Monday, July 30, 2012

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
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!

11 comments:

  1. I don't know why I haven't known about this blog until now! I thought I got creative with oatmeal! Haha, well your blog is an inspiration to me and I just tried this carrot cake oatmeal...perfect! I love carrot cake, but its so complicated to make, and this tastes just as good (if not better)! I also never thought of added oranges or grapefruit to oatmeal...that will be next on my list!
    Thanks for sharing! I think I just spent a good half-hour looking through all your oatmeal recipes and trying to decide which one to make for breakfast. Looks like tomorrow will be another adventure :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is one of the best comments I've ever received! Thanks so much! I really hope you enjoy my recipes; please let me know what you think of them after you try them all!

      Delete
  2. Can you use instant oats for this

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sure, but let the carrots cook for a minute or two before you add the oats. Otherwise, the carrots would still be hard by the time the oats were ready!

      Delete
  3. Hello! :D First of all I'd like to wish your blog a happy birthday! :D Such a great concept for a blog. :)

    Second of all, I had my first experience with stove-top oats this morning and I used this recipe and it was delicious as well as easy to follow. The flavours all complimented each other and I absolutely loved making it and taking photos of the creation after. I added coconut and a dollop of peanut butter on top and it looked like an orange snowy mountain as well as trail mix while it was cooking. I cannot wait to try more of the recipes before I head off to school. Makes my mornings that much more creative!

    Good job! :D
    -Maria

    Just thought I'd give you the link to the photo to check out. :)
    http://i46.tinypic.com/9ub0c0.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just made these - first recipe to try from your site!

    So, so good. I love the touch of molasses but replaced the agave/honey with truvia. On top I put a huge spoonful of 0% fage greek yogurt mixed with a little bit of vanilla casein - tastes close to cream cheese frosting! Can't wait to make this again. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And yes, greek yogurt works beautifully for a "cream cheese frosting!"

      Delete
  5. I just had this this morning. So good! I've been experimenting with sweetening oatmeal that needs to be sweetened with dates after buying a carton of medjool dates, and have been surprised at how well it works! I chopped up one and a half and threw it in when I added the oats and carrots, and it was wonderfully sweet. I used just one date as well when I made your baked pumpkin pie oatmeal, and it worked perfectly. Not sure how much you use dates, but I thought I'd share my success. :)

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  6. Made this last night for a late dinner. Wholly satisfying. I didn't have nuts on-hand either, so I used graham crackers as a garnish, instead. Also, I felt cheat-y, so I threw in some cream cheese. I used my cashew milk to finish it off, too. I love this blog...and oatmeal.

    ReplyDelete
  7. 3 Researches PROVE How Coconut Oil Kills Waist Fat.

    This means that you literally kill fat by eating coconut fats (including coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).

    These 3 studies from major medicinal magazines are sure to turn the conventional nutrition world upside down!

    ReplyDelete

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