Low sugar oatmeal recipe for babies: Carrot cake oatmeal

Do you ever find yourself craving a breakfast different from the usual cereal, milk, something (peanut butter is a favourite) on toast? We do, and that’s usually when we bring out this delicious carrot cake oatmeal for our little ones. It’s a low sugar oatmeal recipe, and perfect for toddlers and babies everywhere. The fact it’s such an easy recipe and based on carrot cake makes it oh so interesting for their palates too. It does work for adults as well, so might be a good step in incorporating whole grain food into diets to reduce risk of heart disease.

This oatmeal breakfast dish feels naughty yet tasty and filling with its simple ingredients. You certainly won’t find yourself in need of a mid-morning snack when you’ve indulged in it. Toasting the oats will elevate this dish, with the process adding another depth of flavour.

With the incredible flavours of a carrot cake, but packed full of nutrients and healthy ingredients, you will return to this recipe time and time again. It’s a simple recipe, so a great go to, giving kids a warm bowl of oatmeal, and important dietary fiber.

Oats are a fantastic source of energy, so a good thing for the body, helping to make you productive throughout the day. They are also great for lowering cholesterol levels as well as boosting your body’s immune system. Carrots, too, have a positive impact on immunity as well as helping to lower blood pressure and promote good digestion.

For those parents out there, who struggle to get their little ones to eat vegetables, this could be a basic oatmeal recipe with whole grains that helps you overcome those fussy feelings. Many children enjoy the carrot favorite flavour so much they keep coming back for more. The carrots give that sugar content without having to add any amount of sugar to the recipe.

So – how do you make it then?

Ingredient List

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Serves: 1 adult & 1 baby or toddler

Can it be frozen? No

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (to help with your healthy fats)
• 45 g oats (use whatever type of oats you want here, from quick oats or instant oats depending on your preference)
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated, to give you that all important Vitamin c
• 240 ml whole milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 3 crushed walnuts
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut, rather than coconut milk
• 1 tbsp milled flaxseed
• A handful of raisins (if this will be enjoyed by a baby, roughly chop the raisins before adding them to the mixture)

Optional (but very tasty!)

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Variations, including allergy ideas

If you wish to make this recipe dairy – free or vegan, use 1 tbsp coconut oil in place of the butter and 240ml of plant-based milk, such as almond or soy milk. For gluten-free, ensure you choose gluten-free oats. If you’d like a nut-free treat, swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds.

Low sugar oatmeal recipe – How to make it

1. Melt the butter over a low heat in a heavy-based pan. It is important to use a heavy based pan so that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the cooking time. It will insure that the ingredients, particularly the milk, are cooked evenly and less likely to burn,
2. Heat a skillet over a medium heat and use this to toast the oats for roughly one minute, tossing them frequently. This is one of our favorite ways of making sure that the oats are evenly toasted; which is important to give the dish a consistent flavour and texture. Once ready, they will have a golden-brown colour,
3. Add the grated carrot to the pan and cook for a further minute, stirring well. It can be quite difficult not to mush up the carrot here, so go gentle while you are doing this step. We know that this is easier said than done of course…the quest for the perfect bowl of oats (!) is seldom easy,
4. Pour the milk into the pan and stir thoroughly to combine all of the ingredients together. Stir gently and constantly so that you don’t allow the milk to overheat, or burn at all. No-one likes the taste of burnt milk/oats, and
5. Increase the heat up to medium and then add in the spices, nuts, coconut, flaxseed and raisins. Cook on the hob for around 5 to 6 mins (a really quick cook time), stirring all the time until the consistency is thick and creamy. Be patient with this final step so that all the ingredients are mixed together well. This is where all the delicious flavours come into their own. Keep stirring and adding all those lovely textures, and aromas to your breakfast for that special treat.

Personally, we enjoy this oatmeal topped with even more coconut and a splash of cold milk. This helps to lower its temperature quickly, especially useful if giving it to hungry (and impatient!) youngsters! It’s one of those great healthy oatmeal recipes with no added sugar, so it really is baby and toddler friendly.

A good dollop of plain yogurt (or even greek yogurt) along with some mixed berries can also work well, adding yet another dimension to the dish. Perhaps you can have a play with your favorite toppings and experiment a little with what works best for you – maybe a little ripe banana might be an idea?

We hope you agree that this recipe looks fabulous – particularly served in these rather fetching Disney bowls. Obviously if you are making for yourself, you may want to choose a different set of bowls depending on how young and frivolous you are feeling. 😂

One of the principle health benefits of oats are the carbs and fibres that they provide, alongside the protein. You are getting a good deal of nutrients for a pretty low calorie hit for yourself. As for your baby, its perfect because it’s such a great way to give them loads of vitamins and nutrients right at the start of the day.

This recipe is taken from the My Little Food Critic App, which is from the eBook cookbook author and instagrammer Shikha Gil. The app provides an easy way to find healthy recipes, including this healthy breakfast recipe. It offers a better way for parents to get great meals for themselves and their kids, providing loads of ideas. We all need a better option for family mealtimes that the chaos that can happen, right?

My Little Food Critic App

We do try and make sure you are able to print out the recipes that we have on the site, so here is this recipe in a printable version for you too. We hope that this is helpful for you when you are cooking this for yourself or your kids.

We have a few other recipes that are suitable for little ones. Do feel free to check these out as well if you have time.

There are more ideas for you to try offsite too for kids as well.

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We love having you on the site, and if there is anything we can do to help, let us know. Take care,

Helen

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