Apple pie porridge

Apple pie porridge with apple, oats, almond milk, pecans, Ceylon cinnamon and maple syrup – warm, creamy and with a hint of cake for breakfast.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 5 min
• Cooking time: 10 min
• Total time: 15 min
• Calories: 310 kcal per serving
• Protein: 8 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 48 g

Ingredients

• 1 red apple
• 50g porridge oats
• 200ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp clear maple syrup
• 1 handful of pecans
• 1 tsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · wooden spoon

1. Put the oats, almond milk, Ceylon cinnamon and salt in a pan. Bring to the boil once, then stir over a low heat until the porridge thickens and turns creamy.
2. Wash and core the apple and cut it into cubes. Warm the ghee or coconut oil in a frying pan and briefly fry the apple pieces.
3. Add the maple syrup and a little Ceylon cinnamon to the apples. Keep cooking gently until the pieces are soft and a glossy syrup forms.
4. Roughly crumble the pecans and briefly fold them into the warm apples. This keeps them aromatic with a bit of bite.
5. Leave the porridge to stand briefly so it thickens a little more.
6. To serve, spoon the apple pie porridge into a bowl and top with the warm apple pieces, syrup and pecans.

Good to know

Tastes like warm apple pie in the morning, only much simpler. The porridge is soft and cinnamony, and the fried apples make it really comforting.

Swaps

Almond milk → whole milk or unsweetened coconut milk (creamier, no seed oils) Maple syrup → mashed banana or date paste (less free sugar, fruity sweetness) Porridge oats → oat bran or jumbo oats (more fibre or more bite) Pecans → walnuts or almonds (similarly nutty, a little more protein or minerals)

Allergens

Contains tree nuts from the pecans, and almonds depending on the almond milk. Well suited to children if the nuts are finely chopped, and usually fine during pregnancy as long as you tolerate the ingredients well. Contains: gluten (oats), milk.

Frequently asked questions

What's in oats, nutritionally?

Oats provide complex carbs, fibre and manganese, magnesium, iron and B vitamins. They're best known for beta-glucans, a soluble fibre.

Is Ceylon cinnamon different from cassia cinnamon?

Yes, Ceylon cinnamon usually contains much less coumarin than cassia cinnamon. This matters mainly if you use cinnamon regularly and in larger amounts.

What fats are in pecans?

Pecans mainly contain unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated ones. They also have small amounts of minerals and vitamin E.

Does maple syrup have more nutrients than table sugar?

Maple syrup does contain small amounts of minerals such as manganese, but it remains mostly sugar. The amounts of nutrients are fairly small in normal use.

Why cook the apple for porridge?

Many people find cooked apple milder than raw, and its pectin is a soluble fibre. How well you get on with it depends, as always, on the amount and your own sensitivity.