Creamy porridge with honey and walnuts recipe

This creamy porridge with honey and walnuts has a lovely rich texture, sweetened with golden honey, plus a nice nutty crunch. 

Porridge makes such a great breakfast treat, and we love this version, simply enhanced with some sweet chunks of ripe pears. In the UK, pears are at their best from late summer through to January, and you can use any kind you like in this recipe. We like to peel them before adding to the porridge, so that the soft, slightly grainy texture really juxtaposes with the creamy porridge. However, if you prefer them with the skin on, just skip this step. This recipe serves 4, and it's best eaten on the day it's made, so if you're making it for fewer people, simply reduce the amounts.

Ingredients

• 200g Scottish porridge oats
• Pinch of salt
• 1.2l whole milk
• 4tbsp double cream (optional)
• 2 ripe pears
• 3 tbsp clear honey
• 50g chopped walnuts
• Ground cinnamon to dust

Method

1. Put the oats in a saucepan with the salt and milk. Heat gently stirring until the mixture comes to the boil, then simmer gently for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, until the oats thicken and are completely tender. Stir in the cream if using.
2. Meanwhile, peel and core the pears, then cut into small pieces.
3. To serve, gently stir the chopped pear into the porridge and spoon into warm cereal bowls. Drizzle with honey and scatter with walnuts. Dust with cinnamon and serve immediately.

Top tip for making creamy porridge with honey and walnuts

For a less creamy porridge, replace the whole milk with either semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, and leave out the cream. Try mixing in grated apple or a generous handful of fresh blueberries instead of the pear, and add a sprinkle of almonds as well if you like them.

What's the best kind of pear to use in this recipe?

You can use any kind of pear for this porridge. Slender, teardrop shaped conference pears, with russet markings, are the most common in supermarkets and often the cheapest. Comice pears are the fatter yellow kind with really tender flesh that works very well with the porridge. Red Williams, with their rosy colour and buttery sweet taste, are probably our favourites.

Do I need to soak my oats overnight for this creamy porridge with honey and walnuts

Check the packaging for directions on soaking, as some varieties will specify. In general, it's a good idea to soak your oats if you have time, as it softens them and leads to a fluffier texture.

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