What’s not to love about carrot cake? It’s loaded with fruit, nuts, and a vegetable! This Carrot Cake Quinoa Salad has all the delicious components of carrot cake without the guilt. Have it as a side on your Easter or brunch Table, or have it as dessert with a protein punch!

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) are the seeds from a flowering plant in the amaranth family. They can be yellow, red, white, black, or purple. It is a gluten free “grain”, packed full of nutrients.

This little grain is a healthy carbohydrate, as well as a protein. In every 1/2 cup of quinoa there is 4 grams of protein.

Quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids. A few other reasons to eat quinoa, according to this Healthline article, 8 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Quinoa, written by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD and Kris Gunners BSc:

• anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties
• high in fiber, which helps your gut
• good source for magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc

Quinoa is a super food! Incorporate it into your meals to reap the benefits of these little gems.

If you like this pineapple recipe, you’ll love Hummingbird Muffins.

Carrot Cake Quinoa Ingredients

Everything you would find in a yummy carrot cake is in this quinoa salad, except the white sugar, flour, and icing.

• Quinoa
• Carrots
• Pineapple & Juice
• Golden Raisins
• Pecans
• Coconut
• Cinnamon & Ginger
• Orange Zest & Juice
• Honey
• White Wine Vinegar & Olive Oil

Making the Quinoa Salad

This Carrot Cake Quinoa Salad is easy to sling together. First, make the quinoa. Second, whisk the dressing. Third, put it all together.

If you like quinoa, you’ll love this quinoa recipe with Cantaloupe and Goat Cheese.

Tips for Fluffy Tasty Quinoa

I spent years, eating soggy tasteless quinoa. Don’t let this happen to you. Here are a few tips…

Rinse

Quinoa has a compound called saponin, which has a bitter taste. If you don’t rinse it, the quinoa will taste unpleasantly bitter. And you’ll vow never to eat quinoa again! (How sad.) Rinse the quinoa several times with cool water to get rid of the bitter taste.

Flavor Quinoa with the Cooking Liquid

Quinoa can be bland, if you don’t gussy it up! Swap out some of the water with a flavorful liquid. In this recipe, orange juice, pineapple juice (from the can of pineapples), and water are used.

Ratio of Quinoa vs. Liquid

Quinoa instructions will typically say 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. It works best to cut the liquid slightly. In this recipe, use 1 cup quinoa, 1-3/4 cup liquid.

Wait to Put a Lid on It

Don’t be tempted to put the lid on right away. Keep the pot uncovered while cooking. This will prevent the quinoa from getting soggy. Quinoa may be done in more or less time depending on the size of pot you are using.

1. Once liquid is absorbed, put a lid on it.
2. Take it off the heat.
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. Fluff with a fork.

Assembly of Carrot Cake Quinoa

With quinoa cooked and fluffed, it’s time to add the goodies!

Toss in carrots, pecans, pineapple, raisins, and coconut. If you don’t like coconut, omit, or put a side of coconut on the table for sprinkling in. Coconut can be a battle. We are a split household.

Mix in the fruit, nuts, and carrots. The final step is the dressing!

Dressing

Dressing is what brings any salad to life. This dressing is packed full of flavor and sweetness. It’s as easy as putting all ingredients into a bowl and whisking. Adjust the amount of honey to make more or less sweet.

Salads don’t have to be boring. If you like this salad recipe, you’ll love my post on 5 Healthy Salad Dressings.

• White Wine Vinegar (or any good quality vinegar)
• Orange Juice & Zest
• Olive Oil
• Honey
• Ginger (fresh is best)
• Cinnamon
• Salt

Homemade dressing is what makes a salad. If you like this dressing, you’ll love this Lemony Mint dressing. Or this Easy Pesto Dressing.

Serve it with…

The possibilities are endless with what this side dish goes well with. Salty and sweet are always a good pair.

• Ham or Pork Chops
• For a Breakfast Bowl
• Anything off the Grill (especially this Salmon recipe)
• Make it a Dessert
• Make it a meal by adding in some arugula and chicken or chick peas, for an extra dose of protein.

Leftovers

Store in your fridge for up to 4 days.

Thanks for reading along. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you would like more healthy recipes like this one sent right to your inbox, sign up for my Recipe Drops. They’re always FREE.