Best Bowl Ever of Carrot Cake Oatmeal

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Start your day with the best bowl ever of carrot cake oatmeal, it’s super filling, easy to make, packed with nutrients, and won’t leave you reaching for donuts in the morning. Nope you started your day with carrot cake, who needs donuts! This carrot cake oatmeal is vegan, gluten free, dairy free and has a maple frosting swirl that is going to blow your mind!

Carrot cake, it’s hands down my FAVORITE flavor. I’ve told you guys this a few times before but every year for my birthday I would ask my mom to make me carrot cake for my birthday cake. Yup even at 6 years old when all the other kids were requesting chocolate or vanilla, not this girl! And my love hasn’t changed. Just my eating habits. So now I indulge every once and awhile on the real stuff (has to be homemade) but mostly I find fun way to make carrot cake “Sam approved” you know packed with fiber, nutrient dense, full of protein and of course some healthy fats!

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Enter the best bowl ever of carrot cake oatmeal. It will want to make you dive in head first and swim in it’s cinnamon spice and carrot goodness. The coconut butter maple frosting, yeah you are going to be putting this stuff on EVERYTHING, you have been warned.

I made this recipe after days and days of craving everything carrot cake! It’s the time of the year when it’s cold all day long and I just want to stay snuggled up in bed with my comfy socks and sweatpants on. I’m sure unless you live somewhere warm all year (I’m looking at you Florida), you know the feeling. But having an easy breakfast recipe that you are actually looking forward to eating and will warm you up from the inside out is sure to get you out of bed, even on the coldest days. I’ve been making these oats for breakfast and sometimes in the afternoon as my post workout meal as well. Oats are a great way to refuel those lost carbs from an intense workout and the protein helps with muscle recovery!

Oats, I love em. I started almost everyday of my working career with oats. Oats are simple to make, portable, and super filling. When I was working my corporate jobs, I always had a big can of oats in my desk with a real spoon and bowl (because eating oats out of a Styrofoam cup is just sad).  I loved experimenting with different flavors and textures. I found that I loved the added crunch of nuts and really enjoyed having something sweet, like raisins, cranberries, or defrosted or fresh fruit. Knowing I had a filling but yummy breakfast at my desk would help me avoid those sugary muffins or donuts at the early morning staff meetings.

Oats are packed with soluble fiber called beta glucan which has been shown to help reduce your LDL cholesterol (or bad cholesterol). This soluble fiber can help you feel physically full and satisfied after eating. If you have you ever made oats, I’m sure you have noticed how quick they double or even triple in volume as they cook. My favorite kind of oats are Old Fashioned Oats (sometimes called Rolled Oats) and Steel Cut Oats they are the perfect base to add topping and flavors to. Old Fashioned Oats cook up in about 2 minutes in the microwave so they are great even on the days when you are rushing around in the morning.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal Recipe Tips

In this recipe, I used protein powder to add sweetness and flavor to my oats. It’s a habit I started a few years ago when I first started to make overnight oats. I realized how satisfied I was on the days I would have a full serving of protein with my breakfast. I actually sometimes have to decrease my serving of oats when I add protein and chia seeds to ensure that I can finish my bowl of oatmeal, because it’s that filling! Tip of the day, check your protein powder. It shouldn’t have any sketchy ingredients and the protein should be higher than the sugars!! The protein powders I love are sweetened with stevia.

I use a vegan, plant based protein powder. However, if you use a whey protein or if you decide not to add the protein powder you may need to make adjustments to this recipe.

To make this best bowl ever of carrot cake oatmeal without any protein powder, use the specified amount of oats and chia seeds listed below. However, only use about 3/4 of a cup of water before microwaving. If you find that you need more water, add another 1/4 cup (or so), until you get the consistency you desire. You will need to sweeten this as well. I suggest steiva, maple syrup, honey (if not vegan), coconut sugar, or ground up dates or ground up re-hydrated figs – yum!! Whatever your favorite natural sweetener is add 1-2 tbs. tasting for your level of desired sweetness. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.

If you are short on time (or short on ingredients): Place 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup water in bowl. Add 1 tsp cinnamon, 2-3 tbs (handful) of shredded carrots to a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Add 1 tbs. coconut butter and 1-2 tbs. maple syrup. Stir well and enjoy (ready in 2:30 minutes).

But if you have time, you can make the maple coconut swirl, which  is a mixture of coconut butter and maple syrup. Only use about half the coconut butter when you are mixing in the maple syrup. Stir well (it will want to clump on you). Once it’s stirred well, then add in the rest of the coconut butter. This makes it easier to make your swirl. Then use your spoon to distribute the maple coconut butter frosting around the bowl. Or you can do like I did in the video and just plop it in the middles and mix up the bowl, that’s how you are going to eat it anyway right?

To make this best ever bowl  carrot cake oatmeal or any other epic bowl of oatmeal, visit your local Target like I did! You will find that there is a super fun end cap full of Quaker® Oats and all the fun toppings. I seriously had to practice some self restraint when it came to picking out toppings for this oatmeal. Gone are the days of boring oats, now it’s all about the toppings, and I couldn’t be more excited. After all, we eat with our eyes first, and a fun topped bowl of oatmeal will get you excited to jump out of bed and start the day. Or maybe that’s just me! Either way, snap a pic of your oats with all the toppings and tag me on Instagram, I’m always excited to see everyone’s creations!

Do you have your own best bowl of oatmeal? Enter your recipe into Quaker’s National Bring Your Best Bowl Contest! Enter to win $250,000 and top entries will be created and sold in stores for a limited time in fall 2016. Contest Ends March 12, 2016.

Love carrot cake as much as me? You need to check out this High Protein Carrot Cake Banana Bread and don’t forget to make these Baked Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars!

See how incredibly easy it is to throw this Carrot Cake Oatmeal together!

4.5 from 2 votes

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The Best Bowl Ever of Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Start your day with the best bowl ever of carrot cake oatmeal. Packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats and all the fun toppings, this carrot cake oatmeal will have you easily turning down those muffins in our morning meetings. Vegan, dairy free, gluten free and so simple, this carrot cake oatmeal recipe will be your favorite new way to make your oats!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword oatmeal

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 4 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 512 kcal

Author Bites of Wellness

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup old fashion Quaker® Oats or certified GF oats if GF
• 1 tbs. chia seeds
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 scoop scoop vanilla protein powder I used a vegan protein
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2-3 tbs. shredded carrots
• 1 tbs. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tbs. organic raisins
• 1/2 tbs. chopped pecans
• 1 tbs. coconut butter
• 1/4 tsp. maple syrup.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds and cinnamon with 1 cup water. Stir well immediately to make sure chia seeds are distributed and don't clump.
2. Microwave for 2 minutes.
3. Carefully remove from the microwave and stir in protein powder and additional water as needed.
4. Once fully combined, add the shredded carrots and shredded coconut and stir.
5. Top with raisins and chopped pecans.
6. Make the maple coconut frosting by first making sure the coconut butter is runny (you may need to microwave it for 15-20 seconds and stir it well). Add 1/2 tbs. to a bowl and combine it with maple syrup. Stir. Then add the remaining 1/2 tbs. of coconut butter. Distribute with spoon over oats (carefully making the swirl pattern).
7. Serve hot!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

The Best Bowl Ever of Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Amount Per Serving

Calories 512 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 25g 38%

Saturated Fat 10g 50%

Cholesterol 61mg 20%

Sodium 133mg 6%

Potassium 457mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 48g 16%

Dietary Fiber 14g 56%

Sugars 14g

Protein 26g 52%

Vitamin A 100.2%

Vitamin C 2.1%

Calcium 31.3%

Iron 17.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What about you?

• What is your favorite way to enjoy oats?
• Have you ever made carrot cake oatmeal?
• Hands down favorite cake flavor?