Cardamom pear oat porridge with almond butter and hemp hearts
This Nordic-inspired cardamom porridge simmers rolled oats in soy milk, stirs in hemp hearts and flax for body, then gets topped with skillet-caramelized maple pears, almond butter and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Published .
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 2
- Protein
- ~24 g
- The vegan swap
- Almond butter and hemp hearts stand in for the butter and cream that usually make porridge rich, and soy milk replaces dairy milk for a creamy, full-bodied pot.
- Make ahead
- Cook the pears up to 4 days ahead and keep them in the fridge. The porridge keeps 3 days but thickens a lot, so loosen it with a splash of soy milk when you reheat it.
Ingredients
Maple pears
Porridge
Toppings
How to make it
Toast the seeds
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until they puff and start to pop. Tip them into a small bowl.
Caramelize the pears
In the same skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the pears and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden at the edges. Stir in the maple syrup, cardamom and salt and cook 1 minute more until glossy.
Simmer the oats
While the pears cook, add the oats, soy milk, water, cardamom, cinnamon and salt to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until thick and creamy.
Stir in the extras
Take the pot off the heat and stir in the hemp hearts, flaxseed and vanilla. Let it sit 1 minute to thicken. Add a splash more soy milk if you like it looser.
Top and serve
Spoon the porridge into two bowls. Pile on the maple pears, drizzle with almond butter, scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds over the top and add more maple if you want it sweeter.
Why this works
Simmering the oats directly in soy milk instead of water builds a creamy base without any cream. Stirring the hemp hearts and ground flax in off the heat thickens the porridge further and adds a nutty richness that does not go gummy.
Cooking the pears separately in a hot skillet lets them brown and caramelize instead of stewing into the oats. Cardamom shows up in both the pears and the porridge, so the flavor feels layered, and the toasted pepitas bring crunch to balance all that softness.
Tips
- Runny almond butter drizzles best. If yours is stiff, stir it with a teaspoon of warm water first.
- Firm-ripe pears hold their shape in the pan. Very soft ones turn jammy, which is also delicious.
- No pears? Diced apples work the same way, just give them an extra 2 minutes in the skillet.
Questions about this recipe
Can I use steel-cut or quick oats instead?
Quick oats work, just cut the simmer to about 2 minutes. Steel-cut oats need around 25 minutes and an extra cup of liquid, so they will push this past a quick weekday breakfast.
Can I swap the soy milk for another plant milk?
Yes, oat or almond milk both taste great here. Soy milk just gives the creamiest, most filling bowl, so if you swap it out, consider an extra spoonful of hemp hearts or almond butter.