Carrot Oatmeal with Pineapple is a delicious and wholesome way to start your day. It's filling, so you won't be tempted by mid-morning munchies. It's lightly sweet, but not so much as to put you in a sugar coma like (ahem....) some commercial cereals and oatmeal packets out there. It's reminiscent of seasonal carrot cake, with a tropical pineapple-coconut punch! Perhaps best of all, it's easy and can even be prepared as overnight oats if you wanted. Plus, what better way to eat fruits and vegetables for breakfast?!
Oats are famously budget-friendly and health-packed. Laden with gut-healthy fiber, they’re also an incredible source of antioxidants along with various vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, carrots add a refreshing health punch to this breakfast delight. A great source of vitamin A, potassium, fiber, and antioxidants – each bite not only tastes good but does good.
You might also like to try some other healthy carrot recipes, like Carrot Waffles, Roasted Maple Curry Carrots, or Whole Wheat Carrot Turmeric Muffins.
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Heart Health Benefits of Carrot Oatmeal
Carrot Oatmeal with Pineapple isn't just a great way to start your day because of its delicious taste. It boasts a significant number of health benefits, especially for heart health.
Firstly, this tropical oatmeal is rich in potassium and calcium, two essential minerals that help maintain heart health. Potassium helps in managing blood pressure by regulating the effects of sodium, which is beneficial to your heart. Simultaneously, calcium ensures efficient functioning of your heart muscles by supporting contraction and relaxation.
Another vital component contributing to the heart health is fiber. Oats, carrots, and other ingredients in this tasty breakfast bowl provide a hearty amount of fiber - over 30% of your daily needs! Consuming a high fiber diet can help lower the risk of heart disease by reducing levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, and regulating blood pressure.
In addition to all of these benefits, this meal includes heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Ingredients like walnuts and non-dairy milk contribute these essential fats, which help lower levels of bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, supporting a healthier cardiovascular system.
Ingredients
Despite its lavish taste, Carrot Oatmeal with Pineapple is easy to prepare. We start with simple, easy to find ingredients.
- Old fashioned oats
- Unsweetened non-dairy milk
- Grated or shredded carrots
- Crushed pineapple
- 100% pure maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Raisins
- Walnuts
- Grated coconut
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Healthy carrot cake oatmeal starts with combining the main ingredients in a small pot, and just gets easier from there!
Combine the oats, non-dairy milk, pineapple, carrots, vanilla, spices, and maple syrup in a saucepan or small pot. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the coconut. Heat a dry pan over medium heat. Add the coconut, and stir constantly for a minute or two, until you can see some of the shreds turning brown, and smelling delicious. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the oats are cooked, add the raisins, walnuts, and coconut.
Stir to combine. Serve hot, with toppings as desired.
Hint: If you let the finished oatmeal sit in the pan a few minutes, the raisins will absorb some of the liquid and become nice and plump.
Variations
Tropical oatmeal can be made lots of different ways. Here are some options!
- Microwave - add the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on high for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes, being careful it doesn't boil over
- Overnight oats - simply combine your ingredients and refrigerate overnight
- Baked oatmeal - add the same ingredients to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for about 35-40 minutes
Equipment
Besides the sauce pan, which is arguably the most important piece of equipment you'll need for this recipe, you will need measuring cups and spoons, a liquid measuring cup (affiliate links), and a grater of some kind.
If you don't have a grater, I recommend this All-in-1 Slicer and Cheese Grater (affiliate link). You could also buy pre-shredded carrots, which would cut your prep time to virtually nothing!
Storage
Healthy carrot cake oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You will want to add some more milk to it before you eat it, since the oatmeal will soak up extra fluid.
Top tip
Toasting the coconut brings out a lovely, toasty flavor that elevates this dish to a new height. The step is completely optional, however.
FAQ
Yes. However, you carrots may still be a little on the crunch side, since they won't be cooking long enough to soften them.
In this recipe, most of the fat comes from the coconut and the walnuts. Omit one or both for a lower fat breakfast. Pro tip: most of the saturated fat comes from the coconut, and most of the polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats comes from the walnuts.
No. For some perspective, half of a cup of chopped carrots contains about 3 grams of sugar. By comparison, a 12 oz Coke contains 39 grams of sugar! A teaspoon of sugar or honey is 4 grams. An apple has 10 grams of sugar.
To take it a step further, we're not even worried about natural sugar with regard to health. That sugar in the carrots and apples isn't what's contributing to all the maladies associated with sugar. Where it all goes off the rails is with added sugar - the sugar in the Coke, cake, candy, and what we add to coffee or sprinkle on cereal. While a little is fine, most of use go way overboard.
Related
Looking for other heart healthy breakfast recipes? Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Carrot Oatmeal with Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 ¼ cup Unsweetened Non-dairy Milk (I prefer almond or soy)
- ½ cup Grated or Shredded Carrot
- ½ cup Crushed Pineapple canned in 100% fruit juice
- 1 tablespoon 100% Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoon Walnuts chopped
- 2 tablespoon Shredded Coconut unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon Raisins
Instructions
- Add oats, milk, grated carrot, crushed pineapple, maple syrup (if using), vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and reduce heat.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes, until oats are cooked.
- Add raisins, coconut, and walnuts, and stir to combine.
- Pour equal amounts into 2 bowls.
- Garnish with shredded coconut and fresh pineapple slices, if desired.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
Safety is our top priority in the kitchen! Always keep these tips in mind.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands before touching food, and after touching raw meat, your hair, face, pets, etc.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the weather is hot)
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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NellBergmann says
Hi Laura,
The Tropical Carrot Cake Oatmeal is a wonderful and tasty way to enjoy oatmeal in the morning and also for a quick light dinner. I really enjoy this change of pace.
Thank you,
Nilda Bergmann
Laura Yautz says
I'm glad you enjoyed! So nice to have something different once in a while! Thanks for your review. 🙂
Anna says
How creative and delicious! 😍 We eat oatmeal for breakfast 90 percent of the time, and this would be a wonderful way to make it even better. Yumm!!
Laura Yautz says
Thanks Anya! I hope you love it! 🙂