If I had my way, my morning routine would be about a three-hour affair. I love quiet, leisurely mornings and most of the time they end in a filling, whole-grain breakfast. This spelt porridge takes a bit of time but it's primarily hands-off cooking. If you've never tried spelt in the morning, it's a favorite breakfast grain of mine.
Take for example these doughnuts, pancakes, dutch baby, and waffles. The key to a creamy porridge with spelt is the same method I use for making risotto: cracking the grain.
Unlike risotto, I crack the grain a bit smaller. I like the texture to be somewhere between steel cut oats and cream of wheat (a old family favorite). Best of all, you can make it as thick (or not) as you like. Simply watch the amount of liquid you add towards the end of cooking.
Spelt Porridge
variations
grains: Try this spelt porridge with einkorn, barley, or wheat berries. If you're looking to make something similar but keep in gluten-free, use oat groats.
fruit: Berries, all kinds of berries. Strawberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, apples, or pears. You can't go wrong.
flavor: I keep the base of the porridge simple but you could always add a splash of maple syrup or honey to the cooking grains. Spices are also a nice addition, including cinnamon or a small pinch of cloves.
Spelt is a grain I don't use nearly often enough. It's chewy and has a beautiful, warm flavor that pairs well with vegetables. I'm usually using spelt flour but the spelt berry can be a great dinner-time addition. I've also found that more often than not, I prefer spelt over traditional wheat.
A few recipes to get you started include:
Cracked Spelt Risotto with Roasted Beets
Roasted Eggplant with Cumin-Scented Spelt and Fig Chutney
Spelt Grape Salad with Chickpeas
Spelt Porridge with Roasted Blueberries
Hearty whole-grain porridge made from freshly cracked spelt and topped with roasted blueberries.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Cuisine: american
Ingredients
½ cup spelt berries
1 ½ cups water
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ to 1 cup whole milk or non-dairy milk
1 cup blueberries
Maple syrup, for serving
Milk/Cream, for serving
Hemp seeds, for serving
Instructions
- To make the porridge, blitz the spelt in a blender or food processor for a few pulses. The majority of the grain should look a bit like steel cut oats with a bit of flour mixed in.
- Place the spelt in a pan and heat over medium-low heat for a few minutes, just to toast slightly. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the spelt is just about tender; 30 to 40 minutes.
- Measure in the milk and and continue to cook until the spelt is tender and the porridge is to your liking for desired thickness, another 5 to 10 minutes.
- While the spelt is cooking, heat an oven to 400˚F. Place the blueberries in a roasting pan and bake until the blueberries have released their juices; 15 to 20 minutes.
- Divide the porridge into two bowls and top with the roasted blueberries along with your favorite toppings. I prefer maple syrup, a drizzle of heavy cream, and hemp seeds.
Notes
Tips + Tricks: You can save on turning on your oven and simple simmer the blueberries in a bit of maple syrup on the stovetop. If I do this, I also like to add a couple teaspoons of butter.
Use up leftover ingredients: blueberries, spelt, milk
Keywords: whole grain porridge, spelt porridge, roasted blueberries
Susan says
This sounds wonderful. I've never had spelt, but this gives me a good excuse to try it.
Sabrina says
great tips and gorgeous recipe, thank you
★★★★★
James says
Wow! So good.
James says
Forgot to rate
★★★★★
Noor says
Love the recipe Erin! Can I make this with spelt flakes?
Erin Alderson says
Yes! The consistency would be a bit different but about the same difference between steel-cut oats and oatmeal!
Sarah says
Incredible
★★★★★
Mattie says
Reminds me of barley when cooked: chewy, nutty, but not sticky. I had already cooked mine before finding this recipe. I did add cinnamon because it's my favorite. Overall, great grain bowl for breakfast. I like that I can adjust my sweetness.
★★★★★