Porridge Fingers (oatmeal fingers) are really easy to adapt with your favourite fruit, and they make a delicious and nutritious breakfast or snack. Perfect finger food for baby led weaning and toddlers, they also store well in the fridge. Ready in under 5 minutes, they are a great way for kids to enjoy porridge as finger food.
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Softer than a granola bar, but firmer than porridge, these are a great way to use oats and a budget friendly snack or breakfast. Kids love porridge, and the topping options are almost endless, but it can get messy. Although these porridge fingers aren't mess free, they certainly reduce the mess.
You could serve them plain, but we have given you lots of different filling options so you never have to have them the same way twice, and they can be adapted to suit what your kids love. Even better, is that they are done in the microwave (with an oven option too), so they can be done before you get a hungry kid meltdown.
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Why You Will Love Them
- Kids love them (just always make sure they are cut into manageable sizes and supervised at all times)
- Easy to hold
- Just 4 ingredients
- Can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack
- Budget friendly
- Easy to adapt with favourite fruit
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oats - We used rolled oats for this recipe, as they cook quicker and are perfect for microwave cooking. We wouldn't recommend using jumbo oats/steel cut oats, as they won't cook in such a short space of time.
- Milk - We used whole milk, but you could also use a dairy free alternative. You can also make this with breast milk too.
- Honey - This is optional, but it does add a nice bit of sweetness. Honey should not be given to children under 1. We have also made these with maple syrup and that works well too.
- Strawberries - Not only does it add some natural sweetness, but a little pop of colour too. Any chopped up berries will work though.
How to Adapt
The great thing about these is how easy they are to adapt.
- We kept it simple by just mixing in some strawberries, but you could swap them for raspberries or blueberries, or use a mixture of the three.
- You could also mix in some coconut flakes or chocolate chips if you wanted them to be a bit more of a treat. Give them a protein boost with a tablespoon of chia seeds mixed in before cooking. Mashed banana is a nice way to add some natural sweetness to it too.
- Grated apple and cinnamon is a nice autumnal version or you could use grated carrot and nutmeg for a carrot cake twist.
- A tablespoon of cocoa powder mixed in with the oats gives them a subtle chocolate flavour.
- If you want a version with a veggie boost, then some grated courgette (with the liquid squeezed out) and a little lemon juice and some blueberries is a good one to try.
- Dried fruit like raisins, apricots and cherries are nice chopped up and mixed in.
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Mix everything together in a baking dish and flatten it down with the back of a spoon.
- Step 2: Put in the microwave for 3 minutes. Allow to cool fully and then cut into fingers.
What Oats to Use
We used rolled oats for this recipe, and we find that they give the porridge fingers a nice chewy texture.
You could also use quick cook oats in this recipe and it would work, it's just the finished result would have a different texture. Avoid using steel cut oats in this recipe, as they will need longer to cook.
What Milk to Use
We used full fat milk in this recipe, but we have also used skimmed and almond before. If you use almond milk and swap the honey for maple syrup (or don't sweeten them at all), then these will be vegan.
What to Serve Them With
If I am serving them as a quick snack, then I just serve them as they are. They are an easy to transport snack, and are great for play-dates or park trips.
But if they are being served for breakfast, then I make it more of a filling meal by serving them with yoghurt and some extra berries on the side.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Please note that cooking times will vary depending on your microwave.
- Leave the honey out if you are making these for children aged under one.
- If you want a less chewy porridge finger, then we would recommend blitzing your oats in a food processor for a couple of seconds to make more of an oat flour. Not too much though, as you still want a little bit of texture to them.
- You can make small batches of these in microwave safe Tupperware too.
- Be careful not to add too much extra ingredients, as this will stop the porridge fingers from holding together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What we love about these porridge fingers is how quick and easy they are to make. They take seconds to prepare, and then just 3 minutes to cook in the microwave. However, if you don't have a microwave, you can make these in the oven.
Follow the instructions the same and then put them in a preheated oven at 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5 for 15-20 minutes. You will get a firmer porridge finger by cooking them in the oven, but it will take more time.
These store really well in the fridge. I usually make a big batch of them and then store them in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I can then quickly get them out when I don't have anything else prepared for breakfast or the kids need a quick snack before we go out.
Yes, these freeze really well. Freeze the cut up fingers on a tray, and then individually wrap them and keep them in a freezer bag where they will keep well for a month. Defrost them in the fridge over night.
You can put them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to reheat.
We used honey in these, so they are not vegan. However the honey is optional, and you can also swap it for maple syrup.
Yes, these are gluten free. Just be careful with the oats and make sure they are gluten free certified, as some oat brands can't guarantee this due to cross contamination.
If they are still soft, then they may need cooking a little longer. Every microwave and oven is different.
More Breakfast Recipes
If you've tried this porridge fingers recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Porridge Fingers
Ingredients
- 100 g (1.25 cups) Rolled oats - (use certified gluten free oats to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
- 100 ml (0.33 cups) Whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Honey - optional
- 3 Strawberries - diced
Instructions
- Mix everything together in a baking dish and flatten it down with the back of a spoon.
- Put in the microwave for 3 minutes. Allow to cool fully and then cut into fingers.
Recipe Tips
- Please note that cooking times will vary depending on your microwave.
- Leave the honey out if you are making these for children under 1.
- If you want a less chewy porridge finger, then we would recommend blitzing your oats in a food processor for a couple of seconds to make more of an oat flour. Not too much though, as you still want a little bit of texture to them.
- You can make small batches of these in microwave safe tupperware too.
- Be careful not to add too much extra ingredients, as this will stop the porridge fingers from holding together.
- To ensure this recipe is definitely gluten free, use oats that are certified gluten free.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
John Craggs says
Great fan of oats here. (Add about 10% to my home made bread.)
Threw these porridge fingers together this morning to 'christen' my new Pyrex baking/roasting dish. Used a freshly diced apple as the fruit content, and a spoon of honey. Looked a bit bland but tasted rather good.
Will experiment with other fruits later, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
John
Dannii Martin says
Apples sounds like a delicious addition. Thanks for sharing.