Anyone that knows me, knows that carrot cake is my all-time favorite cake! It’s just one of those things that I can’t resist if I see it on a menu or at any gathering. It’s always my # 1 request to have on my birthday! I love the spicy, warm flavors associated with the moist cake that is offset by the creamy, tangy, sweet frosting. However, eating carrot cake as often as I crave it wouldn’t be the best thing for my waistline!
I created this recipe with carrot cake in mind but my health as a priority. Oatmeal is something I eat almost every day for breakfast, so I knew I wanted to try and make a healthy carrot cake version of oatmeal. Oatmeal is generally thick and creamy so I knew it would be easy to draw a comparison to moist carrot cake and hold up the flavors nicely.
I tried to keep the ingredients for this recipe as close to ones that you’d find in a typical carrot cake recipe, minus the sugar, butter, eggs and flour. All of the warming spices remained the same, however, the sugar was replaced with pure maple syrup. I also added raisins to my carrot cake oatmeal because the raisins are one of my favorite parts about carrot cake, but they are totally optional if you’re not as big a fan as me. Chia seeds also made an appearance in the oatmeal because I had them on hand to add some fiber, protein and omega-3’s but these are also optional.
The other thing I love about carrot cake is the cream cheese frosting! It does such a good job at balancing out all of the warm, bold spices. For this recipe, I did include a healthy cream cheese frosting option to dollop on top of the oatmeal if you’re feeling more indulgent. You could also dollop on a vanilla yogurt if you prefer!
This recipe is SO easy and SO delicious! I’m not kidding. I had to hold myself back from eating both portions at once because I promised my mom the second one. This took me less than 15 minutes to make from start to finish and was so tasty. I highly recommend giving this a try I am confident you won’t be disappointed.
Note:
This recipe provides instructions for a hot oatmeal, but you could absolutely mix all ingredients together and put in the fridge to make cold overnight oats. It will turn out just as good, it’s all about preference and how you enjoy your oatmeal best.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 ½ Cups Almond Milk
- ½ Cup Shredded Carrots
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- ¼ Tsp Ground Cloves
- ¼ Tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ Tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp Raisins (Optional)
- 2 Tsp Chia Seeds (optional)
Instructions:
- Start by adding the oats and almond milk to a medium saucepot on low heat.
- Once the oats begin to bubble, soften and thicken up add the carrots, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes then shut off the heat and stir in the raisins and chia seeds.
- Divide the oatmeal between two bowls and enjoy!
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 Tbsp Cream Cheese (I used a dairy-free brand, Kite Hill)
- ¼ Tsp Vanilla
- ½ Tsp Stevia
- ¼ Tsp Lemon Juice
Add 1 tbsp dollop to each serving of oatmeal and enjoy!
