I love hot cereal for breakfast. I love risotto for dinner. I love rice. I love cookies. I love almond butter. I love bananas. I love vanilla, ginger and cinnamon flavors. And this cozy bowl of Maple-Spice Ginger Cookie Breakfast Risotto combines all those favorites in one delish dish.
Easy Bowl. Even though risotto gets a reputation for being "high maintenance" as an entree dish - you have to stir and stir and stir and stir - as a breakfast bowl, risotto (arborio) rice is very easy to make since you can prepare it a bit "wetter" than you do when it is served as a savory entree. Risotto hot cereal prep is fuss free! Just as simple as stove-top oatmeal. Plus for oat-sensitive folks, easy to digest, rice-based risotto bowls are a dream come true.
The texture is so velvet-y and silky, yet still dense, filling and thick like hot cereal should be. For this recipe, I've seasoned the rice with some dreamy Ginger Cookie flavors. Call this recipe "dessert for breakfast" .. a very healthy, vegan, gluten-free breakfast. Get my recipe..
Moving day went amazingly! Nelly has adjusted to our new place SO SO well. We considered holding off on our move across town to Santa Monica when we found out Nelly had cancer, but I had a deep sense that moving would actually be GOOD for her. So far I am right. She loves how quiet our new place is - absolutely no "neighbor sounds" at all and she has some killer sunbeams to sprawl across here. I am so happy that she is happy. Some pics from my Instagram account (follow me!)..
New 'hood, new adventures:
Celebratory lunch at Urth Caffe. Matcha latte blended + sprout sandwich:
Exhausted from a long day, but happy in our new place! Nelly found more than a few sunbeams to become friendly with.
Though I'm still unpacking plenty of kitchen goodies, I can easily whip up this homemade breakfast bowl. This AM bowl is extra yummy because it tastes like a giant ginger-spice cookie. If you have never made risotto for breakfast - please please try it! It is easier than you may think and such a nice change from oatmeal.
I first made breakfast risotto a few years ago with this recipe: Citrus + Poached Fig Breakfast Risotto
Boost it: Since rice in general is less fiber-ful than oatmeal, I like to pump up the texture and fiber by adding in chia seeds or ground flax seeds. You could also fold in fresh or dried fruit, or nuts. Or stick to the plan below and await breakfast bowl bliss. Whip up this ginger spice goodness to fuel your day!..
Maple-Spice Ginger Cookie Breakfast Risotto
vegan, serves 2
½ cup risotto (arborio) rice, dry
1 ½ cups water
two pinches of salt
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½ cup non-dairy milk, vanilla or plain
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon maple syrup (more to taste if desired)
To Serve:
1 banana, sliced
2-4 tablespoon almond butter
2 teaspoon chia seeds (or ground flax seeds)
additional non-dairy milk, warmed, to serve
optional: chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions:
1. Add risotto, water and a pinch of salt to a large pot. Heat over high heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cover pot with lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender. Stir rice every few minutes to prevent sticking or burning. Keep a somewhat watchful eye and when the liquid is absorbed, taste test and if the texture is still a bit too al dente, add another ½ cup of water and simmer until absorbed. You want the liquid to be absorbed, but you also want a slightly wet rice so that it doesn't taste dry. Cooked risotto that is a bit too dry will need excess non-dairy milk added to soften things up. (Which is fine! Just be aware of this.)
2. When the risotto fo soft and cooked, and slightly wet, add in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Simmer until steamy and warm and the flavors absorb into the rice a bit.
3. Pour warm risotto in two bowls and add banana slices, chia or flax seeds, a splash of non-dairy milk and a drizzle of almond butter to serve. Additional maple syrup is optional. To get your almond butter to "drizzle" simple warm it in the microwave to a few seconds.
Serve warm. You can easily store leftovers in fridge and re-warm the next day. You will need to add additional non-dairy milk or water to loosen and hydrate leftover risotto.
Livomac says
It did actually as it sat overnight, thanks so much!!
Livomac says
Just made this tonight for my breakfast in the morning(but I ate quite a lot, before I packed it away, sooooo delicious). Mine turned out completely white, like bleach white almost. I noticed yours is lovely and brown and natural looking. Does Brown arborio rice exist? Or do you have another secret?
Kathy Patalsky says
The cinnamon and maple makes it brown-caramel colored! Vanilla extract too.
Chabnam says
Tried it this morning and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Kathy Patalsky says
Oh the grass is always greener, I miss those changing seasons! But so happy to be here now. It's fun to move around. 🙂 I think I am a beach girl but I do love cozy snow days and fall leaves outside my door!
Kathy Patalsky says
Your welcome! 😉
Kristen Kelley says
I love hot cereals for breakfast but never would have thought of this on my own. Thanks for a delicious recipe and for the inspiration!
RockMyVeganSocks says
Mmmmm this breakfast sounds delicious!!!!
Glad the move went well. It looks like you are in a super fantastic area =)
lisatberry says
I love the pictures from Santa Monica...I used to live their on Ocean Ave. and walked to work and to the farmers market so many fun memories. I live in CT now and with fall approaching I love the leave changing and cool weather where this warm breakfast would fit in perfectly. Hope Nelly loves her new sunbeams.
Kathy Patalsky says
Totally! I had the leftovers as an afternoon snack one day! Dessert worthy too if you add a bit more sweetness and you could even add a scoop of coconut ice cream... Yum
McKel Hill, MS, RDN, LDN says
Oh wow this sounds amazing, I could eat this all day actually- not just for breakfast! I love all these fall recipes coming out 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Thanks for letting me know!!
slywlf says
This sounds yummy! That picture of Nellie hiding in her blanket fort made me smile 😉
Just an FYI, in case you didn't know - pageflakes, which seems to be your RSS gateway, has been down for quite a while - at least 4 days, which makes subscribing to your feed impossible. Having just finally discovered the convenience of RSSOwl I have been switching many of my email subscriptions to RSS where available to keep my email from getting too cluttered. Eventually I hope to be able to switch this account but I will maintain my email subscription in the meantime. I don't want to miss one delicious morsel 😉
Calibugs123 says
Thanks! Can't wait to make it! I love oatmeal, but it doesn't love me!
Kathy Patalsky says
Yes! I think that would work well. You may need to adjust the liquid a bit though. Maybe a bit more.
Calibugs123 says
Can this be made in a crock pot overnight?
John Hartil says
Yes this would make a nice change from porridge as the mornings get colder. Nellie is looking quite contented despite everything
Heather McClees says
Yum! I've never had risotto, but I'll have to give it a go after seeing this!:)
Suzanne says
Wow oh wow; this looks like a very comforting breakfast for sure 🙂