and how if they aren’t soaked, it can inhibit the absorbtion of many nutrients, and leave you deficient. I guess if you only eat oatmeal once in awhile, it’s not a big deal…. but if you eat them everyday, it could be. Thoughts?
I havent heard about this…but I do not soak my oats before cooking.
There is phytic acid in oats, as in many other foods. Soaking/sprouting is a great way to reduce the phytic acid content of your grains. But even if phytic acid can interfere with the absorbtion of certain nutrients, espeially minerals, I doubt that eating unsoaked oatmeal will leave you mineral deficient if you have an otherwise healthy diet. And Angela’s carrot cake oatmeal sounds too delicious not to try it! (but if you like, you can soak your oats at least one hour before eating them. You can let them soak overnight in the fridge, drain, and yhe oats will be soft enough to skip the cooking part).
I’m so sad that I have to wait until tomorrow to try this!! haha My oats have been pretty unimpressive lately, and I just can’t get into the pumpkin obsession- these look awesome :)
I’ve GOT to try this because, so far, the only way I can enjoy oats is your savory recipe. So I totally trust you to guide me to a sweet recipe, which I’ve wanted to give another shot for a while!
Definitely will get my veggies in this way…