Carrot Oat Cake

Hello! I’ve got another delicious oat recipe for you guys today. I already have a stovetop Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe up on here, but this recipe is definitely more cake like and is faster to make! It cooks in the microwave- not the oven- because although baked oats are so tasty, I’m waaaaay too impatient to wait for those.

I love love LOVE oats if you couldn’t tell- they’re such a fast, healthy, and filling breakfast. Not to mention that they’re the perfect blank canvas for any delicious flavours you’d like!

I feel like carrot cake is kind of a spring thing, right? People make carrot cake for Easter all the time. We don’t need any justification to enjoy these oats right now though because carrot cake is delicious any time of year. To make this delicious breakfast/snack/dessert, you only need a few ingredients that you for sure already have on hand. And if you don’t then GO PICK THEM UP because this recipe is one you don’t want to miss.

I started by mixing together some grated carrot, apple, oat flour (just blended oats- this really helps with the more cakey texture), baking powder, vanilla, water, and a bunch of great spices together in a lil ramekin. And then BOOM the hardest part is over. The microwave will take over from here. The microwave is so underrated, honestly. It makes oats, SWEET POTATOES, and….. warms up your food. Ok I’m sure there are many uses for it that I haven’t discovered yet but for now, oats and sweet potatoes are enough for me because they’re two of my favourite things.

So yeah, two minutes in the microwave and you’ve got a BEAUTIFUL little cake that is perfect as a quick breakfast, a healthy dessert, or a snack anytime you’re craving some carrot cake! I love how the carrot shines through because it’s not too sweet. If you like your carrot cake a bit sweeter though, you can add about a tablespoon of maple syrup. Plus- get creative with some add-ins too! I went very classic with mine, but chopped nuts, raisins, or even pineapple would be very tasty in here. Those things would all be great as toppings too! After I took nice pictures of this I scooped it into a bigger bowl and ate it with lots more yogurt, the rest of the apple, and some peanut butter.

Hope you love this super delicious and quick carrot cake recipe as much as I do!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Carrot Oat Cake

Ingredients

-1/4 cup oat flour (blended oats)

-1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)

-1/2 an apple, grated

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

-1/4 tsp allspice

-1/4 tsp ground ginger

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1/4 tsp vanilla

-1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water


Directions

1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin.

2. Microwave on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes, until a cakey texture is reached.

3. Top with yogurt, apples, and more cinnamon and enjoy!


Blueberry Mango Overnight Oats

Hi friends:) I don’t know why but this week has felt way more hectic than usual, and so I’ve been making overnight oats for the first time in a while- they’re SO helpful.

There was a time when I had overnight oats every single day for breakfast, and honestly I can see why😂 Actually I definitely used to go through breakfast “phases”, like for I would say almost a year I had Greek yogurt with a banana and peanut butter for breakfast every day; I had an overnight oat phase, last summer it was smoothie bowls and now I’m into some oats with Greek yogurt in the side. I do try and switch up my breakfasts more now though because there are so many delicious options and I want to get to eat them all😋

Anyways, overnight oats are super tasty and make the perfect grab and go breakfast. Usually I eat my breakfasts in the car, so with these I can just take em out of the fridge, bring a spoon and I’m good to go. I use this cute mason jar which had a wide top so I can get my spoon in there, and it fits in my school bag nicely after as well! I for sure recommend using a jar because it’s easy to grab and take with you in the mornings, but a small Tupperware container or even a bowl with plastic wrap over it will work too.

Pretty much all you’ve gotta do to make these delicious oaties is mix all of the ingredients in your container, and then let them sit overnight! For these blueberry and mango ones I started by mashing half of a banana in my jar. I then added my oats, some Greek yogurt, the mango and blueberries, and some almond milk. The mason jar lid got screwed on and I shook that baby so that everything got mixed together! The next morning I took my jar out of the fridge, added a few more fruits and some peanut butter, and I was good to go. You can save even more time by adding your toppings in the night before.

I absolutely LOVE the yogurt in these oats- it makes them so creamy and adds a ton of amazing protein. Then you’ve got those fruits, and the mashed banana for sweetness, and everything’s just👌. So good!

Hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe! Definitely going to be taking advantage of these more and coming up with some new great flavour combos🥰

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Blueberry Mango Overnight Oats

Blueberry Mango Overnight Oats

  • Servings: 1
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Ingredients

-1/2 a ripe banana

-1/3 cup quick cooking oats

-3/4 cup Greek Yogurt (use any % you’d like)

-1/4 cup almond milk

-1/4 cup fresh or frozen chopped mango

-1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

-Additional fruit and/or nut butter for topping (optional)


Directions

1. In a mason jar, Tupperware container, or small bowl, mash the banana and stir in all of the other ingredients.

2. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.

3. In the morning, remove the cover and add your toppings of choice, or grab your container and eat as is.


Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

Sometimes you just want some chocolate for breakfast, ya know? I know I do at least, and so today I’m sharing a delicious CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE BOWL that not only tastes amazing, but is loaded with fruits and veggies so you can start your day off right🙌

I always have a stock of frozen bananas in the freezer, because they make the best base for creamy smoothie bowls! I chop mine up before freezing so that it’s easy to just pop em in the blender. That’s ingredient number one in this smoothie bowl👍 Ingredient two is some nice frozen mango- also VERY good for texture, plus it adds some sweetness. Next we’re adding spinach because we gotta get those greens in!! The chocolate flavour completely masks the taste of the spinach, so you get the benefit of the veggies with the benefit of some tasty chocolate. That’s a win-win situation if I ever saw one.

For the chocolate flavour, I threw in one full tablespoon of some amazing, organic cocoa, along with little bit of water (you don’t want to overdo it on the water or you’ll end up with more of a smoothie soup), and blended until everything was nice and creamy!!

One of my favourite things about smoothie bowls is all the different ways that you can top them. On this one I went with some frozen blueberries, a little bit of coconut, and obviously some peanut butter😍😍 But there are so many different topping possibilities! Here are some delicious topping ideas:

  • More fresh or frozen fruit
  • Different kinds of nut butters
  • Raw or toasted nuts and seeds
  • Granola
  • Cereal
  • Dark chocolate
  • Puffed wheat

Toppings really make the bowl, so make sure you don’t skip out on them if you have the time!

Smoothies and smoothie bowls are one of my favourite breakfasts because they fit in all of those nutrients and a delicious taste in a super convenient format. If you don’t have time to enjoy this smoothie in bowl form, you can definitely add a bit more water to make a thinner smoothie and take it with you on the go.

This bowl is such a healthy and delicious breakfast treat. I had a couple of eggs on the side of mine for some protein, and it was the perfect way to start my day. Hope you enjoy!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)

Chocolate Smoothie Bowls

  • Servings: 1
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Ingredients

-1 frozen banana, chopped

-1/2 cup packed spinach

-1/2 cup frozen mango, chopped

-1 tbsp organic cocoa powder

-2 tbsp water


Directions

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Scoop into a bowl and top with your favourite toppings.


Roasted Winter Fruits

Hello! I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about my love for roasted veggies before- honestly I think that I could eat them all day. They get so tender and caramelized in the oven, making them the perfect addition to bowls, or one of my favourite stand-alone sides. However, when we’re talking about raw, uncooked veggies, I definitely prefer fruit. So I was thinking, what would happen if I roasted fruit?!!??! And, ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you that what happens when you roast fruit is PURE MAGIC.

Seriously. Magic. You get ten times the caramelization that you get with veggies because of the higher sugar content, and everything gets all soft, bubbly, and sweet. I roasted some nice in-season winter fruits that you might not think to roast. We’re talking grapes, mandarins, and apples, all of which release some beautiful juices and get amazingly tender. It all feels so Christmas-y and heartwarming!

There is so little prep that goes into this- just washing some grapes, peeling some mandarins, and roughly chopping an apple. I tossed everything in some allspice before roasting for some extra holiday flavour. Then it all goes in the oven for about forty minutes; this is where the enchantment happens. Halfway through the baking time, I took a fork and smashed some of those mandarins and grapes, just to get the juices flowing. Other than that, you just let those fruits do their thing.

Not gonna lie, I sneaked a few of these fruits right off the pan. They would be amazing over oats, yogurt, ice cream, cake, pancakes, waffles- you name it, these would make it better!! Feel free to add some more spices if you like as well- I know that cinnamon would be a welcome addition to the flavour explosion.

Hope you enjoy these festive fruits!

Roasted Winter Fruits

Serves: 2-3

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 Gala apple, chopped
  • 2 mandarin oranges, peeled and split into segments
  • 1 1/4 cup red grapes
  • 1 tsp ground allspice

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and combine. Spread out the fruits onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes.
  4. At this point, remove them from the oven and use a fork to lightly smash the mandarins and grapes, just bursting them so that the juices can escape. Place the pan back in the oven and roast for another 20 minutes.
  5. Take the fruits out of the oven, serve warm and enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone! Can’t wait for more holiday recipes coming next week:))

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)))

Tropical Baked Oats

I want to travel or go somewhere really bad, but I don’t know if that will be happening for a while. Fortunately, if I close my eyes and eat these Tropical Baked Oats, I may be able to imagine that I’m on a beach somewhere. I just won’t think about the foot of snow outside, and I’ll throw on a heated blanket or something. Annnnnywaaays, on a more serious note, these baked oats are very healthy and delicious, and are a great recipe for breakfast meal prep!

This was my first time baking oats, and I was really surprised at the results! (In a good way I promise). They’re not super loose like stove topped oats, but they’re not completely set and structured like I expected. They’re at a perfect spot in between that’s in a league of its own. You can cut out even slices or just scoop out big servings (my preferred method) and then add toppings to your heart’s content! You probably already guessed that I added peanut butter. And you would be correct.

We’ve also got double the tropical fruitiness going on in these oats, because I added pineapple both in the actual liquid that the oats bake in, and on top along with some kiwi. Preparing the recipe was simple: I blended up a ripe banana, pineapple, vanilla and almond milk, then poured it over a ceramic baking dish full of oats mixed with allspice. After that I placed more fruits on top, baked it up, and boom, done! You get a delicious, nutritious, and fruity breakfast:) My favourite part is that the fruits on top get a bit browned and caramelized. They’re just so good!

Making a double batch of this recipe would be great for a week of meal prepped breakfasts. Each day just scoop oat a serving of oats and warm them up in the microwave, adding some delish toppings to spruce it up a little. You could also try freezing individual portions and make a top secret emergency oat stash. Ok I guess it doesn’t have to be top secret, but it’s more fun that way. Also then you don’t have to share. Bonus!

Make sure you try out these baked oats if you’re looking to switch up your breakfast routine! Keep your eyes out for new flavours because I’m loving this baking technique.

Tropical Baked Oats

Serves: 2-4 (I ate like half but you could also split it into quarters lol)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 cups pineapple, chopped or sliced
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 kiwi, sliced, or a few slices of frozen kiwi

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a blender, blend 1 cup of the pineapple with the ripe banana, almond milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. Add the oats and allspice into an 8 inch ceramic (or glass) baking dish, and mix together. Pour in the blended pineapple mixture and stir until everything is combined.
  4. Top the oats with the remaining 1 cup of pineapple, and a few slices of kiwi. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the oats have been baking for 20 minutes, turn the oven to broil to get the fruit on top nice and soft! Broil for an additional 5 minutes.
  6. Remove the oats from the oven, scoop onto plates or into bowls, and add your favourite toppings before enjoying!

I love this little at-home taste of the tropics! Let me know if you try out these delicious Tropical Baked Oats:)) See you Friday!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))