This Carrot Cake Oatmeal is a great recipe to help you get your vegetables in early! Dessert for breakfast, anyone?
Special days require cake for breakfast, like birthdays or holidays.
Other days (you know those cold, dark, or stormy winter days), the allure of cake for breakfast is the only thing that will get you out of bed in the morning.
Either way, cake for breakfast should be embraced instead of frowned upon. After all, cake can be healthy, right?
This beautiful bowl of oatmeal sure is. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, and won’t leave you crashing off a sugar high mid-morning the way normal cake would. In fact, the sweeteners I used come straight from nature: carrot, raisins, and honey. This oatmeal will leave you feeling happy and energized straight through until lunchtime.
So go ahead and indulge.
And the next time someone jokingly mentions cake for breakfast, you can let them in on your little secret.
- 1 small carrot, peeled and shredded (about ¼ cup, packed)
- 1 cup (235 ml) hot water
- ⅓ cup (30 g) quick-cooking oats (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon raisins (I used golden raisins, but any kind is fine)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened, desiccated coconut (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground ginger
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (more or less to taste; see vegan note below)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk (see vegan note below)
- Add the carrot and water to a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, then boil 3 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the oats, raisins, coconut, 1 tablespoon walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and sea salt. Cook until the oats absorb the liquid, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the honey and vanilla.
- Transfer to an individual-sized serving bowl, and top with the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon walnuts.
To Make This Recipe Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey and coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
Gluten-Free: Remember, if keeping this dish gluten-free is a concern, be sure to buy oats that are certified gluten-free!
Update (November 12, 2013): I made this dish again and perfected the recipe so I updated this post.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
What a great breakfast to start the day with. One would have to be happy all day long.
Super idea! You are brilliant. What is not to like? Breakfast, lunch or snack. I LOVE oats.
There is no such thing as too many oat recipes! Especially not when they are as delicious as this. I LOVE carrot cake. Perfect not-so-guilty way to eat it!
This is such a terrific idea!! You are just brilliant! I love oats and I’m always trying to come up with fun new ways to serve them. Can’t wait to try this one out on the family!
Oh my goodness this would be a treat for breakfast!
I’m the weird duckie who likes oats.
Faith, I can assure you that I’ll try this oat carrot recipe, we are eating oatmeal for breakfast, and this will be a totally a treat!
Sounds like a terrific breakfast, I would love these carrot cake oats for sure!
That sounds healthy, but delicious! Perfect breakfast!
That’s very creative and very healthy. I would love that for breakfast. Must give this a try.
Hehe I’m convinced we share the same mind sometimes! I made a carrot cake dish the other day :D This looks absolutely wonderful Faith and would definitely get me up in the morning!
I like how you think! :)
~ingrid
I have been eating oats religiously for breakfast almost every day. These look excellent! What a warming treat for a cold, winter morning.
That’s a great way to start the day! :)
This sounds like a winner. You think it’d work for breakfast, or is it more of a dessert?
This recipe looks so delicious! Wish I had seen it sooner, must make it NEXT weekend for a gorgeous breakfast. Can’t wait :)
OH MY GOODNESS…I just love this and I can’t wait to give it a try. I could eat carrot cake everyday but I think this would be a better alternative! Thanks for another fabulous recipe my sweet friend!
Love and hugs,
Karyn
A gorgeous idea! That porridge is so original and looks mighty delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
This is just the kind of comforting dish that I enjoy. I would have been happy to pull-up a chair and join you.
this looks delicious! I agree, carrot cake is everyone’s indulgent dessert and why not adapt it to make it everyone’s meal! :D