Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal

Steel cut oatmeal flavored with raisins, carrots, and walnuts, then cooked up so it tastes like a slice of creamy carrot cake. Sign me up for some of that goodness!

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal - Breakfast oatmeal that tastes like carrot cake?! Oh YES, please! Healthy and so good! | itsyummi.com

This is the start of a tasty week filled with brunch recipes. I’m kicking things off with a recipe for carrot cake steel cut oatmeal. It’s hearty and creamy, with just a touch of sweetness. Be the cool parent and serve this up for your kids. It’s so sweet and delicious, they may think they’re eating cake instead of good-for-them oatmeal!

This week, we’ll celebrate the deliciousness of brunch and prepare for Mother’s Day and the summer brunch season.  We have 32 bloggers bringing you their best brunch recipes, from beverages to main dishes, and salads to desserts. There will be delicious recipes for everyone’s taste buds this week. 

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors for their generosity in providing the Brunch Week contributors with free products to use for recipe development and for giveaway prizes for our readers.

SPONSORS

Bob’s Red Mill OXOCalifornia WalnutsGrimmway FarmsBaloian FarmsWoot FrootDixie CrystalsWhole Foods Orlando, and Bonne Maman

I made this steel cut oatmeal using free product samples from Bob’s Red Mill, California Walnuts, and Grimmway Farms.  All completely delicious components in this brunch treat!

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal recipe from ItsYummi.com

STEEL CUT OATMEAL RECIPE COOKING TIPS

I adapted this recipe from one that my blogging friend Karen created. Normally, I include links to recipes I adapt from, but sadly, Karen’s site no longer exists.

She used 1/4 cup of shredded coconut in her version, but since I’m allergic to all forms of coconut, I left it out. I went for raisins and walnuts, and an extra dash of almond milk to top mine off.

This will keep well for a few days if you cover it well and keep it in the refrigerator. I had it on day 3 with some maple syrup drizzled over the top.  It made my stomach quite happy.

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal - Breakfast oatmeal that tastes like carrot cake?! Oh YES, please! Healthy and so good! | itsyummi.com
Steel cut oatmeal flavored like carrot cake

Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal

This hearty oatmeal is creamy, decadent, and healthy all at the same time. With just a touch of sweetness from maple syrup, it’s almost like eating cake for breakfast!
4.92 from 12 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups steel-cut oats NOT quick-cooking
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 3 cups milk I use unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 cups water
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • raisins and chopped walnuts for topping optional

Instructions
 

  • To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oats, carrot, milk, water, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes until the oatmeal is tender and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Garnish with raisins and walnuts, and a little extra almond milk or half and half, if desired.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Kitchen Treaty

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cupCalories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 9gFat: 5gSodium: 206mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 7130IUVitamin C: 2.6mgCalcium: 216mgIron: 2.4mg
Tried this recipe? Mention @itsyummi or tag #itsyummirecipe!
Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal - Breakfast oatmeal that tastes like carrot cake?! Oh YES, please! Healthy and so good! | itsyummi.com

Looking for more delicious brunch recipes? How about these?

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Nests

Cheesy Hash Brown Potato Nests

Brunch Eggs:

Easy and delicious Caramelized Onion TartPolenta Cakes with Crab & EggsSausage, Spinach and Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, or Mexican Omelete with Plantain, Avocado and Mango Hash.

I’d love a Veggie and Scalloped Potato FrittataApple and Sweet Potato Egg Muffin Cups, or a Loaded Veggie Frittata with Sweet Potato and Hatch Chile.

Brunch Starches and Sides:

Dutch Baby with Roasted StrawberriesStrawberry Mascarpone Stuffed French ToastStrawberry Lemon Crepes, Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal, or Banana Bacon Pancakes.

Raspberry Oatmeal PancakesMexican Chocolate French Toast with Spiced Blackberry Syrup, and Brown Butter Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Mixed Berry Jelly Icing.

Baked Chocolate Hazelnut DonutsBanana Coconut Milk Pancakes, or Pumpernickel Bagels.

Main Brunch Dishes:

Are Muscat-Glazed Lamb Lollipops with Roasted GrapesSpinach and Mushroom Quiche, or Paleo Chicken Waffles up your alley?

Brunch Fruit and Vegetables:

Honeycrisp and & Carrot Waldorf or Hazelnut Crepes with Rum Peaches sound delicious!

Brunch Desserts:

Maybe you’d enjoy Raspberry Lemon Explosion Cake , Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake , or Simple Oatmeal Cookie Jam Bars.

Beverages:

How about a Frozen Peach BelliniRaspberry Tequila SunrisePineapple Peach Mimosa, and a Rosemary-Orange Mocktail.

49 Comments

  1. Oh, yeah, who wouldn’t love this???? It’s my favorite dessert rolled into a healthy breakfast! Totally delish!!!

    1. Thanks, Lizzy! I think eating cake for breakfast might be the start of world peace. Let’s try it every day! 🙂

  2. This oatmeal looks great! I also made a carrot cake-inspired recipe this week. Thank you Grimmway!

    1. Thanks, Erin… and I’m headed over to check out yours shortly. We can never have enough delicious Grimmway carrots in our lives! YUM!

  3. My fave brunch dish is usually Overnight French Toast. But this might be second. My kids would LOVE carrot cake for breakfast!

  4. I love a good omelet or egg casserole-type dish. The Mexican Omelet recipe that’s posted just might be our Cinco de Mayo dinner tonight!

    1. Hi Brad! This recipe can easily be adapted for a slow cooker, but you’ll want to substitute water for the almond milk when you cook it. Just stir some of the milk in right before you eat it instead. Although almond milk is non-dairy, I’ve had horrible failure trying to use any sort of refrigerated products in a slow cooker overnight. They end up curdling, and/or tasting sour due to lack of refrigeration. I would hate to see that happen with this recipe!

  5. I can see kids going crazy for this, but seriously – adults too! Such a creative recipe and a great way to shake up my boring oatmeal routine 🙂

    1. Thanks, Lori!
      The grown up kid that lives here (a/k/a, my husband!) asked if I’d serve it with cream cheese so that he could say he had a COMPLETE slice of carrot cake! LOL

  6. 5 stars
    My favorite brunch dish is my Mom’s “Egg Bake” which is eggs, cheese and cooked, crumbled bacon, all baked together in a casserole dish. We have it at every holiday and it not only brings wonderful memories but it is delicious! Thanks for an amazing giveaway!!!

    1. My mom made an amazing brunch dish that sounds very much like the one you described. Thanks for stopping by…and good luck in the giveaway!

  7. Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal recipe sounds so “Yummi!” Pinned and will try soon. I love waffles smothered with blueberries and strawberries, topped with a little fresh maple syrup…..scrumptious! Thanks so much for this opportunity. Have a great evening 🙂

    1. It’s been too long since I had waffles… time to make some up! Good luck in the giveaway, Deb!

  8. I actually will be trying this for my men–they all love oatmeal, especially when it tastes like dessert! Nice one!

  9. My favorite brunch dish is hash browns with sausage gravy and poached eggs on the side.

  10. 5 stars
    You had me at “carrot cake”. I would love this. I don’t eat breakfast but there are a few days a week when I’m on my own for dinner and I can see this as a great option for one of those nights!

  11. I love steel cut oatmeal, this looks awesome. I really like sweet brunch food. My favorite is probably oatmeal, apple pancakes.

  12. That’s a tough question. Hmmm, I think my favorite brunch item is dutch babies or pancakes with fruit on top with a nice fruit/protein smoothie.

  13. I have been thinking of ways to use up all of those Grimmway Farms carrots… this is a must! 🙂 It looks lovely, Becca. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Those carrots were DELISH, Dianna! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed using them in this. Thanks for stopping by!

  14. I usually don’t take the time to make oatmeal, usually just quick oats with cinnamon and sugar, but now I want to make this for breakfast this weekend.

    1. I usually don’t spend much time on it either, Carla, but this recipe is SO worth the effort!

  15. There are so many brunch choices! As much as I love oatmeal, granola and pancakes, my favorite brunch option is a French Toast Sandwich! I love making a peanut butter sandwich, letting it soak in french toast mixture, and then cooking it in a skillet.
    The oatmeal looks amazing, by the way!

    1. Oh my word, Claudia…that peanut butter French toast sandwich sounds ahhhhmazing!
      Thanks for stopping by!

    2. My mom’s carrot cake is the best so this carrot cake oatmeal sounds devine! Wow, I never thought of stuffed french toast! I must make it soon!

  16. I eat oatmeal quite often in the mornings…but I’ve never thought about adding these fun flavors, Becca! Carrot cake is pretty high up there on my list of deliciousness, so I definitely need to try this recipe out soon. Thanks for sharing!!

    1. Thanks, Dave! I don’t fix fancy breakfast at my house, so this is as close as it gets. It fits the sweet & savory combo craving really well 🙂

    1. Thank you! Yes, you can definitely make it overnight, but I would suggest using water instead of almond milk if you’re going to do that, and then just add some almond milk to it when you serve it.

    1. Kelley, I’m allergic to coconut products, so I can’t say how coconut milk would taste as a substitute for almond milk in this dish. However, coconut milk is thick and creamy, so I imagine that it will add a wonderful richness and creaminess to the oatmeal. I hope you enjoy it!

    1. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Libby. It’s obviously not as sweet as carrot cake, but it definitely feels indulgent to eat it. 🙂

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