Name: Healthy Oat Breakfast Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 400
Ingredients: Based on 400g cold, leftover, cooked porridge; Use 1 egg; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 2 tbsp Melted Butter or Coconut Oil; 2 tbsp Maple syrup; OPTIONAL: 2/3 Cup of Mixed Nuts / Flaked Almonds / Coconut Flakes / Dried Fruit / Frozen Berries / Fresh Berries / Grated Apple; Cinnamon if you fancy it

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Jump to Recipe

So, a part of this blogpost is a recipe for healthy oat breakfast bars. Imagine if a muffin and a flapjack had a baby; that’s what this breakfast bar is. Feel free to skip straight to the recipe below unless you want to find out about…

Batch cooking porridge aka oatmeal (YES. This is a thing), why you should do it in advance of breakfast and what you can do with aforesaid batch cooked porridge once you’ve done it.

breakfast oatmeal with blue berries and bananas

By the way, do note how reasonably priced a massive bag of oats is, particularly in comparison to boxes of branded cereal. That’ll make a nice saving to the household budget over time. Oh, and oats are decidedly more healthy too (you can get gluten free oats as well by the way).

Are you still with me? Excellent. Read on.

But before we come to the reheatability and versatility of cold porridge, I’ll take you on a brief tangent to the health benefits of oats, followed by the history of this mighty grain. Buckle up… let’s launch.

Oats: the plant, the health benefits and why you should eat them

Oats (Avena satvia), like wheat and rice, is a form of cereal grass. Did you know that? It’s a jolly useful sort of plant as the grains are lovely parcels of starchy, complex carbohydrates.

Once processed, oats are a good source of fibre both soluble and insoluble. The soluble beta-glucans protect the intestinal wall and can lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Meanwhile, the bacteria that populate our guts and make up the microbiome loooooove that insoluble fibre to munch on. Oh, and oats also contain thiamine, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium. No wonder it’s considered a bit of a super food.

The sort of oat you cook in your porridge is also important. Needless to say, the less processed, the better as they have a lower glycaemic load i.e. Steel Cut, Irish and Rolled Oats keep you fuller for longer and you won’t have the quick energy fix and resultant crash associated with individual packets of instant or quick oats chock full of additional flavours, sugars, and goodness knows what else.

Do note that the chunkier the oat, such as Steel Cut or Irish oats, the longer it takes to cook. The smaller the oat gets, be it ground into a meal like a Scottish oat or steamed and rolled super thin as in Quick oats… well, it comes as no surprise that you can cook up your porridge in a speedier manner.

NB some people aren’t so keen on the chewiness of a larger oat so I suggest soaking them overnight before you cook them. You’ll still get the chunkiness of texture, which I personally prefer, with a smoother porridgeyness. If such a word exists but you know what I mean.

But why eat porridge? I mean, I wouldn’t suggest it for every meal. Moderation in all things and so forth. But a small bowl of plain oats for breakfast is so much better than an equivalent-sized bowl of, say, Coco Pops, Special K or even those aforementioned packets of processed quick oats.

This is mainly to do with the amount of added sugar in these other speedy options, whereas with your own porridge, YOU’RE the boss of the sweetener, be it honey or maple syrup.

Oh, and you can add a whopping dollop of cream as well for extra protein that’ll also keep you fuller for longer. But I digress because I need to quickly write about…

Oats: A brief history

The oat was cultivated about 2,000 years ago by the Romans, originally to feed horses. However, along with being a sort of grass, oats are a sort of grass that grows in relatively poor soil in temperate climates in the North of this planet.

In other words, an oat plant doesn’t need as much heat as say, rye or barley and can also cope with much more rain. It’s also – as you may have noticed – fit for human consumption, as well as animal…

Which means it was a TRIUMPH of a crop in places like Scandinavia, Scotland, Ireland, the north of England and even Iceland, regions not known for their tropical climes.

Great bleak beauty, driving wind, rain and the sort of meteorological drama that inspired great works of myth such as Beowulf & Finn Mac Cool and drove many a hermit monk to the edges of civilisation in Iona and Lindisfarne in their pursuit of God. Palm trees and tropical sun, though?

Not so much.

Thus the oat was growing happily and the locals, unknowingly bereft of coconuts, papayas and bananas, consumed the oat by the tonne and they also grew happily.

I remember reading a few years ago about Porridge Drawers. These were particular to Scotland, where combustible material like wood in some parts is rare; peat is the carbon source of choice and took a lot of effort to gather up. So, when the fire was on you used it and the women would make epic batches of porridge.

But what to do next? It’s not like there was Tupperware around. Cue the Porridge Drawers: porridge would be put it – hot – into the porridge drawers to slice up into pieces for the family. Essentially these are proto healthy oat breakfast bars.

And because when porridge is hot it becomes something of a heat sink, one of the drawers was a built-in cot for a baby so the wee one would stay warm as well.

I am in awe at the initiative and cleverness of this invention. Truly.

Back to grand scale history now…with the Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian diaspora to North America in the 18^th & 19^th centuries, the oat went along for the ride and is still hugely popular in Canada and the US to this day.

As an aside, did you know you can make your own boozy oatmilk? Known as Atholl Bose, you soak rolled oats in water for 24 hours and mix the resultant porridge water with whiskey, cream and maybe some honey… voila! You’re set for Hogmanay or Burns Night.

Think of it like a Scottish piñacolda but without the coconut. Or rum. Actually, it’s quite different but feel free to add a small cocktail parasol to your glass.

Why You Should Batch Cook Porridge

Now, let it be known, I do not recommend Atholl Bose for breakfast, delicious as it may be. I do, however, recommend batch cooking a huge pot of porridge so you’re set and ready to quickly reheat on a busy weekday.

Now, everyone knows the flurry of a weekday morning, especially if you’re a mother. You’ve got to dress yourself as well as a legion of small children. If you’re in the school-run season of life, then there’s a big list of all the bits and bobs the kids need for school. Needless to say, it can be all too easy to let a healthy breakfast fall by the wayside!

So do something that’s deeply uncool, organised and a bit grown up with a touch of the crunchy-hippy-dippy all over it: batch cook porridge.

breakfast oatmeal porridge with raspberries and chia seeds

It will last about 5 days in a plastic container in the fridge. Just scoop out the amount you want for breakfast and Reheat your porridge with a splash of milk, perhaps some plant-based milk for those with a dietary fancy. Add a handful of berries, a dollop of nut butter, or a drizzle of honey for a delightful burst of flavour and texture. This is just as quick as instant oats but so much healthier for you and your family.

What else can you do with cold porridge?

This isn’t a question that comes up very often, granted, and most people would say “chuck it in the bin!”.

Please don’t do that. What a waste. Here are a few ways to turn a seemingly deeply unsexy cold porridge into a breakfast showstopper:

Bircher Muesli: Stir in some creamy Greek yogurt, a grated pear for a touch of sweetness, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Top it all off with a variety of nuts and seeds for a satisfying crunch.

Oat & Peanut Butter Breakfast Smoothie: Pop your porridge in the blender with a ripe banana, some peanut butter, and almond milk for a protein-packed and creamy smoothie. Perfect for those mornings when you’re on the go! Make a double batch so you can pour some more out for breakfast tomorrow.

peanut butter and oat breakfast smoothie with banana in a bowl

Pancakes: Whizz up the cold porridge with a couple of eggs, a banana, some milk, a teaspoon of baking powder and – if you want to up the protein – some almond meal. Go crazy with cinnamon as well if you fancy it. Fry it all up and treat as you would a normal pancake, serving with jam, syrup, fruit or whatever your topping of choice is. And batch cook to freeze some pancakes for another morning!

Healthy Oat Breakfast Bars: The moment you’ve been waiting for! The progeny of The Muffin and The Flapjack!? Mix your cold porridge with whisked egg (approx. 200g cold porridge to one egg), some melted butter or coconut oil, a touch of maple syrup and vanilla essence for sweetness, and a sprinkle of your favourite chopped nuts or coconut. You can also add fresh or frozen berries to the mix. Bake in a tray for delicious and portable breakfast bars, perfect for busy mornings.

healthy breakfast oat bars made with leftover porridge

Porridge Oats: Food of the Gods

In conclusion, oats in almost any form, be it as cold leftover porridge or in a baked oat breakfast bar are rather marvellous. There’s not much left to say except try it yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are oat bars good for breakfast?

As long as they’re homemade! See the next question…

Are porridge oat bars healthy?

As long as they’re homemade and not chock full of sugar, then yes! Most of the breakfast biscuits, granola bars and other breakfast bars in the shops are full of sugar and preservatives. You also need a good balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate to ensure this is a decent breakfast or morning snack. Try making the recipe below so you know it’s full of goodness for you and the whole family.

Can you eat porridge oats cold?

Yes, if that’s your thing. As you can see above it’ll probably be tastier with some grated fruit as well as nuts with it, possibly a splodge of yoghurt too. You have a play and see what you enjoy best.

Is cold porridge good?

Yes, because it is a symbol of opportunity, creativity and efficiency… all in your fridge. Heat it up again on a busy weekday morning as you’ve been savvy and batch cooked it advance or use the leftovers in the various recipe ideas I’ve outlined. Good luck and enjoy.

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Based on 400g porridge you'll get 12 slices