Irish Porridge for Delicious and Healthy Mornings
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This Irish Porridge recipe is a 3 ingredient, healthy, and hardy breakfast that’s delicious to make in the morning without soaking oats overnight. It’s creamy, with a hint of cinnamon, and sweetened with a drizzle of Irish honey. Mornings can’t get better than this!

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Irish Porridge Recipe Overview
What to Love: This recipe is inspired by how my Irish grandmother made her morning porridge. Easy to make and deliciously hardy with warm spices.
- Recipe Time: 2-3 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cooking
- What You Need: Medium size saucepan
- Servings: 2-4 servings
Why I Love Irish Porridge
My Irish grandmother often said that porridge was a stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast. And she raised a lot of rowdy boys on a shoestring budget.
And it is… a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast. It’s also hearty and nourishing and provides a healthy start to the day.
I love to begin a fresh new day with a healthful breakfast. Favorites among our readers are oatmeal, egg bites, or breakfast quinoa.
For me, Irish Porridge is also a favorite way to begin the day when I have a few extra minutes. The toppings vary, but I always include Irish honey when I have it on hand.
Traditionally, Irish porridge would be soaked and left to sit on the stove overnight. This recipe utilizes a quicker approach for my often busy days.
And if you want to do it right, a cup of Irish Breakfast Tea is a perfect way to begin a beautiful new day!

What is Irish Oatmeal?
Steel-cut oats are the inner kernels of whole oats, also called “oat groats” that have been reduced into pin-head size pieces. It’s why you will often see at the market oatmeal categorized as “pinhead oats” or “steel cut oats.” You will also see it labeled as “Irish oatmeal.”
Minimally processed, steel cut oats have a variety of nutritional benefits.
Health Benefits of Steel Cut Oats
Rich in protein and fiber, steel-cut oats provide a delicious, whole-grain breakfast and bring healthy benefits. Minimally processed, these oats are particularly nourishing because they contain water-soluble fiber, which gives you that wonderful feeling of fullness.
In addition, steel-cut oats can also help regulate blood sugar and lower harmful LDL-cholesterol, thus reducing heart disease and diabetes risk.
UMass Chan Medical School writes of steel-cut oats’ nutritional benefits: “When oat fiber reaches the large intestine, it is metabolized by the good bacteria that live there, who then decrease inflammation and promote good gastrointestinal health. All in all, oats are one of nature’s most perfect foods.”
Irish Porridge Traditions and Origins
According to McCann’s steel-cut oats, the lush Irish countryside’s temperate climatic conditions and topography produce the “finest oats in the world” since the 5th century A.D. Especially, they say, in County Kildare and County Meath.
In Ireland’s Welcome to the Stranger, it’s noted in ancient Ireland that “The staple food of the great mass of the people was porridge or, as it is now called in Ireland, stirabout, made of meal (Irish min), generally oatmeal. It was eaten with honey, butter, or milk.”
It also notes that “for the rich classes, stirabout was often made on new milk… it was eaten with honey, fresh butter, or new milk. For the poorer classes, stirabout was made on water or buttermilk and eaten with sour milk or salt butter.”
In the recipe card below, you will see a reference to an Irish knob of butter in the toppings section. If you’re wondering what that is, it’s an unprecise unit of ingredient measurement. Generally speaking, it is individually subjective. However, most consider a knob of butter to equal about two tablespoons or 30 grams.
Irish Porridge Ingredients
This 5-minute, 5-ingredient meal is perfect for busy mealtimes… or lazy weekends too. Here’s what you need to make this easy dinner.
Ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- 1 cup steel-cut oats like Irish oats or pinhead oats
- Water or milk for cooking
- Ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt for flavor
How to Make Irish Porridge
Step-by-step instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a quick overview of how I make Irish porridge.
Boil the water.
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it boils, add the steel cut oats, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
Simmer the oats.
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and as needed.
Serve the porridge.
Ladle porridge into bowls, add cream (and or butter if desired,) and sweeten with a drizzle of honey and fresh berries.
More Irish Recipes
We have an entire category at 31Daily dedicated to Irish recipes and St. Patrick’s Day. From breakfast recipes, like this one, to Irish Afternoon Tea, pub recipes, soups, seafood stews, Irish soda bread, and more.
These posts are some of the most popular Irish posts:
- Irish Pub Recipes
- Colcannon
- One Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Irish Scones
- Irish Soda Bread with Buttermilk and Raisins
And there are too many more to list. But you can find all of our Irish recipes here →.

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Easy Irish Porridge Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats like Irish oats or pinhead oats
- 3 ½ cups water or milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
For Serving
- cream
- honey or brown sugar
- knob of butter (the Irish way)
- fresh berries
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it boils, add the steel cut oats, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and as needed.
- If the oats are firmer than you like, stir an additional 1/4 cup of water until the desired texture is reached.
- Ladle porridge into bowls, add cream (and or butter if desired,) and sweeten with a drizzle of honey and fresh berries.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.