Millet porridge | Is millet gluten-free?

I love eating porridge for breakfast – even in this weather! When I’ve got a busy day on my feet (usually when I’m onsite shooting food photography for clients), I need something a little more robust than a smoothie or a cereal bar.

With more bite than traditional porridge, millet is a great gluten-free alternative to oats. Millet has a deeper flavour than oats, which is why I’ve added other strong flavour components in this recipe. Vanilla, maple syrup & dried fruit make the porridge sweet overall. Tart berries & zesty mint in my quick compote cut through that sweetness for a well-rounded breakfast dish.

Just a quick FYI: My intentions with this blog are to help people who eat vegan & gluten-free. This is not diet, health or nutrition advice. Go and see a qualified medical professional for that sh*t, take care of yourself, & see my full liability policy here.

Is millet gluten-free?

Yes, millet is gluten-free. Its a small grain from grass used the world-over in everything from breads to beers.

As with many other grains, there is always some risk of cross-contamination during harvesting or processing millet. To be safe, make sure to look for millet specifically marked as gluten-free, and carrying the crossed-grain symbol if possible.

Millet porridge

Millet is a great alternative to oats in porridge recipes. While oats are gluten-free, there is a high risk of cross-contamination. Many people with coeliac disease or other non-coeliac gluten-sensitivity find tha they also react badly to oats – even oats certified as gluten-free.

Millet grains are tougher than oats though, so they require a longer cooking time. In this recipe, they’re simmered for 20+ minutes. While this gives the millet a softer texture, more similar to oat porridge, the grain does still have more of a ‘bite’ than traditional porridge does.

Do you need to pre-soak millet?

You don’t have to pre-soak millet, but it does make it softer and easier to digest. If you remember to, soak millet overnight in cold water, or for a couple of hours in hot water. Whether or not you pre-soak the millet before starting the main recipe, make sure to rinse it thoroughly.

If you haven’t pre-soaked the millet at all, you may want to cook it for longer. Make the 15-minutes simmering (before the fruits & nuts are added) 20-25 minutes, if your millet hasn’t been pre-soaked.

Print Recipe

Millet porridge

Millet is a gluten-free alternative to oats in this millet porridge recipe, with a quick berry compote

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Servings: 2

Author: zoepickburn

Ingredients

For the millet porridge

• 0.5 cup Millet (dry)
• 0.5 cup Mylk (I used almond but any is fine)
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tsp. Maple syrup
• 0.5 tsp. Vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp. Chopped nuts (preferably mixed but single variety is fine)
• 2 tbsp. Dried fruit (raisins, currants or sultanas)

For the quick berry compote

• 1 cup Frozen berries (preferably mixed but single variety is fine)
• 1 tbsp. Chia seeds
• 3 tbsp Water
• 2-3 sprigs Fresh mint (plus more to garnish)

Instructions

• soak millet overnight in cold water, or for a couple of hours in hot water
• horoughly rinse the millet and put it into a medium saucepan
• Add the wet ingrdients (mylk, water, maple syrup & vanilla essence) to the saucepan with the millet
• On the hob, bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat & simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly evaporated
• IF you have not pre-soaked the millet, add an extra half-cup of water and cook for longer (20-25 minutes)
• When most of the liquid has evaporated, add the chopped nuts and the dried fruits
• Keep the heat low and continue stirring and cooking the millet porridge for a further 5-7 minutes

Meanwhile, make the quick berry compote

• Put the chia seeds, frozen berries & water into a small saucepan and heat over a medium-high hob
• Finely chop most of the fresh mint & add it to the pan with the berries
• Stir and lightly smash the berries with a large spoon, until they have formed a thick sauce
• Serve the millet in two portions, with the quick berry compote and a sprig of minto to garnish, if you're feeling extra fancy

Notes

Part of the beauty of this recipe is that you can truly make it your own. Use any vegan mylk you prefer (soy, almond, hazelnut, etc.). Use any variety of chopped nuts and dried fruits – or a mixture – depending on what you have in your cupboards. The same goes for the berries – use whatever variety you happen to have available.