25 Porridge Recipes To Start Your Day

Early mornings don’t seem so bad when you have these easy and delicious porridge recipes!

They’re filling, healthy, and super family-friendly.

Porridge is a thick soup made of boiled oats, rice, or other grains. And from oatmeal to congee, it’s pretty darn versatile.

(Check out my porridge vs oatmeal post if you’re curious!)

For example, you can top it with everything from cheese and eggs to brown sugar and nuts.

I love Chinese congee and Filipino Arroz Caldo.

But if you’re on the hunt for sweet porridge recipes, you should definitely check out the whipped chocolate oatmeal!

Easy Porridge Recipes We Adore

1. Creamy British Porridge 

The best way to start this off is with a simple porridge recipe.

After all, we’ll cover tons of oatmeal dishes, so it’s crucial that we know the basics!

This recipe recommends using equal parts steel-cut oats and rolled oats to create the perfect texture.

Together, they’ll give you the perfect chew: not too much, not too little.  

2. Steel Cut Oats with Maple Fried Bananas

If you like to start your morning on a sweet note, this oatmeal recipe is precisely what you need.

This isn’t just your typical oatmeal with slices of banana on top! Instead, the bananas are fried in maple syrup until they caramelize.

The oatmeal is also flavored with almond butter and cinnamon, which complement the caramelized bananas beautifully.

3. Healthy Apple Pie Oatmeal

You’ll get all the beautiful aromas and flavors of a freshly baked apple pie in this oatmeal bowl! 

The oats are cooked in almond milk, flavored with maple syrup and cinnamon, and finished with apple slices and pecans.

It may not look like apple pie, but it sure does taste like it.

4. Vegan Congee

If you’re not familiar, congee is a Chinese porridge of rice cooked in a meat or seafood broth and flavored with seasonings.

It’s also loaded with various toppings, such as dried shrimp, chicken, salted duck eggs, scallions, and more.

However, this version is vegan, which means it substitutes meaty mushrooms and Furikake for maximum taste and texture.

5. Healthy Carrot Cake Porridge

Oatmeal and carrots may seem like an unlikely pairing at first, but one bite of this recipe and it might just become your new favorite way to start the day.

A combination of oats, almond milk, grated carrots, maple syrup, vanilla, and fall spices, it’s like eating carrot cake, only without all the added fat!

6. Quinoa Breakfast Porridge (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

This colorful breakfast bowl is topped with granola, fruits, coconut flakes, maple syrup, and mint.

Those toppings alone get my palate excited!

But what makes this dish extra special is that instead of oatmeal, you’ll use quinoa for the base.

It’s just as nutritious but has a lovelier texture.

If you like your grains with a bit of crunch, quinoa is a must-try.

7. Savory Spinach, Cheddar & Mushroom Oatmeal 

Like most people, you’ve probably always topped oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins. Or maybe chocolate chips and bananas.

If that sounds like you, get ready to have your mind blown!

You’ll add color and flavor to the oats with caramelized onions, mushroom, cheese, and spinach.

Oh, and a beautiful golden egg on top, too. 

8. Whipped Chocolate Porridge With Quinoa Nut Crunch

Looking for something unique? I’d say this recipe perfectly fits the bill.

Here, the oats are cooked with cocoa powder, honey, and almond milk and then pureed to create a light and airy chocolate mousse.

Wow!

And it doesn’t end there. The oat chocolate mousse is topped with crunchy toasted quinoa, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds, to boot. 

I know what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow.

9. Winter Glow Breakfast Oatmeal Bowls

Rolled oats are seasoned with cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to create a warming breakfast perfect for rainy and wintery mornings.

Adding pizazz to the bowl are blood orange slices, peanut butter, and honeycomb – a seemingly unusual combination, but one that works like magic.

10. Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken Porridge)

In the Philippines, porridge is synonymous with comfort food. And it’s not made with oats or quinoa, but with rice.

It’s also not served sweet but savory. 

Similar to congee, Arroz Caldo is a thick and creamy rice stew seasoned with fish sauce and ginger and topped with boiled eggs, toasted garlic, and scallions.  

Finished off with a spritz of calamansi juice (Filipino lemon) to cut through the richness, this is one porridge you won’t ever forget.

11. Millet Porridge with Banana and Coconut Milk 

Millet is a popular grain in Asia and Africa, and it’s slowly making its way to the US.

If you happen to have a bag at home and are unsure what to do with it, give this recipe a try.

This millet porridge is sweet, creamy, and bursting with flavor from bananas and coconut milk.

12. Black Forest Overnight Oats

Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a big bowl of chocolatey goodness?

These overnight oats aren’t just your regular chocolate oats, though. They’re so much more than that!

Filled with cherry pie filling and topped with fresh cherries and chocolate shavings, these oats are sinfully decadent.

13. Savoury Breakfast Porridge with Bacon & Mushrooms 

Craving porridge but trying to cut back on carbs? Cauliflower rice is the answer.

Don’t worry; this porridge won’t be bland. The cauliflower rice is cooked in a flavorful broth and loaded with bacon, mushrooms, spinach, and garlic.

A golden, sunny-side-up egg completes the dish.

14. Spiced Vanilla Chai Oatmeal

This vanilla chai oatmeal is sweet, spiced, and oh-so-nice.

Ever wonder how it would taste if you combined your morning breakfast with your tea? Well, wonder no more! 

Here the oatmeal is flavored with a mix of black tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and vanilla.

It’s creamy, cozy, and definitely delicious. 

15. Mashed Banana Tahini Oatmeal Porridge

This Middle Eastern-inspired oatmeal combines oatmeal, tahini, mashed bananas, maple syrup, cinnamon, and cardamom to create a thick, creamy, and wonderfully flavored breakfast.

You’ll love how the spices complement the sweetness of the bananas and maple syrup. Plus, there’s a delicious hint of nuttiness from the tahini.

Together, it all makes a well-balanced dish.

16. Power Up Your Breakfast with Pineapple Banana Protein Oats

Rich and creamy oats are topped with bananas, pineapple, almonds, and coconut for an epic tropical breakfast.

Oh, and here’s something different: instead of cooking the oats in milk and sugar, cottage cheese is thrown into the mix.

That’s why this dreamy oatmeal is extra tasty and more packed with protein.

If you think oatmeal couldn’t get any heartier, wait until you’ve tried this.

17. Miso Breakfast Oats

Miso soup and oats unite to make a savory porridge your whole family will enjoy.

This porridge is thick, creamy, and full of flavor and nutrition.

Kale, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, tahini, avocado slices, and chopped green onion add more color and joy to the bowl. 

18. Nutella Porridge

One sure-fire way to make kids fall in love with oatmeal is with Nutella.

Seriously, add Nutella to anything, and pretty much all kids will demand seconds.

Aside from that, this porridge is also flavored with chocolate and maple syrup and topped with roasted hazelnuts for a bit of crunch. 

And surprisingly, it’s also gluten-free and vegan-friendly!

19. Orange Flower, Pistachio, and Date Oatmeal

Let’s head to the Middle East and enjoy a bowl of this majestic orange flower, pistachio, and date oatmeal.

If you’re interested in exploring exotic flavors, this recipe has you covered.

Flavored with a mix of agave nectar and orange flower water, this porridge is wonderfully sweet with pleasant citrus notes.

It’s also topped with pistachios and dates, giving it a lovely textural variety.

20. Pecan Pie Oatmeal

The thought of pecan pie always makes my heart skip a bit.

So the fact that I can have a healthy version for breakfast gives me joy!

To achieve that delectable pecan taste, the oatmeal is flavored with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup.

Topping off this scrumptious bowl is a generous sprinkling of chopped pecans. Be sure to toast them for maximum flavor!

21. 5-Ingredient Savory Oatmeal (Chinese-Style)

Rolled oats are cooked in chicken stock until thick and creamy and seasoned with soy sauce and chili oil for a wonderfully salty and savory breakfast.

Topped off with shallots and a mouthwatering runny egg, this Chinese-style porridge is just as delicious as you imagine it to be.

22. Breakfast Quinoa Oatmeal

This quinoa breakfast recipe offers a variety of ways to garnish the chewy, crunchy grain.

Whether you like yours with apples and pecans or blueberries and almonds, this recipe has it all.

23. Chia Seed Oatmeal 

Make classic oatmeal tastier and healthier by adding one simple ingredient: chia seeds.

Packed with nutrients and antioxidants, chia seeds are a fantastic superfood that’ll make your oatmeal more nutritious and filling.

24. Brown Rice Congee with Shiitake Mushrooms, Edamame, and Spinach 

This is just like Chinese congee, but with a Japanese twist.

Also, brown rice is used instead of white, making this congee super nutritious. 

Wonderful things such as shiitake mushrooms, edamame, and spinach are added for extra flavor, texture, and color.

25. Amaranth Porridge

Amaranth is a gluten-free grain with an earthy and nutty flavor.

It’s starchy and almost glutinous when cooked but also has a lovely pop when chewed on.

Think caviar.

If you’re interested in trying this lesser-known grain, this recipe will lead the way.