Regardless of whether you are gluten-intolerant, this millet porridge recipe is a great alternative to your regular hot cereal and will leave you feeling satisfied. Delicious with a drizzle of maple syrup or a spoonful of fresh berries, this easy porridge recipe is sure to become a staple food in your home.
Unlike many of our other breakfast recipes, this millet breakfast porridge is naturally gluten-free. It has a thick and creamy texture and is a great option if you want to try other types of grains.
With only 4 basic ingredients, it's also a really simple recipe to make.
If you’ve been looking for ways to change up your morning menu, this creamy millet porridge is a scrumptious, healthy breakfast to whip up. Save some of it to reheat the next day, warm it up with a blob of almond butter, and you have a tasty mid-day snack.
For more delicious gluten-free breakfast options check out Almond Milk Chia Pudding, Warm Chia Pudding or Flaxseed Pudding.
What is millet?
Millet is an ancient grain that's packed with nutrients and widely consumed in many African countries. It's also called a "pseudo grain" since its naturall gluten-free. Millet is a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals making it a great food to include.
Due to its mild flavor this cooked millet carries many other tasty additions such as spices or your favorite sweet toppings.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Naturally gluten-free and packed with nutrients.
- Budget friendly and easy to make
- Convenient if prepared ahead of time.
- An easy vegan option if made with plant-based milk
Ingredients & substitution notes
- Millet
- Milk: this recipe can be made with the milk of your choice. It’s lovely with slightly nutty-flavored plant milk such as unsweetened almond milk or oat milk but you could also use regular dairy milk.
- Water: you can substitute the water with milk, watch that it cooks slowly and doesn’t burn or bubble over.
- Sweetener of Choice: maple syrup, honey, or a healthy sweetener. A little dark brown sugar or coconut sugar turns it into a treat!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make millet porridge
STEP 1: Add the millet into the jug of a high-speed blender or coffee grinder.
STEP 2: Pulse the grains until they are ground into a flour-like consistency.
STEP 3: Add the millet, milk, water, and sweetener of your choice into a small saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to very low and let simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
STEP 4: Remove the porridge from the heat and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes to thicken up. Adjust the texture and sweetness if necessary.
Top tips
- Stir constantly: Also, stir every 2 minutes or so to prevent the millet from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Low heat: To prevent the millet from burning, make sure to let it simmer on very low heat.
- Toppings: Cooked millet itself has a slightly nutty, neutral flavor. It's the toppings that make a big difference so be creative and play around with different flavors!
- Easy Grab-and Go: Prep ahead to have a nutritious breakfast ready the next morning. Simply keep the porridge in an airtight container in the fridge and add the toppings in the morning.
Topping ideas
- Fresh Fruit: You can't go wrong by adding your favorite types of chopped fresh fruit as a topping. I love fresh berries, banana, apple, pomegranate seeds or grapes. Prioritize seasonal fruits for maximum flavor.
- Dried Fruit: such as cranberries, goji berries or raisins
- Yogurt: Either plain Greek yogurt or flavored yogurt tastes great. Choose soy yogurt for a dairy-free version
- Nuts or Granola: I love adding walnuts but also highly recommend our Homemade Applesauce Granola.
- Nut Butter: Add a scoop of your favorite nut butter such as peanut butter or this Roasted Almond Butter
- Chia seeds for some extra protein and omega 3 fatty acids
- Fruit compotes or your favorite jam
- Coconut Flakes
Optional add-ins
- Vanilla Extract: I also like adding ½ a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract on top
- Spices: Add ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or ginger for some extra flavors.
- Cocoa Powder: Create some delicious chocolatey flavors by adding a teaspoon of cocoa powder.
- Salt: add a tiny pinch of salt to enhance the flavors
Variations
- Milk/Water: swap the ratios around for a budget-friendly version; instead of using 1 cup of milk and ¾ cup of water.
- Refined Sugar-Free: sweeten the mixture naturally with the addition of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana.
- Vegan: use non-dairy milk alternatives such as oat milk, almond milk or soy milk.
- Instant Pot: This millet porridge can also be made in an instant pot. Find the detailed description below in the recipe card.
Make ahead options
- Double the amount and prep ahead for a few days. Divide the cooked millet into separate portions and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Blend up your millet flour in advance.
Storage
- To store: Store separate portions in small airtight containers in the fridge for a leisurely grab-and-go brekkie; add your favorite toppings shortly before serving.
- To reheat: on low on the stove or in a microwave, add a little water or milk in if needed to loosen up the texture.
FAQs
Yes, because it will result in a much creamier consistency. If you want to achieve a truly porridge-like texture (thick and creamy) then I highly recommend blending the millet first.
More breakfast recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Millet Porridge
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup of millet
- 1 cup milk of choice (whole milk, dairy-free milk such as soy milk, almond milk, oat milk...)
- ¾ cup water
- 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Add millet to a high-speed blender or coffee grinder and pulse until millet has an almost flour-like consistency.
- Add all of the ingredients to a medium saucepan.⅓ cup of millet, 1 cup milk of choice, ¾ cup water, 2-3 tablespoon maple syrup
- Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to very low and let simmer covered for about 15 minutes.
- Stir frequently to break up any lumps and prevent the porridge from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and let millet sit for another 5 minutes to thicken even more. If the millet grains are still hard, add some extra milk or water and continue simmering until soft and creamy. The amount of liquid and cooking time depends a lot on how fine your millet was ground.
- Adjust sweetness by adding more sweetener of choice and add your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Topping ideas: fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, nut butter...
- Make ahead + storage : Double the amount and prep ahead for a few days. Divide the cooked millet into separate portions and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: on low on the stove or in a microwave, add a little water or milk in if needed to loosen up the texture.
- Do I really need to blend/ grind the millet? If you want to achieve a truly porridge-like texture (thick and creamy) then I highly recommend blending the millet first.
- Instant Pot Instructions: Add ⅓ cup of millet, ¾ cup of milk and ½ cup of water to the instant pot. Pressure cook on high (make sure to have the pressure release switch in the "sealed position") for 6 minutes. Then natural release for 10 minutes. Then quick release by moving the release handle into "venting position".
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