Easter…bunnies…carrot cake? It kind of all goes together! This healthy baked carrot cake oatmeal will definitely hit the spot any time of the year – especially if you are a carrot cake lover like me. Although I would LOVE to have cake for breakfast every day, this is a pretty terrific alternative! I researched some different carrot cakes online and got a sense for what the core ingredients were. Then I incorporated them into a pretty standard baked oatmeal and ended up with this! The great thing about this recipe is that it’s not overly sweet, but the raisins, honey and coconut sugar all meld together and help to balance out the savory flavors of the oats and carrots. I love the texture of the dish – from the chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts to the flakey carrots and softened oatmeal, it makes for a really satisfying meal! Plus it’s super easy to make, which is always a plus! Even if you aren’t a huge fan of oatmeal, I would encourage you to give this a go. It’s the perfect mix between a variety of flavors and makes for an absolutely delicious breakfast, brunch or snack. Enjoy! 🙂

Makes Around 2-3 Servings

Recipe by © Alysha Melnyk 2018

Kitchen Tools:

Stovetop

Oven, Preheated to 425°F

Small Sauce Pan

Wooden Spoon

Liquid Measuring Cup

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Small Baking Dish

Ingredients:

1 Cup Steel-Cut Oats

2 Cups Whole Milk (*Or Milk of Choice)

2/3 Cup Shredded Carrot

1/2 Cup Raisins

1/3 Cup Walnuts (Small Pieces)

2 Teaspoons Honey

2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

2 Tablespoons Organic Coconut Palm Sugar (*Or Brown Sugar/Light Brown Sugar)

 

*Optional for Serving: Cream Cheese Glaze (I mixed a tablespoon of Honey Pecan Cream Cheese from Melanie’s Medleys with a splash of milk).

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Mix steel-cut oats and milk with wooden spoon in a small sauce pan, place on medium heat and bring to a boil while stirring constantly (this takes about 5-8 minutes). You’ll notice the mixture thickens during this process.
3. Next, remove the pan from heat and stir in shredded carrot, raisins, walnuts, honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and palm sugar (or brown sugar).
4. Pour the mixture into an oven safe baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes (I baked mine for 20 minutes).
5. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve.
6. *While mixture is cooling, make cream cheese glaze if using and pour over serving portions.
7. Enjoy warm – happy eating!

***Leftovers last 3-5 days in refrigerator and can be easily reheated.***