Porridge with amazing toppings can banish the winter blues and keep you full up until lunch. Cooking oat porridge in a rice cooker is easy – you can set the timer before you go to sleep, then in the morning you just need to add some milk and toppings and you are ready to eat. The best thing about porridge is that it’s easily adapted to dietary requirements – like dairy-free, nut-free or vegan and with the abundance of frozen or fresh fruit available, it’s a cheap and filling way to start your day.
COCOA, PEANUT BUTTER, RASPBERRIES
Add 1 tbsp of cocoa to the oats and water in the inner bowl before cooking. Once cooked, add a pinch of salt, loosen the porridge with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat), add a spoonful of peanut butter. Stir well so it’s mixed right through the porridge. Taste and add honey, syrup or brown sugar if you needed. Spoon into bowls and top with raspberries (fresh or frozen).
APPLE, APRICOT AND PUMPKIN SEEDS
When the porridge is ready add a pinch of salt, loosen the with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat). Taste and add honey, syrup or brown sugar if you need it a little sweeter and stir through 1 tsp of cinnamon. Spoon into bowls and top with 30g dried apricots, 1 chopped red apple and 1 tsp pumpkin seeds.
PEAR AND CINAMMON
To the cooked porridge add a pinch of salt, loosen with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat). Taste and add honey, syrup or brown sugar if you need it a little sweeter and stir through 1 tsp of cinnamon. Spoon into bowls and top with sliced pears. (consider peach and raspberry as an alternative)
APPLE, MAPLE SYRUP AND PECAN
Once the cooking has finished, loosen the porrige with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat). Add maple syrup and stir until it’s mixed through the porridge. Spoon into bowls and top with finely sliced apple and pecan nuts (whole or chopped)
YUMMY BANANA
Once the porridge has finished cooking, add a pinch of salt, loosen the porridge with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat), add a spoonful of peanut butter and stir well so it’s mixed right thoroughly. Taste and add honey, syrup/brown sugar if you need it sweeter. Spoon into bowls and top with banana slices, drizzle with peanut butter and honey if you want a treat.
SWEET CARROT
At the end of porridge cooking add a pinch of salt and loosen the porridge with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat), add 1⁄2 a grated carrot, 1 tbsp of raisins,1⁄4 tsp of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir well to make sure the mixture is distributed throughout and adjust the sweetness (optional) by adding honey, syrup or brown sugar. Spoon into bowls and top with more grated carrot, raisins and brown sugar (optional).
TOTALLY TROPICAL
When the porridge has finished, add a pinch of salt, loosen the porridge with coconut milk. Add honey/syrup/brown sugar (don’t add too much at this point because the fruit will automatically sweeten the porridge). Spoon into bowls and top with orange slices/chunks, mango slices/chunks, banana slices, shredded or dessicated coconut, extra coconut milk and brown sugar.
CHOCOLATE ORANGE
Add 1 tbsp of cocoa to the oats and water in the inner bowl before the cooking. Once cooked add a pinch of salt, loosen the porridge with any type of milk (cow, soy, coconut, oat). Taste and add honey, syrup or brown sugar if you need it a little sweeter. Spoon into bowls and top with orange slices.
Steel cut oats are our preferred type of oats to cook in a rice cooker. Rolled oats can be cooked, but can be a little tasteless – steel cut oats due to being less processed, require a longer cooking time and retain their texture when cooked.