Carrot Cake Meets Breakfast in This Slow-Cooker Oatmeal

By Jenny Sugar

Moist, sweet, and cinnamony. What's not to crave about a slice of carrot cake? You can enjoy those same warm flavors in your morning bowl of oatmeal, and the best part is it only takes five minutes to prep.

POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

Just throw everything into the slow cooker before hopping into your snuggly bed, and in the morning, you'll swear Betty Crocker snuck into your kitchen and baked you cake for breakfast.

POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

For 340 calories, this bowl offers over eight grams of full-till-lunch fiber and almost 13 grams of protein, all for under 20 grams of sugar. It's the perfect breakfast to simultaneously help you lose weight while making you feel like you're indulging. The nutritional info accounts for raisins and walnuts on top, but you can get creative and add unsweetened shredded coconut, vanilla soy yogurt, sliced bananas, chia seeds, or granola.

POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

This recipe makes five servings, so you can make a big batch on Sunday night, wake up to a warm, carrot cake breakfast, and then store the other four servings in mason jars for the rest of the week.

Slow-Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Cook Time8 hours
Yield5 servings
Calories339

From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 cup steel-cut oats (not to be replaced with quick or rolled oats)
    • 2 tablespoons flaxmeal
    • 2 cups shredded carrots
    • 4 cups unsweetened soy milk (or almond)
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 5 tablespoons raisins
    • 5 tablespoons walnuts

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Add all the ingredients except for the raisins and walnuts to a lightly greased glass bowl that will fit inside your slow cooker. Give it a good stir, and place the bowl in the center.

    2. Carefully fill the slow cooker with water, to about one inch below the rim of the glass bowl. Cook on low for eight hours.

    3. In the morning, remove the lid and stir up the oatmeal. Scoop out about a one-cup serving, and top with a sprinkling of nuts and raisins and any other toppings you choose.

    4. Store uneaten oatmeal in the fridge.