If you have a mission to normalize the consumption of nutrient-rich muffins, cookies, oatmeal and the like for breakfast, you have come to the right place. Not only are carrots themselves full of vitamins and minerals that can help you get off to a good start, some of the common ingredients in carrot cake are also known for their anti-inflammatory properties, making them a great choice for an early morning.
“Thanks to their orange hue, carrots are an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene that is converted to vitamin A in the body,” says dietitian Maggie Michalczyk, RDN, the founder and developer of recipes behind Once Upon a Pumpkin. According to Michalczyk, vitamin A not only has antioxidant properties, but is also important for your eyesight, cell health and your immune system, among other functions. “Carrots are also an excellent source of fiber, biotin, vitamin K and potassium,” he adds. Fiber is an excellent nutrient for the first time in the morning, as it helps you stay regular and fight inflammation. Biotin, or vitamin B7, plays a key role in maintaining your body’s energy levels, while vitamin K helps strengthen bones and potassium helps your body regulate fluids.
But carrots are not the only ingredient in these carrot cake breakfast recipes that fights inflammation. “Nuts commonly found in carrot cake are a powerful source of protein and healthy fats, which are essential parts of an invigorating breakfast. “Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves also have anti-inflammatory properties,” says Michalcyzk.
If you’re looking for some extremely nutritious ways to incorporate more dessert flavors into your breakfast plan, we’ve put together some of our favorite healthy carrot cake breakfast recipes that will get you into the kitchen as soon as your alarm goes off.
7 anti-inflammatory carrot cake morning recipes
1. Breakfast cookies with oatmeal carrot cake
It’s hard to go wrong with cookies in the form of cookies at any time of the day, but in the morning, it’s really worth getting up for. This recipe from Erin Lives Whole is packed with protein, fiber and antioxidants, thanks to wrapped oats and oatmeal, cinnamon, ginger, carrots, raisins and nuts. Do not hesitate to use whatever nuts you have at your disposal — almonds and walnuts are traditional, but cashews, pistachios or pecans would be just as divine. The frosting with one ingredient is the (literally) icing on the cake!
Find the recipe: Breakfast cookies with oatmeal carrot cake
2. Healthy gluten-free carrot cake bars
These cream cheese-coated carrot cake bars have the added advantage of being gluten-free, so even those with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity or allergy can be involved in the action of the morning carrot cake. As Ana Ankeny, the recipe developer at The Real Food Dietitians, says, “Spring and carrots go together like May and flowers!” The bars are made with fresh grated carrots, hot cinnamon, a handful of walnuts and apple sauce, which makes them very moist and tender with a crispy crunch.
Find the recipe: Healthy gluten-free carrot cake bars
3. Carrot oatmeal oatmeal
Do you think oatmeal is a good night’s sleep? Think about it again. This unbaked carrot cake recipe is easy – it only takes 10 minutes to make it – and just as delicious as a real carrot cake. BTW, the recipe developer at Krolls Korner, Tawnie, is a real registered dietitian, so you know you’re going to start your day on the right foot with it. We love that it includes some crushed pineapple on the plate – talk about the secret oatmeal ingredient you never knew you needed.
Find the recipe: Oatmeal carrot cake
4. Healthy carrot cake muffin with cream cheese icing
These healthy morning muffins look just like cupcakes and we’re here for that. Not only do they taste great, but they are completely free of refined sugar if you cook them without icing. Do you want to make them gluten free? Proceed: Ambitious Kitchen suggests using chickpea flour (discussed for significant anti-inflammatory benefits) instead of wheat flour.
Find the recipe: Healthy muffins for carrot cake with icing cream cheese
5. Healthy carrot cake granola
We love this granola from Not Enough Cinnamon for its versatility. Add the oatmeal or yogurt on top for extra flavor and wonderfully crispy. And where to start with its anti-inflammatory benefits? Almost every ingredient in this breakfast recipe fights free radicals in the body and contains antioxidants, from oats, coconut flakes and warming spices to golden currants and roasted pecans. Professional advice: Keep it in the fridge if you like your granola In addition crisp.
Find the recipe: Healthy granola carrot cake
6. Oatmeal baked carrot cake
We love a well-baked oatmeal for its wonderful crust and delicious center. This easy recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod has quickly become a regular on the morning shift. We like the fact that it’s batch-friendly and not one-dose — and if you want to make oatmeal in muffin cups instead of pan so you can have your breakfast on the go, just reduce the cooking time to about 20 minutes and pull it out when golden brown.
Find the recipe: Baked oatmeal with carrot
7. Carrot Cake Baked oats with cashew cream cheese
“[This carrot cake baked oats recipe] “It’s full of carrots and oats, so much fiber to keep you full and satisfied most of the morning,” says baker, nutrition coach and fitness trainer Sashah Handal in his episode. Alt-Baking Bootcamp, adding that the recipe also requires pecans, which are full of heart-healthy fats. However, these are not the only anti-inflammatory ingredients in the recipe: You will also see cashews, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Oh, and we’re crazy about adding cashew cream cheese.
Find the recipe: Oatmeal carrot cake with cashew cream cheese
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