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Turn your whole grain steel-cut oats into Carrot Cake Oatmeal, which actually tastes pretty similar to carrot cake! It’s like a healthy dessert, for breakfast!
Today I’m sharing a healthy breakfast recipe that is ready in a snap using the new Quaker Quick 3-Minute Steel Cut Oats.
If you’ve ever made steel cut oats before, you know how much of a pain they can be to make. They’re super healthy, but my morning routine does not include waiting over the stove for at least 30 minutes for breakfast to be served. So, I’m so glad Quaker came up with a 3 minute version that isthe same nutty taste and textureas the original that can be made in a microwave.
Instead of making just plain 100% whole grain steel cut oats, I decided to add in a few extras to make carrot cake oatmeal that actually tastes pretty similar to carrot cake!It’s always a good day whenI can eat dessert for breakfast. #winning
Main Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you need to make Carrot Cake Oatmeal:
Steel Cut Oats – I used the quick-cooking ones by Quaker Oats! So yummy!
Water – this is used to cook the oats. I’ve heard some people use milk for this. Both work fine.
Cinnamon + Nutmeg – to flavor the whole dish.
Carrots – I’d recommend shredding your carrots instead of just chopping them as I did. Especially if you’re trying to trick your kids into eating orange vegetables. For breakfast. Make them as small as possible 😉
Maple Syrup + Walnuts – I topped ours with real maple syrup and chopped walnuts. Perfection!
Love Carrot Cake? Check out these other recipes: Carrot Cake Protein Bites, Carrot Cake Cookies, Carrot Cake Cobbler, Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and Carrot Cake Donuts.
Variations
Add-Ins: Consider adding shredded apples instead of carrots. Switch out the nuts for pecans or almonds. Add pineapple if you love carrot cake with pineapple! The possibilities are endless!
Overnight Oats: Make a version of this but as overnight oats instead of cooked oats! For full details on how to make overnight oats <— see here!
Other Flavors: If you don’t want to take the extra 45 seconds to grate a few tablespoons of carrot, Quaker also has Brown Sugar & Cinnamon and Blueberries & Cranberries flavors available in pouches that are even faster and more convenient breakfast options if you’re on the go.
How to Make Carrot Cake Oatmeal
For full details on how to make carrot cake oatmeal, see the recipe card down below!
Mix Together Ingredients
Start by pouring some of these Quaker Quick 3-Minute Steel Cut Oats into a bowl. You should be able to find them pretty easily at your grocery store.
To your oats, add in some water. Also, carrot! You’ll also want to add in a little nutmeg and a little more cinnamon. And for a little sweetness, add in a drizzle of maple syrup.
Microwave
After 3 minutes in the microwave, your breakfast is done!
Toppings
I added a few chopped walnuts, another drizzle of maple syrup and more cinnamon to finish mine off, but you can add in whatever else you’d like to make it how your family likes it.
I’m not sure if oatmeal sounds as appetizing to you as it does to me, but holy smokes, I could go for a bowl of this right about now.
More Oatmeal Recipes to Try!
Easiest Overnight Oats
Caramel Coconut Cream Oatmeal
Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe with Cobbler Topping
Oatmeal Pancakes
Anyhow, I’d highly recommend giving these a try to see if your family likes them as much as mine does! i love having another option in my breakfast rotation.
Printable recipe below! Have a great day, friends!
Add-ins make any oatmeal better-tasting, but they also make it more nutritious. Topping oatmeal with your favorite fruit boosts the fiber, and nuts offer healthy fats and make breakfast more filling, too. Fruit: Dried fruit (such as raisins, cranberries, cherries or chopped apricots or dates)
In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Fold in carrots and chopped nuts until well blended.
Oatmeal is very healthy for you, and is a good complex carbohydrate, and has good (roughage) fiber content, which keeps your bowel movements healthy. But it is limited as to its variety of vitamins and nutrients it has in it to have it three times a day only and to eat nothing else.
For a boost of calcium and creamy flavor, make oatmeal with low-fat milk or plant-based milk instead of water. Or try making it with apple cider instead for a boost of flavor. The ratio of liquid to oats stays the same, so you can easily make this switch.
Stir your oats mixture (it will be thick). Add 1/3 cup almond milk (or any milk) and any optional add-ins you prefer.
Stir oats mixture again, turn heat on high, bring to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer, about 5 minutes. Top with any desired toppings and enjoy!
Eat oatmeal. Research shows that a daily bowl of oatmeal can lower your levels of total cholesterol and artery-clogging bad cholesterol. (High cholesterol levels can be a contributing factor to heart disease.) Those oats can work pretty quickly, too, notes Czerwony.
Along with these positive benefits, research shows this popular breakfast can even support weight-loss and weight-management efforts. According to a 2021 review published in Foods, oat beta-glucan has positive effects on hyperglycemia, lowering blood lipid levels and reducing weight.
Any type of oats — steel cut, rolled or instant — provide health benefits, but the best of the best are steel cut oats since they are the least processed, offer a touch more nutritional value and are the lowest on the glycemic index.
Carrot cake is oil-based, rather than butter-based. This keeps it moist and helps it last for days. Unfortunately, it also means you lose the leavening power that creaming butter and sugar would bring. (Creaming, or beating together the two ingredients on high speed, aerates the butter.)
Quick oats or quick-cooking oats are rolled oats that go through further processing to decrease cooking time. They're partially cooked by steaming and then rolled even thinner than old-fashioned oats ( 1 ).
Soaking is simple to do, place the desired amount of oatmeal into a cooking pot 10-12 hours before you plan on preparing the oatmeal. Cover it with water, and add a little lemon juice or vinegar to reduce phytic acid (another gut irritant). There are other acids you can use instead, learn more here.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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