Easy Banana Porridge

Name: Easy Banana Porridge
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 100 g rolled oats; 700 ml semi-skimmed milk; 2 bananas (one mashed and one sliced); 2 tbsp ground almonds; 2 tbsp honey

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Banana Porridge is fuss free breakfast comfort food at its finest. Creamy porridge with mashed up bananas in it and then extra on top for banana lovers. Just 5 ingredients (and extra topping options) and you have yourself a tasty and filling breakfast that the whole family will love.

A bowl of porridge topped with banana slices, honey and seeds.

We have to admit, the easiest way to get us out of bed in the morning is with something sweet. The natural sweetness of the banana, and a little extra from honey (optional) make this a super sweet and comforting breakfast that will help you get out of bed on a cold morning. This is a healthy and hearty breakfast that is easy to adapt.

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Why should you try it?
What you will need
Step by step
Health benefits of porridge
Porridge toppings
Frequently Asked Questions
Extra tips
More breakfast recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

So easy to make
Ready in under 10 minutes
Creamy comforting breakfast
Kids love it
Easy to batch cook

What you will need

Oats - We used rolled oats as we find that they are the best for porridge and for the quickest cooking time. If you use other oats, then cooking times will vary.
Banana - The key to this being the best and sweetest porridge is to use a ripe banana. We don't mean a black banana (although you could), but one that is starting to get spots on it. This will add lots of extra sweetness that you won't get from an under ripe banana.
Milk - This is a controversial one (more on that below), as a lot of people make porridge with just water. But we love ours with milk to get it super creamy. We have used semi-skimmed milk, but you could use skimmed or full fat, or even swap it for almond milk.
Almonds - We add some ground almonds in to it for a nutritional boost and to also thicken it a little. You could swap these for chia or flax seeds.
Honey - If you use a really ripe banana, then you will have a naturally sweet porridge. But we like to add a little extra with some honey. This is totally optional though.

Step by step

One: Put the oats, mashed banana, almonds and milk in a saucepan and stir.

Two shot collage of oats and mashed banana in a saucepan and then with milk added.

Two: Bring to the boil and then simmer for 4-5 minutes, being careful not to burn it, and stirring regularly.

A saucepan of porridge with a wooden spoon mixing it.

Three: Divide between 2 bowls and drizzle with honey and the extra banana slices and option toppings.

Three shot collage of porridge in a bowl, then bananas added then seeds added.

Health benefits of porridge

When we want a healthy and filling breakfast, porridge is always our go to. Porridge is a great way to start the day because oats are a complex carbohydrate, which provide slow-releasing energy throughout the morning and keep you going until lunch.

Porridge made with milk is a good mix of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. If you are making it with milk, then this will lower the fat and sugar, but also lower the protein.

Oats contain a type of soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which studies have shown can help to lower your cholesterol. They also contain iron, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins. If you are making this porridge with milk like we have, then the vitamin and mineral content increases, as does the calcium content.

The key to keeping porridge as a healthy breakfast option, is being mindful of what you mix in to it and what you top it with. Try to stick to fruit, nuts and seeds as things like chocolate spread can really bump up the calories and sugar.

Slices of banana and seeds on top of cooked porridge.

Porridge toppings

Once you have the creamy base for the porridge, it really is all about the toppings. We like some extra fruit and then some crunch which is why we went with more banana, some sunflower seeds and then a little honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon for flavour.

But there are so many options when it comes to porridge toppings. Here are some of our favourites:

Pecans or almonds
Homemade Nutella
Berries
Chia seeds
Homemade Almond Butter
Grated apples
Homemade Peanut Butter
Dried fruit
Strawberry Puree
Chocolate chips

Porridge in a bowl next to banana slices and a pot of honey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are porridge and oatmeal the same thing?

Well, yes and no. When it comes to this recipe, yes it is the same thing. Oatmeal is a type of porridge, but porridge isn't always made of oats. It can be made of a variety of grains or legumes.

Is porridge better with milk or water?

This really is a personal preference. Technically, traditional porridge is made with just water and it is still creamy. But, we like ours super creamy and that's why we use milk.

How to make vegan banana porridge

To make a vegan version of this banana porridge, swap the semi-skimmed milk for a plant based milk like almond or cashew (or coconut milk to make it extra creamy) and swap the honey for maple syrup.

What can you do with leftover porridge?

If you follow this recipe, then you should have enough for 2 portions. However, if you do find yourself with leftover porridge then did you know that you can use it to make pancakes? If you had 80g of porridge, you can add 80g of self raising flour to it, along with an egg, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 50ml of milk and whisk it up to make pancake mixture.

Do you have to add salt to porridge?

No, you don't have to. But, adding some at the beginning of cooking can help add a nice nutty flavour. Don't add it at the end, otherwise it will just taste salty. You only need a tiny pinch.

Is banana porridge suitable for babies?

Banana porridge is great for baby led weaning. Just make sure you leave the honey out, as it isn't recommended before 1 years old.

Can you make banana porridge in the microwave?

Yes, this can be made in the microwave if you would prefer. You won't need as much milk and it will only take 3 minutes, stirring half way through.

Extra tips

Make sure you use a really ripe banana (one with spots on the peel) as it will give the porridge lots of natural sweetness.
We added almonds to thicken it and give it a nutrition boost, but you could swap it for chia or flax seeds.
You can use any milk to make this porridge, or even swap it for water.
The cooking time for this recipe is for using rolled oats. If you use steel cut oats, then the cooking time will vary.

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