Apple and cinnamon porridge

Porridge, known as oatmeal, in some parts of the world, is usually oats cooked in water or milk, until it goes soft and creamy.

It is possible to make porridge using other grains, such as quinoa, rice or buckwheat. It can also be made out of corn or other pulses - for example pease pudding, is often known as pease porridge.

I love making porridge for breakfast and my youngest child shares my love. We eat it together nearly every day - his siblings won’t touch it unfortunately.

I'm so grateful that S has (my youngest child) has loved eating porridge ever since he was a baby. He has a lot of fun choosing toppings every morning and I usually follow his lead.

Can babies eat this apple and cinnamon porridge?

Yes - this porridge recipe is a great food for babies to eat. Many babies are weaned on baby porridge - made with ground oats. If you want to make a really smooth porridge for your baby you can either buy special baby porridge or make your own. 

My Fussy Eater has a great recipe for how to make your own baby porridge.

Many babies, especially slightly older ones, won’t need their porridge to be ground first and will enjoy the added texture. If you’re making this apple porridge for a baby be sure to mash the apples really well. You may also want to leave the sultanas or raisins out until your baby is a little older.

One more point about serving porridge to babies - if you want to sweeten it remember that honey isn’t suitable for babies under 1.

What special diets is this porridge suitable for?

My apple and cinnamon porridge is dairy free and egg free and is therefore suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It isn’t gluten free but you can easily make it suitable by buying gluten free oats.

This recipe is also free from refined sugar - as it’s sweetened naturally by the apples and sultanas. Be sure to buy unsweetened plant-based milk if you want this recipe to be refined sugar free.

What ingredients do you need to make apple and cinnamon porridge?

For full recipe, ingredients and quantities go to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 75g porridge oats
• 1 apple
• 50g sultanas
• 500ml milk, I used Koko 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Plus if you want to add some toppings, I have used:

• Chopped pecans
• Poppy seeds
• Maple syrup

Do you need any special equipment to make porridge?

No - it’s very straightforward to make and you’ll just need a saucepan with a lid* to make the actual porridge.

You’ll also need:

• a peeler*
• chopping board*
• sharp knife*
• wooden spoon*

How to make basic porridge

Porridge is extremely easy to make. I don’t know why there are so many over-priced sachets and pots of “easy” porridge on the market when all you need to make it is oats and milk.

Porridge can be made with water, instead of milk for an extremely cost effective breakfast. However, I prefer to make mine with milk. I usually use almond milk or Koko dairy free milk. I sometimes use oat milk too, although this can lead to a very thick porridge.

To make a basic plain porridge you just need to place the oats in a saucepan and cover with milk. Bring to the boil, stir well, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until your oats are soft and the porridge is creamy. 

If you are making the apple and cinnamon porridge scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post, as there are a few extra steps.

Can leftover porridge be stored in the fridge or freezer?

Yes. I often make too much porridge and end up storing it overnight in the fridge. Allow it to cool completely then cover with a lid before placing in the fridge.

It thickens up a lot in the fridge so you will almost definitely need to add some more milk - just a few spoons - before reheating in the morning. You can either reheat in the microwave or in a small saucepan.

The same goes for freezing porridge. You can freeze it - cooled and covered as before - for up to three months. Either defrost overnight in the fridge or in the microwave and reheat until piping hot. Again you will probably need to add some extra liquid - milk or water - to your porridge when reheating it.

More oat-based breakfast ideas you might like 

• Courgette and blueberry overnight oats
• Blueberry and banana porridge bars
• Carrot cake overnight oats
• Strawberry porridge
• Porridge fingers
• Cinnamon banana porridge
• Blueberry baked oats

If you love apples you might like my easy stewed apples recipe.