Easy Breakfast Porridge Recipe for Oats & Other Grains

Learn how to make porridge or oatmeal for a hearty, nutritious breakfast! Easy methods for soaking ahead of time or just cooking on the stovetop!

When we first started the switch from processed food to real food, I had to learn how to NOT rely on those small packets of flavored instant oatmeal for breakfast.

Not only are they full of sugar, but they’re expensive!

That led me to make homemade instant oatmeal packets in lots of flavors, but what if I ever ran out of those? Couldn’t I just make breakfast oatmeal on the stove?

The answer is yes! A basic breakfast oatmeal recipe should be in everyone’s kitchen skills, and my breakfast porridge recipe couldn’t be any easier!

WHAT IS PORRIDGE?

Breakfast oatmeal is sometimes called breakfast porridge, but they’re not quite the same thing. Oatmeal is when you cook oats. Porridge is when you cook any grain in a similar way.

You can make a quinoa porridge or a rice porridge recipe or even a cold porridge breakfast if it’s too hot outside to eat something warm.

I’m including both my oats recipe breakfast and a simple method for how to make porridge if you happen to not have oats or prefer a different whole grain.

Sliced peaches, sliced strawberries, ground flaxseed, and rice in a bowl with a spoon.

BREAKFAST PORRIDGE RECIPE

First, let me just start off by saying that just because most families have breakfast oatmeal, doesn’t mean you can ONLY have oatmeal at breakfast. You can certainly have oatmeal at lunch or dinner or even for a snack if you want to!

We’re fond of this breakfast oatmeal recipe for a few reasons:

It uses rolled oats. These have more chew than instant oats or quick-cooking oats, but less crunch than steel-cut oats and they’re my kids’ favorite texture.
Rolled oats are CHEAP and easy to find. Yay for not hunting down a special ingredient for breakfast!
Oatmeal has great health benefits, including providing plenty of fiber and helping to lower cholesterol.
The ratio is very simple. We use a 1:2 (scant) ratio, so no major math going on first thing in the morning.
It’s easy to make a double, triple, or quadruple batch. Just keep the ratio!

Bowl of porridge with blackberries, shredded coconut, walnuts, and a spoon.

SIMPLE OATS RECIPE BREAKFAST INGREDIENTS

You only need 2 ingredients for a simple oats recipe breakfast:

To make soaked breakfast porridge or soaked oats, you’ll also need:

The acid helps to break down the phytic acid in the oats, which can help the body better absorb certain vitamins and minerals and make for easier digestion.

OATMEAL TO WATER RATIO

The actual oatmeal porridge recipe is below, but you can use a 1:2 (scant) ratio of oatmeal to water.

That means for every one cup of oats, you’ll use a scant 2 cups of water.

“Scant” isn’t a technical term, and it’s not an exact science here. I usually pour a full cup of water into the oats, refill the measuring glass to the 1-cup mark, and then pour a little bit out.

Once you make this a couple of times, you’ll find your perfect ratio. Use less water for thicker oatmeal, and more water for thinner oatmeal!

HOW TO MAKE PORRIDGE OR OATMEAL WITHOUT SOAKING

If you don’t want to soak the oats beforehand, you can still make breakfast oatmeal.

Step 1. Measure 1 cup of oats and a scant 2 cups of water into a small saucepan.

Step 2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

HOW TO MAKE PORRIDGE OR SOAKED OATS

Making perfect porridge or soaked breakfast recipes oats is also really easy, but it does require a bit of thinking ahead.

Step 1. Combine the porridge oats, 1 cup of warm water, and an acidic ingredient (whey, yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk) in a container and cover. Leave in a warm place overnight (at least 7 hours) or for up to 24 hours.

Step 2. Bring additional water and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add the soaked oats and cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. The oats will continue to thicken as they cool.

BREAKFAST RECIPES OATS ADDITIONS

These breakfast recipes oats are the perfect base for all sorts of toppings!

Serve with fresh fruit, like bananas, berries, strawberries, or blueberries. Or dried fruit like cranberries and raisins.
Add nuts and seeds, like almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
Stir in a spoonful of peanut butter or another nut butter.
Sweeten with a drizzle of maple syrup, honey, cinnamon, or brown sugar.
Add a little milk for creaminess.

Have a Healthy Green Smoothie alongside your porridge for a filling and nutritious meal!

Bowl of sliced peaches, sliced strawberries, rice, and ground flaxseed with a spoon.

HEALTHY PORRIDGE BREAKFAST FAQS

Can you make oatmeal with just hot water?

Yes! Some people like to use milk for a creamier taste, but you can certainly use just water – we do that all the time!

Are oatmeal and porridge the same?

Not quite! Oatmeal is made with oats, and porridge is made with a different grain like quinoa or rice. Although in some places people may call “oatmeal” oat porridge or simply porridge.