A porridge that never sees a saucepan: the rolled oats, coconut flour and ground flaxseed soak up the water all by themselves overnight and give you a thick, creamy texture by morning. The apple goes in cut into very small pieces rather than puréed, which keeps some bite in a mixture that could otherwise turn uniform, and the unsweetened cranberries bring the tartness that stops the bowl from tipping into flat sweetness. The apple-pie-style spice blend, cinnamon first among them, does the rest of the aromatic work. The small dash of lemon is less trivial than it looks: it lifts the apple flavour and really does taste like apple pie. Raw coconut flour is worth pausing on: more flavourful than industrial white coconut flour, it gives the porridge a faintly cake-like base, which is why this recipe can be eaten with nothing added. Allow at least six hours of chilling, overnight if you can, and serve the next day with a few fresh fruits, a spoonful of almond butter, or a splash of plant milk if you prefer it looser.
Raw Apple-Cinnamon Porridge, Made the Night Before
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Ingredients
- 50 g rolled oats, ideally not pre-steamed
- 2 tablespoons raw coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/4 teaspoon apple-pie-style spice blend
- 1 small apple, any variety you like
- 30 g unsweetened dried cranberries, or 2 tablespoons raisins, or 1 date or 2 figs, chopped
- 250 ml very cold filtered water
- A small dash of lemon juice
- Optional: a few drops of liquid stevia, for extra sweetness
Method
- In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, coconut flour, ground flaxseed, spice blend and cranberries. Mix and set aside.
- Cut the apple in half, then into quarters, and remove the seeds. Cut the quarters into very small pieces, or pulse them briefly in a mini chopper to break them up without turning them into purée.
- Add the apple to the oat mixture.
- Pour in the water, add the stevia if using, and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the dash of lemon juice, which lifts the apple flavour.
- Leave the bowl in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours. The mixture thickens noticeably as it sits.
- The next day, serve as is, with fresh fruit, a touch of almond butter, or a splash of plant milk if you prefer a softer texture.
Tip
This porridge keeps for 24 hours in the fridge, no longer: after that it loses its texture and some of its flavour. Truly unsweetened cranberries are mostly found loose, in bulk; most packaged ones contain added fruit juice and oil. Failing that, raisins, figs or a date work perfectly well. If you're allergic to coconut, replace the coconut flour with 1 tablespoon of almond flour.
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FAQ: your questions about no-cook porridge
Can porridge be eaten cold?
Not only can it be, that's the whole idea behind what's known as overnight oats: the oats hydrate cold overnight and swell up just as well as they would in a saucepan. The texture is different — a little firmer, grainier, less bound together than a hot porridge — and plenty of people actually prefer that, especially in summer. Adding ground flaxseed or chia seeds thickens the mixture further and brings it closer to the creaminess of a cooked version.
Is it good to eat porridge in the morning?
Porridge ticks several boxes of a good breakfast: complex carbohydrates that release their energy gradually, filling soluble fibre, and a neutral base that welcomes fruit, nuts and seeds. What matters most is what you put in it: a porridge made with water, an apple and some seeds has little in common with a sugary industrial product. There's also no rule saying it has to be eaten in the morning: it makes a very decent snack too.
No-cook porridge: how long does it keep in the fridge?
Allow 24 hours for this version, no more: beyond that, the apple releases its water, the oats break down and the mixture turns pasty. Raw porridges made without fresh fruit keep a little better, up to two or three days in a sealed jar. The rule that works best: prepare the base ahead for several mornings, and add the fresh fruit at the last moment, bowl by bowl.
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