There is one thing you really need to know about me. I’m a massive breakfast person. It’s my favourite meal of the day! I mean what’s not to love about being able to have sweet or savoury, and there are so many delicious options! Anyone who knows me knows that each weekend I strategically try to optimise breakfast so that I eat out Saturday and Sunday, because a boring breakfast on the weekend is just not an option!

Normally during the week I have porridge, or oatmeal, as Americans like to call it. I tend to be pretty simple with it, and just have it with honey. But this week I decided that I would shake it up a bit, and try something different. I mean, if you can start your day with a delicious and fun breakfast, I feel like it sets you up for a better day.

I’ve been looking on Pinterest for healthy breakfast ideas, because I always try to eat really healthy during the week, so that I can eat whatever I want on the weekends. There are a lot of recipes for oatmeal on Pinterest with varying degrees of healthiness – anywhere from full of chocolate and sugar to so healthy I don’t own half the ingredients! But I found this recipe and thought that it looked like something really tasty, whilst still being quite good for you.

The other thing I have an issue with for breakfast on Pinterest, is the portion sizes. A lot of the recipes use a cup of oats and say that this is two servings, I’m not sure if this is just the portion sizes in America, which I know in general tend to be a lot bigger than in Australia. But I find that a normal portion size for me is a quarter of a cup of oats. So I halved the recipe I used in order to avoid food wastage and ensure I didn’t end up eating way more than I needed to. Hopefully by posting this it might make recipes with smaller portion sizes a little more accessible to those who want them.

This Carrot Cake Porridge (Oatmeal) tastes like a carrot cake with a healthy twist. It has minimal sugar, no milk, no flour or anything. It uses the natural sweetness in the carrots, and the spices, in order to sweeten the dish. I was really happy with the result, and it was a perfect start to quite a chilly day in Brisbane! Nothing like some oats to warm you up before tackling the day!

I realise that I might have gotten you excited for actual cake for breakfast, and so I’m sorry to disappoint. But this does end up tasting pretty close to carrot cake, but it’s much better for you. So hear me out, because being able to have your breakfast taste like cake is pretty good, all things considered!

This recipe is really simple and quick. It was finished in 15 minutes, so is perfect to do in the morning. It’s also really easy to make, and requires little concentration. So if you aren’t a morning person, fear not! You will still be able to manage this breakfast with your eyes half open.

Carrot Cake Porridge (Oatmeal)

Adapted From	Kitchen Treaty
Serves	2 portions
Preparation Time	5 minutes
Cooking Time	10 minutes
Ingredients ·      ½ cup of Oats (not quick oats, just regular ones) ·      ½ cup of finely grated carrot (about 1 medium carrot) ·      ¼ cup of desiccated coconut ·      1 and ½ cups of water ·      1 tablespoon of maple syrup (the real stuff) ·      ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon ·      A pinch of nutmeg ·      A pinch of dry ginger ·      ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract Method 1.     Get a medium saucepan, and add the oats, carrot, water, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Stir to combine. 2.     Place the saucepan over a medium heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the porridge to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture has become thick and creamy. Ensure that you keep stirring it every so often, as the porridge will stick to the pan as it cooks. 3.     Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 4.     Place your serving in a bowl and serve with your choice of toppings. I put some coconut on top, along with cranberries and cinnamon roasted cashews.

So there you have it, I told you it was easy! And I can guarantee it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, all ready to start a new day! I had mine with a bit of milk at the end, but if you prefer you can substitute half of the water for milk, and use this for cooking your porridge. You will get a similar result to mine, but it will just be creamier. I opted out of this, as I really wanted to keep the dish as healthy as possible. It wasn’t too sweet so if you do have a sweet tooth you might want to sprinkle some brown sugar or more maple syrup on at the end for taste.

Skipping breakfast is pretty much missing out on premium eating time, so give this recipe a go and enjoy the feeling of starting your day full of delicious, healthy food.

Until next time, happy baking!

Ella xx