On cold winter mornings, I crave big bowls of steamy porridge (which, for me, means a variety of grain bowls, including the common oats). This particular recipe was created one morning when I had planned on making chocolate zucchini bread… and realized I was out of flour. I was still craving it though, and decided to improvise.
This recipe ended up just as rich and creamy as I had hoped. The zucchini, like in zucchini bread, was totally un-detectable and just added moisture. Adding veggies to my breakfast (like in my sweet potato smoothie) is something that I have been trying to do more. I find that I have a clearer head in the morning after getting some veggies in, and in a form like this, when you hardly notice them, why not? I also love the addition of buckwheat groats to this porridge. Buckwheat is loaded with protein and is so so filling. After eating a bowl of this, I was satisfied for quite a while.
Give this breakfast a try. Feed it to your friends. Because honestly, who doesn’t want chocolate for breakfast?
- 2 cup plant-based milk
- 3/4 cup steel cut oats
- 1/3 cup buckwheat groats, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
- 1/2 medium zucchini, shredded
- 1 banana, mashed
- 2 Tbsp cacao powder*
- 1 Tbsp cacao nibs*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- fine ground sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- Toppings (optional):
- cacao nibs
- sliced banana
- maple syrup
- chia seeds
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine milk, oats, and buckwheat groats. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer.
- Add zucchini, banana, cacao powder, cacao nibs, cinnamon, cardamom, and pinch of salt. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until mixture is thick and gooey.
- Stir in vanilla and maple syrup. Remove from heat.
- Serve immediately with optional toppings.
I’m allergic to bananas– how well will this turn out if I omit banana?
Katie, I think it will be delicious even without banana, but I would suggest adding a little extra sweetener–like maple syrup or honey–since the banana helps sweeten it. Let me know how it goes!