Is there anything cozier than porridge?
The word itself just sounds like a breakfast that’s eaten in a log cabin with a real wood fire crackling in the background.
Even the process of making hot cereal is relaxing, letting it simmer away, stirring occasionally.
Growing up, we ate a lot of porridge. My dad was a big fan of steel cut oats topped with brown sugar, blueberries, and cinnamon, while my mom went for the chocolate Malt-O-Meal. Chocolate for breakfast? Yes, please!
But the best was when my grandpa would make a Norwegian porridge called rommegrot, which is just a mixture of butter, flour, milk, sour cream, salt, and sugar – lots of sugar.
In fact, his recommendation was to eat the top layer of the porridge, sprinkle a bit more sugar over the next layer, and continue this sugar “layering” until the bowl was scraped clean.
As I’ve gotten older, my love for a warm, creamy breakfast hasn’t gone away, but luckily my sweet tooth has been reined in quite a bit.
Instead of sprinkling sugar over the top, my favorite way to infuse a little sweetness is by roasting in-season or frozen berries that have been lightly tossed in maple syrup.
Sure, you can saute berries on the stovetop, but roasting really heightens their flavor, drawing the juices out to create the perfect topping for porridge.
But the best part about only adding roasted fruit instead of extra sugar? The acidity of the berries enhances the nuttiness of the einkorn grain.
If you like steel cut oats, then you’ll love einkorn porridge. While there is the extra step of pulsing the einkorn grains into smaller pieces before you cook, you’ll be rewarded with the perfect combination of smooth and chewy textures.
Just maybe wait to pulse the grains until everyone in the house is already awake.
In addition to starting your day off on a cozy note, you’ll also be giving your body a nutritious head start. Einkorn is an ancient form of wheat that’s high in fiber, protein, iron, and B vitamins.
It’s also an excellent source of lutein. A powerful antioxidant, lutein plays a major role in retina health and is being studied for its role in keeping our eyes healthy in a world where we’re all glued to our phone and computer screens.
And if that isn’t enough, this porridge is just a canvas for other health-promoting ingredients to be added to.
While I chose antioxidant-rich blueberries and almonds, which are high in healthy fats, there are endless topping ideas – some of which are listed after the step-by-step instructions below, so keep reading through to the end!
As you take each chewy, nutty bite, filled with juicy, maple-kissed blueberries, you can thank yourself for taking such good care of your health.
Or, you can simply enjoy the flavor and texture party going on in your mouth. Bonus points if there’s an actual crackling fire in the background.
After you try this deliciously comforting breakfast, don’t let those einkorn berries go to waste! Use the rest of the bag to make a hearty grain salad, with walnuts and radicchio.
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Einkorn Breakfast Porridge with Maple Roasted Blueberries
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Topped with juicy roasted blueberries and slivered almonds, this einkorn porridge is a breakfast worth getting out of bed for.
Ingredients
For the Porridge:
- ½ cup einkorn berries
- 1 ¼ cups water or milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- Additional maple syrup or milk for topping (optional)
For the Roasted Berries:
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed (or frozen)
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, to taste
Instructions
- Pulse einkorn 3-5 times in a high speed blender or food processor to crack them into smaller pieces. They should resemble steel cut oats.
- Place einkorn in a medium pot over high heat and toast for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 ¼ cups water or milk and salt; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. If the liquid has been absorbed but the einkorn is still too firm, add 1/4-1/2 cup more water or milk.
- While porridge is cooking, preheat oven to 400oF.
- Toss blueberries in maple syrup and cardamom. Place in a baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until berries have released their juices.
- Divide cooked porridge into two bowls and top with roasted blueberries, slivered almonds, and extra maple syrup or milk if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information below does not include optional milk or maple syrup for topping, for porridge made with water instead of milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Porridge
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Keywords: einkorn, einkorn berries, blueberries, porridge, hot cereal
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Measure Ingredients and Pulse Einkorn
Measure all of the ingredients that you will need for this recipe, and set them aside.
Pulse the einkorn 3-5 times in a high speed blender or food processor to crack them into smaller pieces.
They should resemble steel cut oats.
Step 2 – Cook Einkorn
Place einkorn in a medium pot over high heat and toast for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and 1 ¼ cups water or milk and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
If the liquid has been absorbed but the einkorn is still too firm, add 1/4-1/2 cup more water or milk.
I found cooking the einkorn in water to start and then adding ¼ cup of milk when there’s about 3 minutes left on the timer results in perfectly creamy porridge.
Step 3 – Preheat Oven and Prepare Blueberries
While the porridge is cooking, preheat your oven to 400°F. Set out a small baking pan.
Toss the blueberries in maple syrup and cardamom. If you don’t like or don’t have cardamom, cinnamon makes a nice substitute. If using frozen berries, there’s no need to defrost them first.
Step 4 – Roast Blueberries
Place in the baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until berries have released their juices.
If you’re using frozen berries, they could take about 3-5 minutes longer to roast.
Step 5 – Serve and Enjoy
Divide cooked porridge into two bowls and top with roasted blueberries, slivered almonds, and extra maple syrup or milk, if desired. Enjoy!
For a berries and cream twist, add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top of the cooked porridge.
Don’t Want to Roast Berries? No Problem!
Just like oatmeal, there are so many ways to top this breakfast porridge:
- Keep it simple with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey and fresh berries of your choice.
- Add a seasonal twist in the fall with apples, roasted pecans, and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and brown sugar.
- For a healthier twist on carrot cake, add grated carrots, raisins, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- For an elegant feel, stir in fresh vanilla bean and top with raspberries or strawberries.
- Love Almond Joy candy bars? Get the same flavors by adding sweetened coconut flakes, dark chocolate chips, slivered almonds, and a splash of milk.
- Keep it classic with sliced bananas, peanut butter, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
What are your favorite breakfast porridge toppings? Share in the comments below, and don’t forget to give this recipe a rating after you’ve tried it!
Looking for more hot breakfast cereals? Check out these Foodal favorites:
- Creamy Amaranth Porridge
- Protein-Packed Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
- Breakfast Quinoa with Pumpkin
Photos by Kelli McGrane, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on January 29, 2013. Last updated: December 14, 2021 at 14:41 pm.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
The written contents of this article have been reviewed and verified by a registered dietitian for informational purposes only. This article should not be construed as personalized or professional medical advice. Foodal and Ask the Experts, LLC assume no liability for the use or misuse of the material presented above. Always consult with a medical professional before changing your diet, or using supplements or manufactured or natural medications.
About Kelli McGrane, MS, RD
Kelli McGrane is a Denver-based registered dietitian with a lifelong love of food. She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in nutrition science from Boston University. As a registered dietitian, she believes in the importance of food to nourish not only your body, but your soul as well. Nutrition is very personal, and you won’t find any food rules here, other than to simply enjoy what you eat.
This is the first time I’m hearing about einkorn berries… and the salad looks wonderful! Will have to give it a try!
That porridge… oh my goodness. I need a big bowl right now. It looks AMAZING!
Keep the einkorn education coming!
That salad! So bright and colorful and cheery!
Your einkorn salad looks delicious. It is so colorful.
This recipe looks so good! You are making me strongly consider getting some of these little einkorn berries 🙂
I have never ever used this before but looking at all the different ways you can eat it, I really want to try this! Where can I find it?
It’s pretty easy to find online. We’ve also seen the berries in the bulk bins at our local natural grocery store. Let me know if you have trouble!
I love this- all we talk about now is how we need einkorn! I’m adding this porridge (I love everything about porridge) to the Pros list.
What a gorgeous post! I can’t wait to one day try Einkorn berries.
Thanks, Carrie. You are such an inspiration!
Einkorn flour was already on my list, and now I’ll have to get the berries too. I love the beautiful simplicity of both the porridge and your grain salad.
I must track down some einkorn berries – both these dishes sound so wonderful.
Yay! And if you can’t get it in London for some reason, other grains could work, too. Farro is a good second choice. : )
These recipes sound delicious! I was never a porridge-eating child either, and now as an adult I love my rice porridge for breakfast in the winter (gluten-intolerance means oats, and sadly einkorn, are off the menu). There is nothing like a warm, sweet bowl of breakfast to start the day off right 🙂
I’ll have to give the salad a try with quinoa instead perhaps, or brown rice?
Amy, Have you tried cream of buckwheat? That’s also pretty tasty!
You’ve convinced me. I’ve got einkorn flour on it’s way to me! Can’t wait to try the berries next.
That Einkorn Porridge looks heavenly! I have not experimented much when it comes to the grains I use for my porridge (tried buckwheat porridge ones and hated it so am a bit wary) but given how much I love Einkorn flour this looks worth a try (provided I managed to track down some Einkorn berries!).
This porridge is delicious!! It’s very filling so next time I’ll scale down the recipe but it was so good I ate the whole bowl ???? Please post any other topping ideas.
★★★★
I’ve tried cracking the grains in a Vitamix, which I end up with some flour and some whole. The food processor has a hard time cracking the grains. Am I going too long in the blender and not long enough in the food processor? I’ve sprouted my grains so maybe it doesn’t matter if they’re cracked or not? Just don’t want to end up with flour nor mostly whole grains, which is what we ate on our first go with it yesterday. It was very good though. Just had to cook it longer. Thanks for sharing the recipe!! Could you share your recipe for the Cream of Buckwheat? =)
When you do this, do the grains resemble the second photo in Step 1 above? Cracking isn’t necessary, it’s more a matter of attaining the texture that you enjoy eating as a hot cereal.
To make cream of buckwheat cereal, you can actually purchase buckwheat that has already been processed in a similar fashion to what is done here with the einkorn. Bob’s Red Mill sells packages of Creamy Buckwheat Hot Cereal, or you could try Pocono brand Cream of Buckwheat. Both of these are available via Amazon, if you follow the links provided here.