Make the easiest Carrot Cake Oatmeal and serve up a dose of veggies for breakfast in a kid-friendly form everyone will love! This is such a great way to start the day with a nutritious breakfast packed with fruits and veggies.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
We have oatmeal twice a week (mostly because it’s quick and easy and I want it to continue to be an option, so I serve it regularly) and this carrot version has been in regular rotation lately. I love how tender the carrots are and that it’s really easy for the kids to eat. And while my little guy doesn’t always want carrots in their regular form, he loves them this way!
TIP: This oatmeal also has shredded apple for some natural sweetness in the mix.
Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- Rolled oats
- Carrots
- Apple
- Cinnamon
- Pure vanilla extract
- Milk, honey, maple syrup, raisins, optional
TIP: I prefer to grate my own carrots so they have a finer texture than the ones you can buy preshredded, but take that shortcut if you need it!
Step by Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this easy oatmeal recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the full details.
- Grate the carrot and apple.
- Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Add the ingredients to the pot (except the optional ones) and stir.
- Cook until soft.
TIP: We like to serve this with milk and a little sweetener. Raisins are also nice in the mix!
Can I make this with other vegetables?
You can try subbing in grated zucchini (squeezed dry) or grated sweet potato (peeled) for the carrot. And shredded pear would work for the apple if you want to try another fruit option.
Tips for Making the Best Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- I prefer to grate my own carrots so they have a finer texture than the ones you can buy pre-shredded, but take that shortcut if you need it!
- Stir once or twice during cooking to make sure the oats don’t stick to the pot.
- Stir in any optional toppings as you like.
- Store leftovers (or make ahead) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to serve.
- You may also like my Carrot Cake Muffins and my Apple Raisin Oatmeal.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share. The more I hear from you, the better I can continue to make my recipes so I appreciate the comments and stars!
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PinDescription
This is a nice breakfast option to share with the kids starting around 9/10 months and up.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup grated apple
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)
- Maple syrup, honey, raisins, or sliced nuts, optional
Instructions
- Place 3 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce to medium and add the oats, carrot, apple, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the mixture is soft and the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the milk and cover. Let sit for about 5 minutes and serve with any desired toppings.
Notes
Store leftovers (or make ahead) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat to serve.
I prefer to grate my own carrots so they have a finer texture than the ones you can buy pre-shredded, but take that shortcut if you need it!
Stir once or twice during cooking to make sure the oats don’t stick to the pot.
Stir in any optional toppings as you like. You can add additional milk to your bowl if you like too.
If making for a child under age 1, use unsweetened nondairy milk and avoid honey.
Let the kids eat with a spoon or their hands.
YUM YUM YUM!!! This oatmeal has literally become a breakfast staple for us, I make a large batch so we can have it multiple times a week. The entire family enjoys this one and it has veggies, carbs and we add yogurt for some healthy fat- what more could you want in a breakfast!?
★★★★★
My son is OBSESSED with this! It’s such a good problem to have, but sometimes he doesn’t even go through it all in the few days- so my question is probably dumb but… you can’t freeze this can you? Thanks again for this recipe- it’s in our meal prep rotations for him all the time 🙂
★★★★★
I’m so glad! I worry a little about the milk separating when it’s thawed from frozen. You could totally freeze it if you don’t add the milk to the whole batch (and it might be okay with the milk) or maybe next time cut the recipe in half?
I love your recipes. More importantly my 13 month old loves them more !
Any ideas on how increase protein content? Maybe add some nuts like softened almonds?
And what do you serve this with? Or is it a meal on its own?
You can stir in nut butter, sprinkle with finely chopped nuts, add some hemp seeds…and yes, I serve this as a meal on its own.
Made this recipe for my 14 and 22 month old kiddos this morning- both loved it! Appreciate a breakfast that includes veggies!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that!
We always soak our oatmeal overnight to make the oats nice and creamy, and get breakfast going faster… but the carrots didn’t get enough cooking time and are still crunchy. Ideas? Could we microwave the carrots a bit before tossing them into the pot?
Sure, you could shred them and add to a bowl with a little water. Then microwave for maybe 1-2 minutes to soften a bit!
Thank you so very much for this recipe my 1 year old loved it. Didn’t expect him to eat the whole bowl we served but he did! 👍🏼
I’m so glad to hear that!
Though my lil guy is not an oatmeal fan but he loved this version , I added some nuts on the top for extra crunchiness ❤️ Thanks g th is the yummy recipe!
Made this for breakfast today for my 1 and 4 year olds. It was a hit!!
I’m so glad!