Spoon-fed existential comfort
Table of contents
About this Recipe
This porridge is your breakfast therapist—warm, grounding, and easy to digest. I created it during a Berlin winter when my gut and brain were both in protest mode. It’s healthy because it blends soluble fiber, omega-rich seeds, and fruits, offering steady energy without gut rebellion. Simplicity is key: one pot, minimal cleanup, infinite toppings. You’ll love it because it’s endlessly customizable, friendly to sensitive stomachs, and comforting without being cloying. I made it because I needed something warm, vegan, and IBS-kind that didn’t taste like punishment.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutes
Rolled Oats: The heart of the dish, these give the porridge its signature creamy, chewy texture. Use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
Water: Helps break down the oats for a soft, cloud-like consistency. Essential for a gentle texture without making it heavy.
Thin Oats: These are more processed than rolled oats and dissolve quickly, adding smoothness and helping bind the mix without thickeners. Can be skipped or swapped for oat flour in a pinch.
Sugar: Just a whisper of sweetness to balance the oats. Use coconut sugar, maple sugar, skip entirely for refined sugar-free or add more date syrup.
Plant Milk: Brings creaminess and flavor. Oat, almond, rice, or hemp milk all work—avoid soy if intolerant.
Vegan Yoghurt: Adds tang, probiotics, and a cold contrast to the warm porridge. Use coconut or oat-based yogurt for a soy-free version.
Fruits: These bring brightness and freshness—banana for creaminess, berries for tartness, apple for crunch.
Jam or Nut Butter: A rich flavor punch. Almond, peanut, or tahini all work.
Date Syrup (Optional): For deeper, caramel-like sweetness without refined sugars. Maple syrup is a great alternative.
Raw Pecans or Other Nuts: Crunch and healthy fats. Walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds for nut-free.
Hemp Seeds: Packed with omega-3s and protein, they add a soft crunch and subtle nuttiness. Optional, but recommended.
Recipe card with notes
Cozy Morning Porridge Bowl
Equipment
- Small pot
- Spoon
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp rolled oats
- 125 ml water
- 1 tbsp thin oats
- ½ tsp sugar
- 125 ml plant milk
- 1 tbsp vegan yoghurt
- Fruits (banana, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apple, etc.)
- 1 tsp jam or nut butter
- Date syrup (optional)
- Raw pecans or other nuts
- Hemp seeds
Instructions
- Simmer the oats in water. Over low-medium heat, add the water and rolled oats into a small pot, wait until it simmers, with stirring, and lower to low heat.
- Add sweetness. Mix for 1 minute, then add the sugar.
- Incorporate milk and thin oats. When most of the water evaporates (you can see the bottom when stirring), add the milk, and thin oats.
- Finish cooking. Cook for another minute and then turn off.
- Assemble the toppings. Top with yoghurt, jam or nut butter, date syrup if using, fruits, nuts and hemp seeds.
Video
Notes
- The desired, soft and cloudy texture of the oats is mostly achieved from cooking it in water, so try not to skip this.
- For a low-FODMAP version, skip the apple and swap the yoghurt for a coconut-based one.
- To make it nut-free, replace nuts with sunflower or pumpkin seeds and choose seed butters.
- You can prep the dry base (rolled oats, thin oats, sugar) ahead in jars for a quick grab-and-cook meal!
- To increase protein, stir in 1 tsp chia or flax seeds while cooking.
