Baked Cacao Porridge with Pear and Ginger

You wouldn’t believe that today’s recipe is what I ate for breakfast! Or that it’s actually healthy, full of fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Also, if like me you’re super sensitive to temperature, you won’t believe that we’re coming to the end of March already!  It feels bitterly cold and bleak out so until spring decides to kick into gear a warming bowl of baked porridge provides a welcome treat in the morning.

Incorporating oats into your breakfast routine has so many health benefits. For one, they are a source of soluble fibre known to help reduce circulating cholesterol, slow down digestion leaving you feeling fuller for longer and, in turn, slow down the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream keeping blood sugar levels under control. Oats are also a great provider of manganese, essential for healthy bones, energy metabolism and the absorption of calcium.

Did I mention this breakfast has chocolate?! Raw cacao powder is one of many foods that has gained ‘superfood’ status as of late and offers a sense of culinary indulgence to anything it's added to. Made by cold-pressing cacao beans all of the amazing nutrients of the bean are preserved meaning you get a hefty dose of minerals and flavonoids (read: antioxidants) as well as an injection of serotonin – the ‘mood-boosting’ hormone – to ensure you get your day started the right way.

I’m a big fan of chocolate and ginger so added some ground ginger to the mix before topping everything off with half a pear, sliced and arranged on top with just a smidge of pure maple syrup to sweeten and allow for some caramelisation.

Baked Cacao Porridge with Pear and Ginger

Serves 1

½ a banana

40g porridge oats*

1 tbsp raw cacao powder

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp baking powder

125ml milk (I used oat milk, any non-dairy alternative would work)

½ a pear, cored

Maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 170C

Mash the banana in an ovenproof bowl or a small baking dish then add the oats, ginger, baking powder and milk giving everything a good mix to combine

Slice the pear into ¼ inch slices starting ½ an inch down from the stalk – this will enable you to ‘fan’ the pear out prettily – and arrange on top of the oat mix

Drizzle a little maple syrup over the pear, using the back of a spoon to spread it over the surface a little

Bake for 20 minutes until the top feels crisp but gives a little to the touch - this will ensure a gooey inside – top with a little more maple syrup if desired

* I usually prefer jumbo oats when making normal porridge but here I find that they absorb too much of the liquid resulting in a somewhat tacky texture so standard quick cooking oats are fine

** raw cacao powder is quite bitter, from me, the darker the chocolate the better, but if you're more familiar with commercial milk chocolate you may wish to use more maple syrup, or perhaps mix a little coconut sugar into the dry mix