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The Perfect Parfait Porridge

If you have been following Everyday Eats here on Food Babe….you’ve probably seen something to the likes of this for my afternoon snack….

 

I’m happy to finally share the recipe for this concoction. I call it “Parfait Porridge.” That’s because it contains layers of several different items and tastes just like a parfait minus the yogurt. The best part of this breakfast or snack, is the raw oat groats. Oat groats are the truest form of oats and contain more vitamins, minerals and nutrients than processed steel cut, rolled or instant oats. If you haven’t tried oat groats yet – go get them now! They are available in most health food stores in the bulk section.  Here’s what they look like….

It’s very important to know that you must first soak your oat groats before eating or cooking them. Soaking them softens them a bit so they are more digestible. The texture is amazing, very chewy and hearty. Unfortunately to cook oat groats, it takes forever (sometimes up to an hour!), this why I like to eat them soaked and raw.

This recipe is fool proof and ridiculously satisfying and delicious.

Food Babe's Parfait Porridge
 
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup oat groats rinsed and drained
  • ¼ cup ezekiel cereal, muesli, or ¼ cup steel or rolled oats (for texture)
  • 1 tsp of currants
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 4 ounces unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp of chia seeds (optional)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
Instructions
  1. In a "to go" glass container of your choice: Place oat groats, ezekiel cereal/oats, cinnamon, currants, chia seeds, and almond milk in the container and stir
  2. Top mixture with fresh or frozen fruit
  3. Let mixture sit in fridge overnight or up to three days in fridge
Notes

Enjoy for a breakfast or snack - cold right out of the fridge, room temperature or warmed in the oven for 10-15 mins at 300 degrees.

*Please choose all organic ingredients if possible*

 

I measure out my portions and always give a little extra to my husband…

Parfait Porridge goes great with a cup of tea or morning coffee! 

Top your Parfait Porridge with whatever fruit you like.  My favorites are organic fresh mixed berries like this one below.  I also like to use frozen fruit – especially organic pineapple and blueberries mixed.  When the pineapple and blueberries softens overnight they release their juices into the porridge – YUM!

Remember you can make this up to three days in advance. This is incredible for a healthy on the go breakfast or snack.

Last week, I was so busy I forgot to make porridge one night and my husband came home from work and said “I missed my porridge today….” AWE!

Don’t miss out – Start your week off right and make this now.

If you know someone who could benefit from any easy make ahead breakfast like this – please share this recipe with them! I’m sure they will be forever grateful.

Have a fantastic day!

Food Babe

P.S.

Watch me make this on live TV in a NBC Charlotte Today appearance:





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198 responses to “The Perfect Parfait Porridge

  1. Hi Food Babe! I made this for me and my husband and we loved it. I added a bit of unsweetened shredded coconut and maca powder. 🙂 It is so much better and more nutritious than just boring cereal and milk for breakfast. Thank you!

      1. Can you go longer? Looking for something to put together Sunday evening to last the week (make 5 containers for the following weekdays) Is it because teh oats get too mushy or will they start to rot?
        If it’s just a texture thing then I may just try the 5 day batch…
        Thanks!
        LOVE LOVE LOVE FoodBabe!

      2. The fruit is what might not be good for 5 days. Just leave the fruit out of 2 or 3 of them and add it mid-week…

    1. I usually just soak overnight and it.’s all just perfect. I love Oat Groats. I especially love the recipe from Eat, Taste, Heal. Try the cookbook for another great tasting Oatmeal recipe.

      1. Also doesn’t take that long to cook once soaked. I start the soaking process around 7 p.m. or so before I go to bed and cook the next a.m. All seems to be great!

  2. Finally made it last night and had my first try this morning. YUM! Seriously I don’t know why I waited so long to give this a whirl. Thank so much for sharing!

  3. Hi Food Babe,

    First of all, your really inspired me to eat healthier! I have learnt so much from your blog already and I only started exploring it a few weeks ago.
    I will definitely try this recipe! It sounds like a yummy weekend breakfast!
    I would like to share the breakfast I eat every morning and I would love to hear your opinion:

    I mix
    -Oats ( mostly oat grouts, but also some steel cut oats) with
    -Almonds and walnuts
    -Chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds
    -Goji berries and cranberries and dried black currents
    -Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds

    (It sounds very time consuming but every ingredient that is in the same row is pre mixed so it takes me less than 30sec)

    I soak these over night and in the morning I add some honey, cinnamon and hemp seeds. It is so delicious!!! And when it’s season I even add raspberries.

    What do you think of raw/soaked oats, seeds and nuts?

    Thanks and all the best to you and your assistants!
    Klara

  4. I have hulless oat groats for sprouting. They look different than the blanched oat groats that are found in the stores. Can I use these? Is there a big flavor difference?

    1. Soak one cup of almonds in filtered water overnight. Rinse and drain them and then put almonds and 4 cups fresh filtered water in blender and blend well. (you can add a date or a little vanilla if you want for flavor and sweetness) Strain through a fine sieve. That is it! Good luck!

      1. when you soak the almonds in water overnight, do you leave them out at room temperature to soak or place in fridge to soak? Same question for the oat groats…. Thanks!

      2. When you are soaking nuts to make nut milk you can soak them at room temperature. But for the parfait, you mix all of the ingredients together in a jar and soak overnight in refrigerator. Hope you like it!

  5. Do I soak the oat groats over night, then use them in the recipe? What are the steps exactly? Soak them overnight, rinse, then make parfait and refrigerate overnight again?

    1. Hi Stefani- you rinse and drain them first then put everything in jar and soak in fridge overnight and then eat the next morning.

      1. Hi! Why is rinsing the grotes necessary? I’ve made this both ways and never noticed a difference. Just wondering! Thanks, food babe! You’ve helped me make so many positive changes!

  6. Hi- this looks great. Can’t wait to try it. Can you tell me what kind of food scale you use? Couldn’t read the name from your pic and have been looking for a good one. Thanks.

    1. Hi Alissa. It is a Salter scale – they have lots of choices on Amazon.

  7. Hey Food Babe,
    Can’t wait to try this one out. Thank you. I wanted to add on a little discovery that I just found. If you use a wide mouth jar, you can also take a disposable fruit cup and use it as a compartment liner. This does not work with all fruit cups, some are a little smaller and fall through. I used Field Day peach cups http://www.fielddayproducts.com/pages/productdetail.aspx?p=4256360194. They are BPA free : ). ( I gotta say, I hardly ever buy plastic, I bought them for the cup). This offers the same thing as the canning jar adapter BNTO by Cuppow http://www.cuppow.com/collections/bnto-jar-lunchbox-adaptors but instead of 8 dollars apiece, they are about .80 cents a piece.
    So one can add things that you don’t want to get soggy or mix in right away. You can also use it for chips and dip, salad and dressing, etc.

    1. They stay pretty firm – delicious straight out of fridge or warm it up. Enjoy!

  8. I LOVED this recipe, the groats created a great texture! I think the chia seeds are a must. I also loaded it up with a teaspoon of hemp seeds, flax seeds, and dried blueberries. I also added a 1/2 tsp agave because I need a hint of sweet, although I’m going to try to minimize this.

    I’m curious how well the fresh fruit will keep by day 3… this is a great assembly line recipe for the family.

  9. I didn’t have some of the ingredients so I made do with what I had on hand:

    ¼ c Oat groats rinsed and drained
    2-4 dates chopped up
    4 oz coconut milk
    1 tsp chia seeds
    1 Tbsp sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds each
    5 whole almonds chopped up
    Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice just a dash of each except cinnamon of which I used a bit more.
    1 star anise
    Added all ingredients to a mug and placed in fridge to soak over-night
    Will add a handful of raisins in the morning…I didn’t want them to soak up all the
    Water and become rehydrated grapes!

    I admit…I was skeptical. Can’t believe how good it is though! With the spices I added it tastes slightly reminensent of a bread pudding or rice pudding. This is a keeper…I will be having this again! Thanks for the idear!~!!

  10. Do you verify that your oats are raw? How easy is it for people to find truly raw oat groats (aside from ordering on a specialty website)? I’ve heard that oats are commonly steamed to extend shelf life and are not actually raw. Same with almonds. Totally love what you are doing; I’ve learned so much!

  11. Try using a couple of tablespoons of chia seed plus some psyllium husks. This is how I make my “porridge”. I also add a couple of drops of vanilla and I use raw milk from grass-fed cows. I enjoy the almond milk too if I am out of the raw milk. I don’t eat grains so the chia/psyllium is a better combination for me. Tastes like how I remember cream of wheat tasting and has the consistency of tapioca pudding. I top with frozen blueberries and walnuts.

      1. 2 TBS chia seeds
        1 TBS psyllium husks
        1 cup milk of choice
        1/8 tsp vanilla (Everything organic if possible).
        1/4C or more frozen blueberries or fruit of choice
        1/4 cup walnuts or nut of choice

        Combine and let soak a couple of hours or overnight if you wish. You can add fruit before or after soaking and when ready to eat. Add cinnamon as well if you wish. Add walnuts or pecans when ready to eat if desired. That’s it!

    1. Chia seed “pudding” makes a wonderful hot weather breakfast! Never thought of adding psyllium husks-great idea. I’ve also added organic, unsweetened coconut to mine. The beauty of these porridges is that you can add whatever works for you. But I stay away from grains too so would love to see more grain-free recipes.

  12. I was going to forward this to a friend, but as I read the recipe, I decided not to. We are both gluten/sugar free and the oats, ezekial, and meusli have gluten in them. A lot of recipes here are good, but I find a lot of ingredients that we can’t eat such as grains and sugars (including honey, maple syrup, and cane sugars) and I was hoping to find more recipes without those ingredients.

    1. Kate, try using chia seed and psyllium husks instead. The texture is like tapioca pudding and cream of wheat combined. Soak them overnight the same as the oat groats.

    2. I would love to see recipes on here that are grain free. My husband and I are switching over to a grain free diet after reading extensively about all the side effects associated with it, and we do not have a grain intolerance. We actually love grains. The way that wheat increases your blood sugar was reason enough for us, more so than a Snickers bar. Crazy huh?

    3. Agreed. Many cannot tolerate gluten or grains. Chia pudding would be a great alternative for you with some fresh fruit, which actually combines well together. (Grains and fruit is not the ideal food combo.) You may add some cinnamon and alcohol free vanilla extract. Enjoy!

  13. Hi, Just wondering can this be done with regular cows or goats milk instead of almond milk? I assume it can just wondering, thanks

  14. I am gluten free so can you modify this for a GF diet? I do have gluten free oats but not sure what to do about the oat groats. Thanks!

  15. Hi! First of all – thanks so much for your great information and posts! I really appreciate all you do.

    My question is that I thought it was best to separate fruits from carbs – meaning – to eat fruits separately from oats, otherwise the sugars in the fruits are digested in a poorer fashion. Can you tell me your thoughts on this? Thanks so much! Would be great if it really isnt a problem to eat fruits together with a meal!!

  16. I made this last night and my family LOVES them! My kids (4 & 1) and devouring one for breakfast. Thanks Food Babe for a wonderful alternative to breakfast cereal.

  17. We normally use organic oat’s when we make our overnite version. It’s very simple, 3 equal parts, organic oats, organic yogurt, almond milk (or other organic milk) and chia seeds. When we are ready to eat it, we top it with fruit. I tried it with groats today, gave my jaw a workout. 🙂

    1. I had the same experience, couldn’t find oat groats at Whole Foods. Can I use steel cut oats instead and, if so, do I cook them first? I’m always looking for fast breakfasts and this seemed perfect until I couldn’t find the oat groats. Thanks!

      1. Yeah, wasn’t there, but I’ve been making them with just Ezekiel cereal at bottom, almond milk and frozen berries, super good!

  18. This is my new favorite breakfast. I catch myself thinking about it all day and wanting to eat it again when I get home from work. I also add hemp and flax seeds when I have them. Also, Vani I just wanted you to know how great I think this blog is…most of my meals these days are some derivation of recipes on this site. So thank you!

    1. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats, Whole Grain

      But can’t find gluten free groats from a familiar source. Would like to know if you find some.

  19. I love oat groats…been using them for years to make overnight oatmeal in my crockpot. And no need to rinse them or soak ahead of time for this recipe…just add the raw groats to the slow cooker. I just do a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of oat groats to water and add cinnamon, a spoonful of coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and whatever dried fruit and nuts, and seeds I have on hand. We wake up to a house that smells delicious and have a warm healthy breakfast ready to go! The fruit gives it enough sweetness for me but my husband and kids like a little extra honey. Yum…

  20. Have you tried roasting the raw seeds with a little oil of choice (and flavor) until browned and then grind them…..then add yogurt ….maybe some Sesame Tahini….yogurt….fruit….and liquid of choice…..let it soak until the seeds absorb liquid and become soft…..has a’pudding’ texture….and delicious….
    And I suppose this would work with raw seeds also…. the grinding only helps them absorb liquids faster.

  21. Why do you say it takes an hour to cook groats? I never take an hour. If I soak overnight, I cook in about 20 minutes. Am I missing something?

  22. If having a hard time finding whole groats, steel cut are the same thing and a lot less expensive.

    •Oat groats (“whole” oats) are the most intact form, only the outermost inedible hull is removed.
    •Steel-cut oats (also known as Irish or pinhead oats) are simply oat groats t
    hat have been cut into two or three pieces with steel blades, slightly decreasing their cooking time. Oat groats and steel-cut oats are the least processed;
    they take a long time to cook, but result in a chewy, lower-glycemic treat.

  23. I’ve made muffins with soaked steel cut oats (oats, banana, apple sauce, egg, milk, salt, baking soda, vanilla,honey, cinnamon, NO FLOUR), and they’re great. I’m wonddering how it might work with groats instead. I’m afraid they’d be too hard to chew. Ever tried it?

  24. had today the first parfait, it is to die for. Love it very much and can not wait to eat tomorrow the 2. one. And then I will try different fruit and, and, and, —- so excited.

  25. In regards to making your own almond milk: do you know anything about what brands of almonds are safe to buy (which ones are steamed versus gassed/fumigated)? Also, is there a difference in the processing of shelled vs. un-shelled almonds?

  26. Great recipe! I started making this last week, and now several co-workers are hooked on it, too! This was also my first introduction to almond milk, and I am now a fan.

  27. Hello. This is a great recipe!!! Can you please tell me how long the soaked oat groats will last in the refrigerator? I mean before mixing them into the parfait.
    Thanks!

  28. Not too bad, but definitely a texture to get used to. I made this last night, and I’m trying to enjoy it this morning, but it still tastes like it needs to be cooked 🙁 I used rolled oats instead of the cereal, but the oat groats are still super crunchy… maybe they need to be soaked longer? Maybe I’ll bake it for a while. I love every other recipe here, this one, I just like. I do have to admit the mason jar looked really pretty in my fridge, in a “good for you” sort of way, lol. 3 stars as is, I bet 5 stars if cooked!

  29. Hi. Do you have the nutritional break for this (calories, fat, sugar, carbs and protein)?
    Thank you.

  30. I feel that everyone is very interested in the nutritional breakdown of this breakfast and it would be most appreciated if that were provided.

    I have made this countless times and think it is a very satisfying meal. But for dietary purposes I am interested in the protein and calories. : )

  31. I couldn’t find anything just labeled as “oat groats” but I found buckwheat oat groats. Are these the same thing? Can I use them in this recipe?
    Thank you!

  32. Are any of these ingredients cooked?? the oat grouts and steel cut oats?? or just soaked?

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