A good bowl of porridge should taste wonderfully creamy without being gritty or watery. Yet despite its simplicity, porridge can be surprisingly hard to get right.
If you’ve ever stood at your hob stirring and hoping for that silky, creamy texture you’ve had in cafés or restaurants, only to end up with something a bit too thick, thin, or lumpy, you’re not alone. I’ve been there countless times. No matter how carefully I measured the oats or how long I stirred, my homemade porridge just never matched that perfect, velvety consistency.
One of the best porridges I’ve ever come across – and regularly buy en route to the office – is Pret A Manger’s. Deliciously creamy with the perfect consistency, it sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole to figure out why it tastes so good.
After finding the recipe online, which the eatery had posted to its social media, I made it at home – and voilà, my porridge has never been the same again. Pret’s porridge doesn’t rely on any hidden luxuries like cream, honey, or sugar to achieve that gorgeous creaminess. It’s not even made with a secret ingredient at all – just a simple mix of water and milk.
The magic lies not in what they add, but in how they cook it. The oats themselves – especially if you use good-quality jumbo oats – release a natural creaminess when cooked slowly and gently, allowing the starch to thicken the liquid into a smooth, almost custardy texture.
Creamy porridge recipe
Adapted from Pret A Manger
Ingredients
- 180g whole milk
- 140g water
- 50g rolled oats
Method
Add your oats and cold water to a saucepan. Stir well before turning on the heat – this helps prevent the oats from clumping.
Bring the water to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil). Too much heat too soon can cause the oats to break down unevenly or stick to the bottom.
Simmer for two to three minutes, stirring often, until the mixture starts to thicken and the oats soften slightly. Pour in the milk and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any oats that might have started sticking.
Continue to simmer gently over low heat for about five to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You’ll notice the texture gradually changing. The oats will plump up fully, the liquid will turn silky, and the whole mixture will take on a glossy creaminess.
Finish the porridge by adding your favourite topping. My preffered topping is honey or soft brown sugar. However, you can add jam, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, compote, granola or fruit and berries.
