It’s finally feeling like springtime here in Winton-Salem, which means the flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and Abby is playing outside again! After being indoors with my almost two-year-old all winter, it’s such a treat to be able to play outside and work in the garden again.
When I start to see daffodils and hyacinths in my yard, I’m reminded that Easter is quickly approaching. And with Easter comes egg hunts, pastel everything, and an undeniable craving for carrot cake!
Rather than make a carrot cake and put myself into a sugar coma, I decided to create a nutritious breakfast out of hot cereal, carrots, pecans, coconut, spices, and nondairy yogurt. This carrot cake oatmeal tastes like carrot cake, but is a super nutritious way to start your day!
AND it would make a great Easter morning breakfast because it can be made ahead of time and reheated!
I added buckwheat groats to my recipe because they have a slight graham cracker flavor, but you could just add more oats, quinoa, or any grain you prefer. I also sweetened with brown rice syrup because it is very low on the glycemic index, but maple syrup would also be a good choice. If you want your carrot cake oatmeal to be even more of a treat, add some natural sweetness with raisins or chopped dates. You could also add mashed or sliced banana, which is how Abby likes hers!
In fact, Abby declared this recipe “NUMMY!”
I barely made it through the photo shoot without her eating the props!
Fortunately, she could only reach a pecan.
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- ½ cup buckwheat groats, quinoa, or more oatmeal
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 3 T. unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 cup light coconut milk (canned)
- 3 cups water
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- ½ t. ground ginger
- ¼ t. nutmeg
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup, plus more to taste
- Optional add-ins: raisins, chopped dates, mashed banana
- Garnish: unsweetened plain or vanilla nondairy yogurt (I like Kite Hill almond yogurt), cinnamon, pecans
- In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together oats, buckwheat, carrot, coconut, coconut milk, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook 10-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness is reached.
- Add the spices, vanilla, pecans, syrup, and raisins/dates. Taste for sweetness and add more syrup, if desired.
- Spoon into small bowls and top with 2-3 Tablespoons yogurt, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a pecan half. Enjoy!
Keep covered in the fridge up to 5 days.
This carrot cake oatmeal recipe makes about 6 cups, which is a lot, considering most people only eat about 3/4 cup of oatmeal per serving. But the good news is that you can keep it in your fridge and eat it all week!
Eat one bowl of carrot cake oatmeal for breakfast, and you’ve started your day with about 10 grams of fiber, plenty of vitamin A and iron, healthy fats and protein, and a punch of antioxidants from the spices. I guarantee this oatmeal treat will keep you full until lunchtime!
And if you’re like me and you’re trying to avoid added sugars, a very lightly sweetened version of this would be great for dessert to keep your sweet tooth at bay. Just opt for the brown rice syrup instead of the maple syrup.
Enjoy!
If you’re a carrot fan, be sure to try my Sherried Carrot Bisque!
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