One morning I was craving carrot cake. It’s odd for me, because usually I would just eat the cream cheese icing right off the cake and call it a day. But this was pure inspiration. I sat down with a Belgian waffle recipe and a carrot cake recipe and came up with this gem! Try it, you’ll love it.

People usually associate carrots with vitamin A, but carrots are actually very high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that turns into vitamin A in the body. Health benefits include boosted immunity, stronger skin and nails, and good eye health and vision.

Beta-carotene is lipophilic, meaning it’s best absorbed with a source of fat. That’s why I paired it with full-fat plain yogurt and included a side of nuts. The tangy yogurt taste also played up the natural sweetness from the carrots. You could also include a handful of chopped walnuts right in the batter!
Other health benefits of carrots include high fiber content, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.

This recipe includes 3 carrots- that’s a lot for a baked good! This is a fantastic way to get some veggies in your breakfast!

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 20 minutes    4 Belgian waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cups rolled oats
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cornstarch
pinch nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil (olive, coconut, or avocado)
1 3/4 cup milk of choice
3 medium carrots, shredded
optional: handful of raisins, dried cranberries, seeds, or chopped nuts

Instructions:

Mix all dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and salt.

Add wet ingredients: eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, oil, and milk

Mix to incorporate, but don’t over-mix.

Fold in the grated carrots and toppings.

Cook on a waffle iron for approximately 3 minutes, depending on the waffle iron being used.