With busy fall schedules, it is great to have homemade baked goods ready for an easy breakfast, snack, or dessert option. Today I wanted to share a recipe I developed that has become a favourite in our family for its incredible flavour. It is perfect any time of the day and is loaded with nutrition from beta carotene and essential fatty acids. Beta carotene, found in orange vegetables like carrots, supports healthy vision, immunity, and bone growth. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids from hemp hearts and pumpkin seeds support brain development in children, immunity and heart health at any age, and act as an anti-inflammatory for anyone experiencing inflammation.
I make this recipe using my KitchenAid 7 cup Food Processor. It does everything from shredding the carrots, to pulsing the pumpkin seeds, to blending the ingredients for an even consistency batter. You can find the full recipe below.
Ingredients
4-5 medium sized carrots, grated
2 cups steel cut oats or quick cooking oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free oats)
1/4 cup avocado or canola oil
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or coconut milk yogurt if you want to make a dairy free version)
1 egg (or 1 egg equivalent of egg replacer if you would like an egg free version)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup hemp hearts (I use Manitoba Harvest hemp hearts)
1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. baking powder
Instructions
1. Grate carrots using the appropriate inset and pulse feature on your food processor.
2. Once carrots are grated, open the food processor lid, remove the grater inset, and add all other ingredients.
3. Pulse the ingredients 8-10 times for a few seconds each time to get the pumpkin seeds crumbled. Then set the food processor low for 2-3 minutes and then high speed for another few minutes until the batter is of an even consistency.
4. Pour batter into cake pan of your choice and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a clean knife comes out of the batter. (Oven times will vary.)
Photo credit: Jana Burns Photography