Banana Archives – Cupful of Sprinkles

Soft chunks of gooey, caramelised banana and pear stirred through creamy oats with a sprinkle of chia seeds. It’s warming, delicious and one of my favourite ways to eat porridge. I love it on cold winter mornings and lazy weekends, I could easily have this for breakfast every single day!

I use my basic porridge recipe as the base for this dish, add banana and pear slices, a sprinkle of coconut sugar and a good helping of chia seeds. It’s worth mentioning, the chia seeds are completely optional, the taste and texture of the porridge are exactly the same without them.

It’s the same with the sugar. I chose coconut sugar because I love the way it caramelises as it warms up, giving the oats this deliciously rich, sweet flavour. But I know that not everyone has coconut sugar in their pantry and a great alternative is light brown sugar. Although, if you do use light brown sugar it is worth mentioning that it is a little sweeter so you’ll need to use around a teaspoon less than the recipe asks for.

This recipe is also a great way to use any overripe fruit you have lying around. The porridge cooks a lot quicker if you use spotty / mushy bananas or slightly squishy pears, compared to using fresh fruit. Making this recipe perfect if your trying to prevent any unnecessary food waste.

The most important thing I can say about this recipe is to make sure that you have good quality rolled porridge oats. They’re the base of this dish and really do make or break this porridge! If the oats are too big, then they just won’t cook and you’ll be left chewing hard gritty lumps. On the other hand, if they are too fine the end result will resemble a bowl of sludge. They really are that important!

If I’m in a rush, I will without a doubt make my porridge in the microwave. But for best results, try and cook the porridge on the hob. I find the oats go much softer and the overall taste is creamier.

Sprinkle a bit of coconut sugar on top and enjoy my favourite sweet and caramelly porridge.

Rosie x

Banana Pear Chia Porridge

Makes Two Bowls

Ingredients:

1 Cup Oats
½ – 1 Pear
2 ½ Cups Coconut Milk (Although any milk can be used)
1 Banana
1 Cup Water
Sprinkle of Coconut Sugar (Plus more for topping)
1 Teaspoon Chia Seeds

Instructions:

Add ALL the ingredients to the saucepan at once.
Place on a medium-high heat, and bring to a boil.
Once boiled, turn the heat the heat down and simmer for the oats for roughly 8 mins – Stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Once the porridge has thickened up, take off the heat and allow it to stand for 1 minute.
Serve up the oats, adding a little extra milk if required.
Sprinkle a little bit more coconut sugar on top, and allow it to melt into your oats and caramelise slightly.
Add any additional toppings of your choice – Some extra banana/pear or berries add a nice flavour.
Sit back and enjoy!