Porridge is associated with breakfast but I’m on a mission to persuade you to make it your last meal of the day. Why? Being a slow-release carb oats can prevent you getting hungry at night. They contain magnesium and the hormone melatonin, that helps you get you off to sleep. People often add banana, nuts and seeds which are also rich in sleep supporting magnesium. The last thing you want prior to bedtime is a sugar rush and porridge can be made less sweet than many puddings, especially bought ones. It therefore makes the perfect pudding to eat at dinnertime. I personally eat porridge two to three times per week and have no doubt it helps me get quality shut-eye.
If the idea of eating porridge at dinner still seems too much to stomach (literally) what if you could obtain all its benefits in sliced form, served warm on a plate with some crème fraiche? My baked porridge or porridge pudding recipe will convert you and your family over to wanting porridge at any time of the day, even cold from the fridge. It’s that good. Here’s the (recently updated and improved) recipe:
Porridge Pudding / Baked Porridge
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
200g oats (150g oat bran, 50g whole oats)
180ml milk and water (half and half)
2 eggs
2 tbsp of honey or caster sugar
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of all-spice
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
½ tsp of salt
Small conference pear or half an apple finely diced into small cubes
One mashed banana
6 dried prunes quartered
40g chopped mixed nuts
20g pumpkin seeds
20g sunflower seeds
20g chia seeds
100g of your choice of frozen berries (I mainly use blueberries)
A handful of pecans
NB. I used heaped tea and table spoons so you may want to do the same.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, Gas mark 6. Well grease a Pyrex (or equivalent) bowl with butter or margarine (the one I use is 19.5cm diameter and 5.5cm deep).
It doesn’t matter too much which order you do things since you’re essentially mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl but this is how I do it:
If using whole oats measure 140g and powder them with your hands or a food processor. Leave the rest whole (you don't need to so this if using oat bran as in the recipe).
In a large bowl whisk the eggs and add the milk. Whisk in the honey if using instead of sugar. Add the vanilla extract (if using), mashed banana, diced apple or pear and prunes. Add the chia seeds to give them the opportunity to soak.
In a another bowl mix together the dry ingredients including two thirds of the oats (leave one third of the whole oats aside), the sugar, baking powder, salt, spices, nuts, and rest of the seeds.
Now add the dry ingredients and mix it all together with a spatula so everything is evenly distributed. Pour this into your greased Pyrex bowl.
Now add the remaining whole oats that you put aside and push them into the top of your pudding mix. Adding them last will help give the pudding a crunchy top. Now add your frozen berries and push them down into the mixture. Adding them at the end ensures you get them evenly distributed. Last but not least place your pecans prettily around the top, pushing them in so they are half submerged. Baste the top with some milk/egg-wash and bake it in the oven for 50 minutes.
By about 40 minutes check how it is looking. If the top is looking too brown take the pudding out and moisten the top with some more milk and put it back in the oven for another 10-20 minutes, or until the top springs back when you push it in; it should be fairly firm. The internal temperature should be at least 60 degrees C. Remove it from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Place a plate upside down over the top and holding both the plate and bowl carefully (it should be cool enough) flip it over on to its head. If it has cooked and cooled and you greased the bottom of the bowl adequately it should gently release from the bowl and fall gently upside down on to the plate, looking a bit like a Christmas pudding. Put another plate on top of it and carefully flip it the right way up.
To serve
Voila! Your porridge pudding is now ready to be cut into wedges and served. I like to use a bread knife for this. If it’s gone according to plan each slice should have a crunchy top and slightly soft, spongy centre. It is delicious served with Greek or vanilla yoghurt, or crème fraiche. It can be left in the fridge for a couple of days and makes for a wholesome snack or cake alternative; or wrap slices in cling film and freeze for defrosting and reheating whenever you fancy. It can also be made vegan by leaving out the eggs and milk and using a little more water and/or banana. As with all recipes experiment with the ingredients and quantities so you get it to your taste. This happens to be the recipe I’m sticking with having tried various permutations.
What do you think? Have I converted you to the wonders of baked porridge? Will you be making sure you’ve always got a slice or two in the freezer, when you fancy a tasty nutritious dessert that even helps you sleep? Let me know in the comments below. Better still share this recipe with your friends, and enjoy.
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