Name: Carrot Cake Fonio Cereal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 11 min
Ingredients: ½ Cup Shipetauken Fonio for Hot Cereal; 2 ½ Cups Unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice); ¼ Cup Shredded carrots; 1 Tbsp. Brown sugar substitute (or regular brown sugar); ½ Tsp. Pure vanilla extract; Pinch Kosher salt; 2 Tbsp. Raisins; 2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Coconut, flakes or shredded; 1/2 Cup Fresh pineapple chunks; 2 Tbsp. Walnuts, chopped; Maple syrup to serve (optional)

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Who says you can’t have dessert for breakfast? Certainly not me! How about Carrot Cake Fonio Cereal? This warm and delicious bowl of cereal is packed with all the flavors of carrot cake: pineapple, raisins, coconut, walnuts and carrots of course! Did I mention brown sugar and maple syrup too? (Sugar-free of course, I’m not completely crazy!!!)

There is nothing more satisfying on a cool Autumn day, that a bowl of hot cereal and if you haven’t tried fonio yet, you are in for a treat. I liken fonio to farina. It is a tiny West African grain that cooks up in 5 minutes and can be made with plain water, or any form of milk you like or have on hand. Today, I’ve used unsweetened almond milk – kind of my go-to milk in hot cereals. I really like the flavor. My fonio of choice is Shipetaukin Fonio for Hot Cereal. BTW first time buyers can get an automatic $5 discount on one unit of fonio if you purchase from the link above.

The cereal itself is made simply by combining the milk, fonio, brown sugar substitute (I used Lakanto brown sugar monk fruit in this), carrots, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until thick and creamy. Add in the raisins during the last minute and you are good to go. It takes about 5 minutes to get a healthy and nutritious meal to the table.

Then, it’s all about those toppings. Since I was going for a carrot cake vibe, I loaded up fresh pineapple, chopped walnuts and shredded unsweetened coconut. How good does this sound? As if it couldn’t get any better, I finish with a drizzle of sugar-free maple syrup. Honestly, there isn’t a kid (or adult) that wouldn’t love this for breakfast and you are starting the day with a load of protein, fruit and even a veggie. BTW, if you get hooked on fonio for hot cereal, try my Hot Fonio Cereal with Almonds and Berries recipe too.

If you haven’t worked with fonio before, know that it is an incredibly versatile grain that is also fabulous when used as a side-dish (think couscous) or as part of a main meal. It is packed with nutritional benefits and now readily available online. If you want to experiment more, try the other ways I’ve used it like in my Fonio and Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms. Really good.

If you liked the recipe and tried it, be sure to leave a rating and comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Then, check out some of my other healthy breakfast and brunch recipes:

Vanilla Protein Waffles for Two

Zucchini Egg Cups

Peanut Butter Waffles

Kodiak Cakes Apple & Walnut Sheet Pan Pancakes