This baby-friendly carrot cake oatmeal is literally, carrot cake in a bowl! It boasts the same traditional flavours and textures as traditional carrot cake-sweet, crunchy carrots, chewy raisins, and a creamy consistency with a hint of spice-as well as fiber-rich oats, omega 3-rich flax, which makes it without a doubt healthier than the traditional dessert.

I’m kicking off ‘Ode to Oatmeal’ week with this delicious variation of the traditional dessert, which in this case doubles as a healthy breakfast or mid-morning snack.

The only thing missing in this tasty oat version of the traditional cake is the icing however, I’m confident that the finished product is sweet enough to satisfy baby’s sweet tooth!

Ingredients
(Makes about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup carrot (about 1/2 medium carrot), finely grated
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground flax seed (optional)
1 tbs. raisins (optional)
1 tbs. organic maple syrup or other sweetener of choice (optional)

Preparation
Peel the carrot, remove the stems then finely grate and set aside. In a small pot over medium-high heat, whisk together the milk, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, flax seed, vanilla extract and bring to a light boil.

Once boiling, stir in the carrots and oats and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low to avoid the milk from burning.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until the milk has been absorbed and the oats have softened. Add the raisins and stir to heat through. (The raisins can also be added at the beginning of the cooking process so they are completely softened before serving.)

Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup. Portion into bowls and/or set some aside to freeze. When reheating, add more milk or water to moisten the oatmeal.