Why is my porridge not properly creamy?

It usually comes down to the oats and the ratio. Creamy porridge needs fine rolled oats, because they release their starch and bind the liquid. Jumbo oats stay grainy and simply float in the milk. The second point is stirring: porridge has to simmer uncovered and be stirred regularly so the starch can dissolve. And third, err on the side of too much liquid rather than too little, because you can always add more, while porridge that has gone too thick never turns creamy again.

Can I make the apple cinnamon porridge the night before?

Yes. Covered, the finished porridge keeps for 3 days in the fridge and firms up noticeably overnight. To reheat it, add a good splash of plant milk and stir it smooth again in a pan or in the microwave. I often make the caramelised apples for several days at once, they keep for 4 days in a jar and are lovely cold on yogurt too.

What is the difference between porridge and overnight oats?

Porridge is cooked warm, overnight oats are soaked cold. Cooking bursts the starch in the oats, which is what makes porridge creamy and velvety. Overnight oats only swell, so they keep more bite and taste fresher. Both are wonderful with apple and cinnamon, but in summer I reach for the cold version and from September onwards for the warm pan.

Which apples are best for caramelising?

Tart, firm varieties such as Braeburn, Boskoop or Elstar. They hold their shape while frying and their acidity stands up to the maple syrup. Very floury or very sweet varieties such as Gala collapse into mush in the pan and end up tasting one-dimensionally sweet. Cut the cubes fairly small and evenly, then they caramelise all over in 5 to 7 minutes.

How do I make the porridge higher in protein?

The simplest route is soy drink instead of oat milk, which adds around 5 gr (0.2 oz.) of protein per serving. On top of that I stir a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter into the hot porridge, which makes it creamier at the same time. A neutral or vanilla protein powder works too, but add it only after cooking, otherwise the mixture turns rubbery.

10 AUGUST 2026

Creamy Apple Cinnamon Porridge with Caramelised Apples

Name: Creamy Apple Cinnamon Porridge with Caramelised Apples
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 100 gr (3.5 oz.) fine rolled oats; 100 gr (3.5 oz.) apple sauce; 450 ml (scant 2 cups) oat milk; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 pinch salt; 1 Tbsp maple syrup; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 apples; 1 tsp coconut oil; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 Tbsp maple syrup; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 2 Tbsp water; 20 gr (0.7 oz.) raisins; 20 gr (0.7 oz.) almonds

By Verena Frei

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 2 servings

Hello lovelies, there is one morning in August when the air suddenly smells different and you find yourself wanting something warm. That is exactly when I cook my creamy apple cinnamon porridge with caramelised apples for the first time again. It is ready in 25 minutes, vegan, and it tastes of the weeks that are coming without anyone having to cut open a pumpkin yet.

Close-up of apple cinnamon porridge with caramelised apple cubes, raisins and chopped almonds

The most important trick is not in the topping, it is in the pan: 100 gr (3.5 oz.) of apple sauce go straight in with the oats. That way the porridge barely needs any sugar, it turns noticeably more velvety, and the apple flavour sits inside the oats instead of only on top. If you would rather work with a different grain, my millet porridge with orange uses the same idea with millet instead of oats.

Alongside it I drop a whole cinnamon stick into the pan. It sounds like a detail, but it turns a porridge that simply tastes of ground cinnamon into one with that warm, rounded note that stays with you all morning. It comes out again just before serving.

Apple cinnamon porridge with a spoonful of apple sauce and caramelised apples in a blue bowl

The apples for the top need exactly 2 things: small, even cubes and a pan that is already hot. I fry them briefly in coconut oil, deglaze with 2 tablespoons of water and then let them reduce with cinnamon and maple syrup for 5 to 7 minutes until they turn glossy. I love the same apple and cinnamon pairing in my pancakes with apple cinnamon whipped cream, for mornings that are allowed to be a little more festive.

Creamy apple cinnamon porridge with caramelised apples, raisins and almonds in a blue bowl

Last of all come the raisins and the roughly chopped almonds, which I toast in a dry pan while the porridge simmers. On hot days I make the same flavours cold instead, and then they turn into my apple cinnamon overnight oats in 2 ways, which are already waiting in the fridge from the night before.

Caramelised apple cubes with raisins and almonds on creamy porridge

Ingredients for apple cinnamon porridge with apples, oats, cinnamon sticks and maple syrup

I wish you one of those quiet mornings where the pan bubbles away softly and the kitchen smells of cinnamon. And if you feel like taking the same apple direction with another grain, my sweet quinoa with apple compote is the next bowl I would put in front of you.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Tip from my kitchen: the apple sauce belongs in the pan, not on top. It replaces a large part of the sweetness, makes the porridge more velvety at the same time and means the apple flavour genuinely sits inside the oats rather than merely on them. I always simmer a whole cinnamon stick along and lift it out only just before serving, because it gives a warm, rounded note that ground cinnamon never manages on its own. I toast the almonds briefly in a dry pan while the porridge simmers, which takes 2 minutes and makes an enormous difference. Leftover porridge sets firm overnight and stirs back to creamy the next morning with a splash of plant milk. And if you have children at the table: put the caramelised apples in a separate little bowl so everyone can help themselves.