*Post contains affiliate links-read more about that and our medical disclaimer here*
I have a squash obsession-it is true. There was no denying it any longer when I went through 8 winter squash in 5 days. Between eating them plain with a little sea salt and getting crazy with recipe development, it was easier than you may think. This recipe for Nut-Free Spiced Paleo Porridge is a result of me deciding to get a little more creative with these squash and (finally) remembering to record my measurements!
I have always been a huge fan of oatmeal but avoid regularly eating grains these days as my system doesn’t always take kindly to them. I had been really wanting to make a nut-free spiced paleo porridge that doesn’t use a lot of ingredients and has a simple method. I am one of the many lovers of all things pumpkin spice but try to avoid consuming fake foods in general. That in mind, certain popular options for quick pumpkin spice fixes are out of the question. I did recently try a specific popular pumpkin spice drink and had the WORST sugar hangover from it. Live and learn 😯 I will be sharing my own nourishing homemade pumpkin coffee drink recipe later, once it is perfected 😉
This recipe is basically squash, healthy fats, coconut and seeds mixed with a little sweetener and spice. Stir it up, heat it up and enjoy. I used dessicated coconut from a small family-owned Vietnamese market that I tend to buy a lot of my Asian sauces and coconut products from. They tend to offer a lot of useful low-priced ingredients at small Asian markets and sometimes give additional discounts for buying large amounts of one item. If you take the time to familiarize yourself with the store and read labels to ensure that you aren’t getting a bunch of junky additives you can save a lot of money on quality food! I buy an 7 oz package of (not organic) dessicated coconut for $1.25! A 33.8 oz carton of Aroy-D pure coconut cream (no thickeners, preservatives or stabilizers) is $3.89! I use that coconut cream for so many things but my favorite way to eat it is in my dairy-free ice-cream recipe. Many products and ingredients that they carry at these stores come with a hefty mark-up at your regular grocery store’s ethnic section. I hope that you also find good deals like this at a local market that you can support. If you don’t have access to this type of resource, check out Amazon for low prices on your specialty ingredients!
I found this flax meal at the grocery store and stocked up as it was on sale for a ridiculously low price. I developed the recipe to be spiced enough for using unflavored flax meal but if you can find this it will just be even better! We buy our spices in bulk at Natural Grocers or Winco and I love to use this vanilla extract usually because it is widely available! I love these chia seeds and tend to go for the raw honey and grassfed butter options (since I am already getting benefits of coconut from the dessicated coconut and I believe grassfed butter is a very healthy fat) but if you want to make this vegan opt for coconut oil and coconut sugar or other vegan sweeteners that you have on hand. On that note-I am no longer a fan of agave. I used to consider it a health food but have revoked that opinion after doing some reading on the latest research on it. There has been a lot of talk in the real food community of agave being one of the worst sweeteners available because it is extremely high in fructose although it is low on the glycemic index scale. I don’t necessarily think it’s the worst but it’s far from the best in my opinion. It is actually now mentioned here which is a more mainstream media source but one of the articles that best breaks down the problems with agave (IMHO) and backs it up with actual science is here. This is why we personally don’t use or consume agave regularly. If you do and don’t see any issues with agave, no judgement from us over here, let us know how the recipe turns out with it.
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 2 minutes |
| Servings |
1 person
|
- 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin or other squash (I like sweet dumpling best for this)
- 1 1/2 tbsp dessicated coconut (very finely shredded)
- 1/2-1 tbsp sweetener such as honey or coconut sugar
- 1/2-1 tbsp coconut oil or grassfed butter (coconut oil to make it vegan)
- 1/2 tbsp flax meal
- 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of sea salt
Ingredients
|
|
- Cook squash if you don't have it pre-cooked (cut up, place in baking pan, add 1/2 cup water, cover with foil and bake @350 for 20-40 minutes depending on size)
- Mix honey, vanilla and squash in a bowl with a fork, hand mixer or whisk until smooth
- Sprinkle spices and salt onto mixture and blend well
- Mix in the chia seeds, coconut and flax meal
- Microwave for 2 minutes
- Stir and let sit for 5 minutes in the microwave to allow chia seeds to soak, if you wish
- Add coconut oil or butter and mix in, garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon
- Enjoy on it's own as a porridge topped with nuts or raisins, also as a dip for fruit like apple slices
- Alternatively, you can just throw all of the ingredients in a Vitamix for this and it will heat while blending on high setting, it will also make a creamier thick smoothie like texture as it grinds it rather than mixing. You will have to use the tamper constantly when using this method as it is a thick mixture.
Prep and cook times are assuming you have pre-cooked squash. You can put regular shredded coconut in the food processor for a few pulses to get it to a finer consistency. Alternatively, you could use shredded coconut as is and the texture will be different but still delish! Use coconut sugar and coconut oil options to make this vegan!
It looks soooo yummy I can’t wait to try this…