This creamy, sweet, and satisfying barley porridge is the perfect breakfast option. A one-pot recipe that is easy to make and only calls for a handful of simple ingredients. This porridge is freezable, too, making it great for meal prep!
If you are looking to add more variety to your breakfast, give this barley porridge a try! It is warm, satisfying, and cozy, making it the perfect cold-weather breakfast. The best part is that this recipe is highly versatile so you can customize it to your liking!
I recommend checking out my vegan baked oats and applesauce carrot muffins for more warm breakfast options.
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- A satisfying and delicious breakfast to kickstart your day with
- Nourishing, healthy, and high in fiber
- Versatile and highly customizable
- A great meal-prep recipe that stores well and is freezable
🤔What is barley
Barley is an ancient grain known for its chewy texture and nutty flavor. It is a versatile ingredient commonly added to soups and salads or used as a stuffing for butternut squash or peppers.
There are two main types of barley - pearl and hulled. Pearl barley has its outer husk and bran removed, which results in a white color grain that requires a shorter cooking time. Hulled barley, on the other hand, is less processed, with its bran layer intact. As a result, it needs to be cooked longer than pearl barley and has a slightly higher nutrient profile.
I suggest using pearl barley for this recipe because it is easier to cook.
🌾What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Barley - I highly recommend going with pearl barley as it can be cooked quickly. If you are using hulled barley, I recommend soaking it overnight before use to reduce the cooking time.
- Milk - I am using soy milk, but feel free to replace it with regular dairy milk or plant-based alternatives like almond or oat milk.
- Maple syrup - This can be substituted with another sweetener. To make this recipe sugar-free, use sugar substitutes like stevia, Splenda, or Equal.
🔪How to make
Add milk and water to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, add barley.
Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You might need to stir it more frequently towards the end to prevent barley from burning.
Once barley is done cooking, stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
Give it a taste, adding more sweetener if needed. Add toppings of choice and enjoy barley porridge while warm.
✅Helpful tips
- Soaking barley - To reduce cooking time, soak the barley for 1-2 hours before use.
- Cook on low heat - To prevent barley from burning, cook it on low to medium heat. The mixture should be simmering lightly without boiling.
- Adjust porridge consistency - If the barley porridge is too thick, add some milk to thin it out.
- Cooking in an Instant Pot - Add milk, water, and barley to the pot and cook at high for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to release for 10 minutes naturally, then stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. If the mixture is too watery, set it to saute and cook without the lid on until the desired consistency is achieved.
✨Add-ins and flavor variations
Here are some of my go-to barley porridge flavors:
Banana bread - Add ½-1 mashed banana while cooking. You might need to reduce the amount of sweetener added. Optionally, top it off with almond butter or chopped walnuts and more banana slices before serving.
Blueberry muffins - In the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, stir in a handful of blueberries, fresh or frozen. Gentle mash the blueberries with a spatula to release their juices. Top with more blueberries and nut butter of choice before serving.
Peanut butter - Stir 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter into your barley porridge after cooking. For a lower-fat version, you can opt for peanut butter powder like PB2 instead.
High protein - While your porridge is cooking, mix 1-2 scoops of your preferred protein powder with just enough water to form a thick paste. Once the porridge is cooked, add the protein mixture and stir until everything is well incorporated.
Savory porridge - Replace milk with vegetable broth, and skip the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Add savory seasonings like soy sauce, cumin, paprika, and chili flakes. Top it off with some vegan Italian sausage or seitan bacon before serving.
🍌Toppings ideas
Here comes the fun part - toppings! Below are some ideas to get you started:
- Fruits - banana slices, blueberries, chopped apples
- Nut butter - coconut almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, chocolate hazelnut spread
- Nuts and seeds of choice
- Yogurt - plain, greek, or plant-based, like soy or almond
- Sweetener - Maple syrup, brown sugar, chocolate syrup
- Chocolate or chocolate chips
❄️Storing suggestions
Fridge - Leftover barley porridge can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezer - Porridge can be frozen for 3 months. I recommend portioning it into several containers before freezing so you will only take out what you need. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating - You can reheat it on the stove or microwave. Add sufficient milk or water to thin as the porridge tends to thicken after storing.
❔Commonly asked questions
It is not necessary to soak barley before cooking, especially if you are using pearl barley, which can be cooked easily. However, if you are using hulled barley, soak overnight before use to reduce the cooking time.
Barley contains gluten, making it unsuitable for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
The main difference between hulled and pearl barley is how they are processed. Only the tough outer husk of barley is removed in the hulled version, while for pearl barley, both the husk and bran are removed.
Hence, pearl barley is softer and quicker to cook when compared to hulled barley.
🍽️More vegan breakfasts
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Barley Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup soy milk or other plant-based milk/ dairy milk
- ½ cup pearl barley rinsed and drained (100g)*
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup or another sweetener
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add milk and water to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, add barley.
- Cook on medium to medium-low for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You might need to stir it more frequently towards the end to prevent barley from burning.
- Once barley is done cooking, stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
- Give it a taste, adding more sweetener if needed. Add toppings of choice and enjoy barley porridge while warm.
Notes
- Adjust porridge consistency - If the barley porridge is too thick, add some milk to thin it out.
- Cooking in an Instant Pot - Add milk, water, and barley to the pot and cook at high for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to release for 10 minutes naturally, then stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. If the mixture is too watery, set it to saute and cook without the lid on until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Storing leftover - Barley porridge can be refrigerated for a week and frozen for 3 months. Allow frozen porridge to thaw overnight in the fridge, and heat it in the microwave or in a saucepan. Add a splash of milk or water to loosen.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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