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The Best Porridge Toppings

Look no further if you’re looking for the best porridge topping ideas. There are plenty of things that you can add to your porridge to make it more interesting.

Did you ever think porridge was boring or only a diet-friendly dish?

To your surprise, it doesn’t have to taste the same every time, and with all of the different porridge oat flavours at Oat Pantry, you can enjoy a different flavour of porridge every morning. View our porridge flavours here.

We want to show you that there are a lot of choices when it comes to making porridge. There are so many different flavours and lots of tasty varieties of toppings to make breakfast something worth jumping out of bed for!

What Can I Put On Top Of Porridge?

Healthy Porridge Toppings

Everyone loves porridge. It’s comforting, filling, and most of all, warm. But when it comes to porridge toppings, the options are endless. There’s so much you can eat.

By using some of these topping ideas, you can add extra nutritional benefits to your morning breakfast bowl.

Delicious Porridge Topping Ideas

Dark chocolate, cherries, hazelnuts and flaked almond toppings

An ingenious topping is quickly prepared, ideally while the porridge is cooking. It turns the breakfast into a small work of art and tastes unbelievably good with the creamy porridge.

That’s why we will look at some of the most popular porridge ingredients that people tend to put on their porridge. These toppings can all be great options when making breakfast.

Types of Healthy Porridge Toppings

Porridge is unappealing without a nutritious topping. To make a complete meal, experiment with a variety of toppings.

Here are some great ideas for porridge toppings you can use.

Crunchy Porridge Toppings

1.       Nuts 

As nuts offer a crunchy bite to the fairly soft oat flakes, nuts truly make porridge the perfect breakfast. Which nuts you want to use is entirely up to personal preference: cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, peanuts, pine nuts, nutmeg, or coconut chips all work nicely with oat flakes. If you enjoy a variety of nuts, choose a nut mix.

2.      Seeds 

Seeds are well recognized as superfoods. Adding a variety of seeds boosts the nutritious value of the porridge. You can use chia seeds, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds as a crunchy porridge topping.

Tip: Grind or sprinkle them over hot or cold porridge.

3.      Sweet Porridge Toppings

You don’t have to do this, but it can make your porridge sweeter if you have a sweet tooth in the morning and want to avoid sugary cereals and so on.

Honey, maple syrup, date syrup, grape juice, cocoa, and brown sugar are excellent natural sweeteners.

Tip: Simply pour your preferred natural sweetener over your hot or cold porridge and enjoy.

4.     Fruity Porridge Toppings 

Fruits give fruity characteristics to the oat flakes. They’re especially good with hot or cold porridge or overnight oats. If you want a cost effective and good shelf life solution, consider frozen fruit in particular.

Apples, bananas, pomegranates, pears, cherries, kiwi, figs, peaches, and berries like strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries can all be added.

Tip: Fruits should be added at the end as a topping for overnight oats and porridge. This way, the fruits will keep beautifully fresh and crunchy.

5.      Spicy Oats Topping

You could try different spices, whether with porridge, baked oats, or overnight oats. We recommend cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, and allspice.

Tip: Start gently and blend spices for a unique flavour experience. It is advisable to use ground spices since they are more evenly distributed and taste better in porridge. If you just want a hint of extra spice, simply add a little sprinkle on top.

6.     Low-Calorie Porridge Toppings

We understand that a lot of people who have porridge in the morning, are looking for a healthy, calorie controlled breakfast option. This is why we have worked with our in-house Nutritionist to develop our unique flavours of porridge, but it’s also why we understand when it comes to toppings nutritious options are key.

Oat Pantry Maple & Pecan Pie Porridge topped with chopped pecans, maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon.

Here we’re going to share some low-calorie and high nutrition porridge topping ideas you could try:

  • Sliced banana + chopped walnuts + pinch of cinnamon
  • Dark chocolate chips + chopped hazelnuts
  • Cranberries + chopped apples + cinnamon + nutmeg
  • Chopped fig + pistachios
  • Dark chocolate chips + chopped almonds + shredded coconut chips
  • Raspberries + dark chocolate chips + chia seeds
  • Pumpkin puree + maple syrup + chopped pecans + pinch of pumpkin pie spice

The Final Takeaway!

Do you normally have breakfast at work on weekdays? Then here’s some fantastic advice for you: Separately pack your porridge toppings!

You will need three different containers.

  1. A container in which to carry your porridge/overnight oats (we have a great single serve overnight oats jar here).
  2. Second, a container for your porridge topping (chopped fruits or any of the above-mentioned natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey).
  3. The final one is for crunchy toppings such as nuts, seeds, kernels, and chocolate.

So you have all of the ingredients for your breakfast ready and may have a perfectly prepared porridge with toppings in the workplace. We bet your colleagues will envy you!

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How To Make The Best Porridge

When it comes to healthy breakfast recipes, the one dish that is universally popular among the masses is none other than porridge. It’s easy to make and is bursting with nutrients.

Packed with high amounts of fibre, oats are low in cholesterol. The cherry on top is that they are loaded with complex carbs and plant-based proteins. The easy-to-digest quality of oats makes them an ideal option for breakfast. Also, if you add more healthy foods like nuts and fresh fruits into it, you’ve reached a chef’s kiss level of goodness and deliciousness.

Healthy Methods for Making Porridge

Porridge can be made on a stove, in a microwave or baked in the oven. The best thing about porridge is that it’s quick, convenient, keeps you fuller for longer, and it’s easy to make. Just grab your desired flavour of oats from Oat Pantry, and you’re ready to go. 

Below we detail out the different ways you can serve porridge.

Porridge In A Microwave:

If you’re that person who can’t spend 20 minutes in the kitchen making breakfast for yourself, then microwave porridge is the best one for you. Apart from being highly nutritious, microwave porridge can be made in around two minutes. Here are some tips for making the perfect bowl of porridge in a microwave.

Method For Cooking In A Microwave:

  1. Make sure to set your microwave setting to a default high power.
  2. Use a deep bowl as it allows the oats to sink in better, making them more fluffy.
  3. Optional: cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate to help the porridge oats soak in more moisture resulting in fluffier oats.
  4. All microwaves work differently, so look for the cooking times that is best suitable for your desired liking of the oats. Don’t worry; after your first batch, you’ll get the idea of what time is best suitable for your microwave.

Porridge On A Stove:

Oat Pantry Cherry Bakewell Porridge made on the stove and topped with fresh pears and almonds

While making porridge in a microwave is quick and easy, making it on a stove is far more satisfying and delicious than you think. It is a bit more time-consuming, but it’s worth it in the end. Porridge made on a stove is much creamier than the microwave because it is slow-cooked.

  1. For starters, take a pan and put it on the stove.
  2. Add your desired liquid. It can be water, milk, or both. Bring the liquid to a boil.
  3. Lower the heat and then add the oats.
  4. Cook them until they absorb all the liquid and increase in size. Keep stirring.
  5. Your stove porridge will be ready in 4-5 minutes.

Baked Oats In An Oven:

Oat Pantry Maple & Pecan Pie Porridge served as baked oats with blueberries

If you ever get the chance to try baked oats, definitely give them a try. Everyone who tries baked oats quickly becomes a fan of it. It does take some time to bake, but in the end, it’s worth it. Unlike stovetop or microwaved porridge, baked oats are more like a cake consistency. You can top it with your favourite nuts for a crunchy topping or add a spoon of your favourite nut butter to the centre for a creamy middle.

Baked oats in an oven are easy to make, and your oven does the work for you. Just grab your favourite ready-to-make porridge flavour from Oat Pantry, and you’re ready to go. Here’s a list of things you need to do for making baked oats.

  1. First, preheat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.
  2. Place 40g oats, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 egg or chia egg (1 tbsp of chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp of water – let it sit for 15-20 mins) and 100g plain yoghurt into a bowl and mix together.
  3. Pour mixture into a small ovenproof dish and bake for 25-30 mins, or until browned, and you’re good to go.

Oats With Water Or Oats With Milk: Which One Is Better?

Eating healthy is as important as staying fit and active. No doubt, porridge has become the number one meal of choice for breakfast. But, there’s still a difference of opinion when making oats with milk or water.

The truth is that both are correct.

Oats taken with milk are more thick and creamy in texture. Milk also fulfils your protein requirement and is great for enhancing the dish’s overall flavour. On the other hand, water makes the dish lower in calories and is a perfect weight-loss dish.

The Final Takeaway:

Porridge is much more than a convenient breakfast meal. It is fuss-free, can be made in minutes, is delicious, and the best part, it keeps you energized and feeling fuller for longer throughout the day.

With Oat Pantry’s unique porridge flavours and the best quality ingredients, making porridge is just one step away. 

Order your favourite flavours of porridge right now from oatpantry.com 

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Local Supplier Spotlight: Bennett and Dunn Rapeseed Oil

You already know that here at Oat Pantry, we love to talk to you about our partner producers, whose expertise plays a big role in the quality of our granola & porridge. The Original Bennett and Dunn Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil is a key ingredient in our Oat Pantry granola, not only is it a healthy alternative to olive oil but it adds a delicious creamy nutty flavour to our recipes.

Read on to discover more about the Bennett & Dunn story in our interview with local suppliers Tracey & Rupert Bennett.

The Bennett & Dunn Story

Bennett & Dunn Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil is produced by husband and wife team Tracey and Rupert in Shropshire, England.

We produce cold pressed, triple filtered, hand bottled Rapeseed Oil drawn from Shropshire’s irresistible landscape. We started Bennett & Dunn in 2014 after watching celebrity Chefs on the television cooking with and recommending Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil as a great British healthy alternative to extra virgin olive oil.

Rupert has a 30 year farming background, and I have lots of experience in retail. After introducing our oil to local farm Shops and chefs, the response was fantastic. This is due in part to Rupert’s passion and dedication to quality, he keeps a tea spoon next to the press and tastes the oil at least once a day to make sure it’s always perfect for you. Nothing is added between the fields and the bottle….it’s just full of natural goodness.

Harvested in late July our seeds are cleaned and then stored ready to be pressed to order every month ensuring the freshest oil when bottled. The oil is extracted by gently squeezing the seed, a traditional process that keeps the delicious creamy nutty flavour, texture and health benefits intact….if you’d like to see Rupert working his magic, take a look at the short video on our website (https://www.bennettanddunn.co.uk/).

Our award winning Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil can be used in place of other oils and butter in all your recipes. Dipping, drizzling, dressing and because it has the highest burn point of 230 degrees C, unlike olive oil, it does not turn toxic at high temperature cooking It’s perfect for pan frying, roasting and stir-fry’s….great for baking cakes too. It also has many health benefits; it contains half the saturated fat of olive oil and ten times more omega 3 which is proven to lower cholesterol as part of a good diet.

It’s dairy free, gluten free and suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets.

We are also proud to be a zero waste business. Our by-product, called Rapeseed cake still has lots of nutrition and is used by local farmers. Any packaging is either reused or taken to the local recycling centre.

We aim to continue providing you with only the finest quality produce.  

Thank you 

Tracey and Rupert Bennett 

www.bennettanddunn.co.uk/