Creamy Amaranth Porridge is a comforting whole grain breakfast that is naturally gluten-free.
Creamy Amaranth Porridge
Amaranth is considered an ancient grain (although technically it’s a seed), cultivated for over 8000 years in Central and South America. Amaranth seeds come from a leafy plant (which is also edible), and are the size of poppy seeds. Amaranth is one of the most nutritious “grains,” containing more fiber and protein than most other grains, and is also high in calcium, magnesium and iron. One cup of cooked amaranth has 5 grams of dietary fiber and 9 grams of protein.
I first came across this grain when we discovered my youngest son had numerous food allergies.
One of the first challenges I faced was what to make for breakfast since my son was gluten-free. Oatmeal, or vegetarian refried beans with a poached egg, a piece of fruit and a glass of milk had been my little guy’s go-to breakfast foods during the school week. Sometimes I would make banana or pumpkin muffins. But now that gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast and sugar are a problem, he couldn’t have any of these foods. I had to search for alternative breakfast foods. Even oatmeal, which says gluten-free on the package, apparently, can be troublesome for those with gluten allergies, as oats contain a relatively similar protein.
When my son first went gluten-free, breakfast was simply a corn tortilla spread with vegetarian refried red beans (“frijoles rojos volteados”) that I found in the ethnic aisle at the grocery store. High in fiber and protein, and low in saturated fat (cooked with vegetable oil versus the traditional lard), this was an easy, healthy breakfast alternative. However, after a week of eating the same thing every morning, my son wanted something different (can you blame him!), and I needed a few more choices. Cold cereals have not worked because my son has never been a cold cereal eater, and he didn’t like the taste of nut/grain milks unless they were mixed into hot cereals or smoothies.
I wanted to make something nutritious and filling, something hot, creamy and comforting, like the bowl of oatmeal he used to enjoy, so I began exploring alternative gluten-free grains. My son had tried quinoa as a hot breakfast cereal (it was “ok”), but he had never tried amaranth, buckwheat, millet, chia, teff, or sorghum.
My first attempt at making Amaranth Porridge was in the crockpot. I thought it would be a great idea to have breakfast ready as soon as “A” woke up. It was a disaster. The top was dried and crusty the next morning. I did read somewhere that placing a towel over the top of the crockpot before putting the lid on works. Anyway, I started over, this time cooking a pot of amaranth on the stovetop. Amaranth takes about 20-25 minutes to cook to a creamy consistency. With a little honey, cinnamon and coconut milk, amaranth tastes like cream of wheat. Thank goodness my little guy liked this! I’ve read that amaranth can also be used in baked goods and popped like popcorn, so that will be on my list of new things to try.
Most recipes I’ve seen call for a ratio of 3 cups of water to 1 cup of amaranth. I’ve found that 4 cups are needed to achieve the creamy consistency I was looking for. I used raw honey as a sweetener as it is unprocessed and contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal phytonutrients. Add your favorite dried or fresh fruit, and some toasted nuts on top when serving. Stirring towards the end of the cooking time is especially important to ensure a creamy consistency. This can be made ahead of time and reheated with a little added water.
Amaranth Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup amaranth seeds
- 4 cups water
For Serving
- fresh or dried fruit of your choice
- raw honey
- ground cinnamon
- light coconut milk
Instructions
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Combine amaranth seeds and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until creamy, about 20-25 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly the last five minutes of cooking (porridge will sputter). If porridge seems thick, add more water.
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Stir in fruit, raw honey, cinnamon and coconut milk before serving.
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I've been meaning to tell you what an incredibly strong woman I find you to be. I'm not sure how I would handle news of my little guy having a slew of food allergies. I am happy to hear that you have found some new recipes to try for him. That is a bowl of love I would like to wake up to! Stay strong!
Thanks for your encouragement. I think motherly instincts just kick in when you're trying to help your child fight off whatever is attacking his body. Food is love!
Thanks for linking to the Whole Grains Council, Jeanette! We also made this video about how to pop amaranth, it's one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqbQDKxDyW4
I was wondering how to pop amaranth, so thanks for the link to this video!
This looks wonderful Jeanette, your little man is very lucky to have such a wonderful mama.
I'm sure you've been inundated with website suggestions, but http://thehealthyapple.com is another terrific resource for gluten-free foods.
Thanks, I welcome any all suggestions, so please keep them coming!
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe! I have been struggling for some time to get my Amaranth just right; it always seems gooey. My son too has more than his share of food allergies (each month we find something new).
Just a note; we are using Goat Milk products and my little guy seems to be doing just fine with it. We have found yogurt, cheese & milk at our local store – also looking into making our own cream cheese & sour cream. Best of luck!
Hi Gabrielle – amaranth is definitely more “gooey” than other grains, but I think if you use goat milk as you do or another milk to loosen up the porridge, it makes a big difference in the consistency. So fun that you’re trying to make your own goat milk cream cheese and sour cream!
Hi Jeanette! Great looking porridge ~ need to start using more amaranth.
Great article. awesome content I look forward to reading your
other posts. 🙂
Super easy to make in a titanium universal pot. Mine is non-stick from Titanium Cookware Collection. Cooks fast and no messy clean up.