Carrot Cake Oatmeal

I finally did it! I gave carrot cake oatmeal a second chance.

I tried it once. Long, long ago. I believe it was one of the very first recipes I tried as I was learning to make my own oatmeal (as opposed to the Quaker instant packets). It didn't sit right with me. I'm not sure if I made it incorrectly, or if I was still just learning to like the texture of this new stovetop porridge.

Either way, I swore it off for years. I don't know what happened, but something compelled me to buy some carrots from the farmers market this weekend so I could try it again.

Happily, I enjoyed it much more this time! I used honey instead of maple syrup (real maple syrup is too expensive and fake maple syrup is too....fake), and it turned out well. I think what turned me off the first time is that it's not nearly as sweet as actual carrot cake (which is one of the sweetest desserts my mom makes; it's almost sickening to think about!). However, now that my taste buds are more...normal (?), I found this oatmeal to be delicious and satisfying.

I didn't have walnuts on hand, but if I did, they definitely would have been included! I changed very little from  Angela's recipe (link below); I basically just reduced it to a single serving (the original served two).

P.S. I have big news for you...but I'll save it for my next post.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal (adapted from Oh She Glows)

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 and 1/4 cup milk of choice, or water
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1/2 cup grated carrots (I used two smallish medium-sized carrots)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup, agave, or honey
• 1/8 tsp molasses (I use Blackstrap)

Instructions

1. Bring milk (I used 1/2 cup almond milk and 3/4 cup water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add flax or chia seeds, do so now. Both would work well in this recipe.)
2. Add grated carrots immediately. I shredded mine up while waiting for my liquid to boil.
3. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Then add your sweetener and molasses. Stir.
4. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds), do so now. Like the original recipe, I recommend raisins and walnuts.
5. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Serve with another splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.). If you're ambitious (unlike me), you could top with a cream cheese frosting (here's CCK's vegan/healthier version). You could also use plain greek yogurt, if your diet permits.

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!