Creamy Chocolate Porridge

This ultra chocolatey creamy porridge is a great way to start the day. It’s been a tried and tested breakfast (and sometimes dinner) in our family for years. However it’s not necessarily your regular porridge recipe, I'll show you how I make this a more balanced breakfast by amping up the fibre and protein and adding fresh berries to top.

Chocolate Porridge may not sound initially like a healthy breakfast but actually I try to make it as balanced as I can so we’re not being sent into a carby sugar spin first thing in the morning. Now, I may make a lot of chat about protein and fibre but I am not a nutritionist, I just know what feels good and what ingredients I am happy serving to my family. Plus you can't argue with this wonderfully creamy texture with that signature oaty chew and this intense rich chocolate flavour. It feels like a treat whilst being a properly satisfying meal.

Our children are so sold on this recipe that if any variations are made they can spot them immediately. Did you use honey instead of maple syrup today? Did you forget to add the dark chocolate Mum?

Even though I’ve given you below the gold standard ‘Hartley Kids Approved’ recipe, since I’ve been making it for so many years I have also tried this several different ways: with dairy-free ingredients, oat-free ingredients, in the microwave and on the stove top and I’ll take you through each of these variations so you can make this deliciously rich and chocolatey porridge your way and create your own gold standard.

What is Chocolate Porridge?

This is a recipe typically associated with breakfasts made with oats cooked in milk with cocoa powder and chocolate to flavour.

However, this recipe adds a few more things to give the best flavour and texture and pack some extra nutrition in there.

Ingredients Needed

Oats. I have made this porridge using every oat variation but I have found the best oats for chocolate porridge is jumbo or rolled oats as they give the best texture. Use gluten-free oats if you need to (or see below for oat alternatives). You can swap with regular porridge oats but the texture is more mealy and less chewy, plus it will need less cooking time. If you use steel cut oats then you need significantly longer to cook and more liquid as well – I haven’t provided this information. Try not to use quick oats or instant oats as it doesn’t give as good a texture.

Ground almonds (almond flour). You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds. For this recipe you could also use almond meal, it won’t soften the same as the blanched ground almonds but will provide a lovely nuttiness and nubbly texture. I use the almonds here for flavour and the protein boost.

If you have a nut allergy then you substitute the ground almonds for oat flour which will provide the same texture experience.

Cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed plain cocoa powder (which is the more common type in the UK – but do check the labels). You can swap for raw cacao powder which has more of a ‘superfood’ profile as it’s higher in antioxidants but it has a slightly more bitter flavour.

Chocolate. This recipe uses 70% dark chocolate for a full bodied flavour. You only need 15g which is about 2 pieces of a bar of good quality chocolate. However, you can use whatever chocolate you have to hand. I have used milk chocolate, leftover Easter Eggs, half a mini Mars bar – any chocolate is delicious here and will impart whatever flavour or sweetness depending on what you use. Make sure it’s dairy-free if you need it to be.

Milled (ground) chia seeds and ground flaxseed. We use both these seeds here for 2 reasons: adding a protein and fibre boost but also they help give a robust texture to the porridge as they absorb some of the milk and create creaminess. This helps with the extra liquid from the eggs and milk which we add at the end). Make sure to use the ground versions and not the whole seeds.

Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.

Maple syrup. We just use a tablespoon to sweeten the porridge. I recommend if you enjoy your porridge a little sweeter then you can offer it to drizzle it over the top just before serving. I don’t like a lot of sweetness in the morning so I like this amount and I daren’t offer my children the maple syrup bottle to drizzle – that’s a mistake that I’ve made before! Want any porridge with your maple syrup?

When we run out of maple syrup we usually use honey – the same amount although it is sweeter and has a more honey like flavour funnily enough. You can use a tablespoon of brown sugar, coconut sugar or even caster sugar if you prefer.

Milk. Basically use whatever milk you like. Probably the best milk for chocolate porridge is whole milk or oat milk (make sure you use a gluten-free brand if you need to) for the creamiest flavour. However, anything works including other plant-based options like almond milk or soy milk. Sometimes I have run out of milk at the end of the week (we enjoy this porridge on a Friday morning) so I have made this recipe many times with water. It’s not as rich and creamy in flavour – the taste is sharper and cleaner but it’s good and we still really enjoy it.

Eggs. Eggs in porridge? Yes, I’ve been doing this for years now and I love the richness of flavour eggs give the porridge which makes the chocolate feel that more luxurious. We add them in after the porridge has cooked so they add creaminess rather than baking into the recipe. We use medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

These are raw eggs we are using which are safe to eat in the UK as long as they have followed the British Lion Code of Practice. If you are outside of the UK or are unsure then you can just omit and use either extra milk or a dash of cream to reach your desired consistency.

Salt. Just a little to amp up the flavours. You know me, I use kosher salt in my recipes – you could use sea salt for a stronger flavour.

How To Make Chocolate Porridge

The following gives a short concise method with step-by-step images. For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Cooking in The Microwave

This is my usual method as it’s totally hands off which means I can be sorting out bowls and seeing to the family when the porridge is cooking. I actually don’t find it any quicker and I know a lot of recipes suggest a quicker microwave cooking time but this timing is perfect for the consistency we need.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats, ground almonds, cocoa powder, ground flaxseeds, ground chia seeds and the salt. Whisk together until all these dry ingredients are combined.

Pour in the 420g milk followed by the maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir so it mixes in well with the dry ingredients. Add the dark chocolate into the bowl, just submerging it.

Place cling film (or a large plate or a lid if your bowl has it) over the top of the bowl then place in the microwave and cook on high power for 6 minutes (700W microwave - see below for timings for different microwaves). Pour in the extra milk to loosen the mixture.

Pour in the whisked eggs until the porridge is creamy and everything is completely combined.

Cooking on The Hob

It’s no drama to cook it on the hob and doesn’t take long.

1. Place all the ingredients in the saucepan (except for the chocolate, eggs and extra milk) and give a good stir.
2. Heat on a medium low heat on the hob for a couple of minutes until the porridge starts to bubble. Then add in the chocolate and begin to stir continually and continue to heat for a further 4 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour in the extra milk and whisked eggs until the porridge is creamy and everything is completely combined.

Oat-Free Version

If you are making a gluten-free porridge then be wary of the oats as they are not suitable for all gluten-free diets. Some people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance react strongly to avenin, a protein in oats, even if they are certified gluten-free. Also, some countries, like Australia, do not classify oats as a safe gluten-free food due to these concerns.

However, it is possible to make oat-free porridge and I have tested various versions using alternative gluten-free wholegrain flakes. For this recipe I prefer to use a mix of 50% brown rice flakes and 50% buckwheat flakes. Like any kind of gluten-free ‘flour’ blend the mix of flavours and textures makes it more balanced rather than using a singular subsitute.

You need to also avoid using oat milk in the porridge.

Favourite Topping Ideas

Pile the top high with fresh berries – raspberries are my favourite. However, strawberries and blueberries work well too.

Toasted coconut flakes.

Dusting of cocoa or grated chocolate.

Greek yoghurt. If you are using dairy yoghurt then it adds more protein as well as a little tang to your breakfast, plus a drizzle of honey.

If you are looking for a vegan topping, particularly if you have omitted the eggs, then this Homemade Cashew Cream is incredible.

A good dollop of homemade marmalade.

Toasted nuts. Bake pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios in the oven for 10 minutes then crush and scatter on the top.

Recipe Variations

• Stir in peanut butter, almond butter or your favourite seed butter.
• Add the zest of a grated orange to the porridge.
• Add 1 mashed banana to the porridge which is delicious but you will probably need to add a bit more milk.
• Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon into the porridge before cooking.

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