Here you will find a simple and detailed recipe for a cozy, creamy, and filling Sorghum Porridge that is gluten-free, very customizable, and only asks for 4 basic ingredients. You can make it in 20 minutes or go all in with whole grains and meal prep for an hour to last you an entire week. A great nutritious, easy, and comforting breakfast to feed both toddlers and parents alike, just like my buckwheat pancakes!
Sorghum porridge is basically like oatmeal’s gluten-free cousin, only it is chewier and has a bite like buckwheat porridge or rice pudding. It has a mellow, nutty flavor and is popular in African and Chinese kitchens, as well as in some European and American gluten-free households. It can be made with pearled grains or with sorghum flour (like in jowar roti).
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Actually Want to Eat This
- Which Sorghum Should You Use?
- Let’s Talk Taste and Texture
- Ingredients for Sorghum Porridge
- Flavor Variations
- How to Cook Sorghum Porridge
- 15-Minute Version
- Want to Use a Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker?
- Recipe FAQ
- More Gluten-Free Recipes You Will Love
- Easy Sorghum Porridge
- 💬 Community
Why You’ll Actually Want to Eat This
- Two ways to make it: from flour (10-20 minutes) or whole grain (chunky and hearty).
- It’s gluten-free and safe for celiacs, just like this sorghum bread.
- Loaded with fiber, plant-based protein, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins
- Can be prepped ahead and frozen for the whole week, just like these buckwheat rolls.
Which Sorghum Should You Use?
Use pearled sorghum to make the process quicker and the flavor milder. Whole grain sorghum is harder to cook, although it is more filling and fiber-rich. White sorghum is more common, although in some countries red sorghum is used. Stick to the white pearled sorghum grain or meal for the best results!
Let’s Talk Taste and Texture
Sorghum can taste... a little weird at first. Kind of grassy, sometimes a bit bitter if using unhulled grain, and chewy with a bite. But adding a splash of lemon juice or yogurt can cut the bitterness of whole grains, soaking it overnight can help with digestion, and adding flavors like cinnamon, banana, or even chocolate will make a big difference in taste, like in these sorghum cookies. Blending part of the porridge makes it silky too, which my toddlers love. Did you know you can also use a stick blender to make a homemade version of mayonnaise?
Ingredients for Sorghum Porridge
- Sorghum - use pearled sorghum grain, meal, or flour. The finer the grind, the quicker the process.
- Jam or any other sweetener of choice, like maple syrup or honey. I like using homemade recipes like plum jam and elderberry jam.
- Cooking liquid - you can use water, milk, or half water and half milk of choice.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Use za’atar, garlic, and lemon for a savory dish.
- Add cinnamon, apple, and maple syrup for a cozy classic like my buckwheat apple cake.
- Mix in banana, fresh dates, and vanilla for more natural sweetness.
- For another savory twist, use veggie or healing chicken bone broth, mushrooms, and olive oil.
How to Cook Sorghum Porridge
Step 1. Rinse sorghum grain to get rid of dust and debris. Add sorghum pearls to a medium-sized pot and cover with the cooking liquid of choice. Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down, and cook on a rolling boil for 40-45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cooked sorghum grains sit with the lid on for 5 minutes.
Step 2. Add ⅓ cup of milk (dairy or plant-based) and blend the porridge with a stick blender to break up the grains and create a creamy texture.
Step 3. Mix the sweeteners and add-ins into the porridge and enjoy! Keep sorghum porridge in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months. If freezing, only add dairy once defrosted.
Tip: Use frozen berries to cool the sorghum porridge fast.
Meal Prep Hack: Cook a big batch, store in the fridge or freezer, and make a 5-minute breakfast for an entire week, same as with buckwheat sourdough pancakes.
15-Minute Version
Step 1. Add 1 ⅓ cup of cold water to a medium-sized pot, then slowly whisk in ⅓ cup of fine sorghum flour.
Step 2. Bring the mixture to boil, whisking from time to time to prevent clumping. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, then let the porridge sit with the lid on for 5-10 minutes. It will be liquid at first but will thicken up as it cools.
Step 3. Add sweeteners and add-ins of choice and enjoy! Add frozen berries to cool down the sorghum porridge fast.
Want to Use a Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker?
- Pressure cooker: Use 1:4 sorghum to water. Cook 12 minutes (20 if it’s whole and unhulled). Let the steam release naturally.
- Slow cooker: Same ratio. 8 hours on low or 5 on high. Set it before bed, wake up to breakfast.
Recipe FAQ
I've tried soaking sorghum, and it only helped a little, but I read online that soaking whole grains can make digestion easier.
No, you can't possibly eat sorghum raw; it's way too hard! But you can make sorghum popcorn with it if you'd like!
Yes, freeze sorghum porridge before adding milk or sweeteners, then reheat on the stove or in a microwave and mix your add-ins.
Yes, sorghum is considered safe for babies 6 months old and up.
More Gluten-Free Recipes You Will Love
If you tried this Sorghum Porridge or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy Sorghum Porridge
Ingredients
- ½ cup pearled sorghum grains
- 2 cups water or milk
- ⅓ cup milk plant-based or dairy
- 3 tablespoon jam of choice
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Instructions
Grain version
- Rinse sorghum grain to get rid of dust and debris. Add sorghum pearls to a medium-sized pot and cover with the cooking liquid of choice. Bring it to a boil, turn the heat down, and cook on a rolling boil for 40-45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cooked sorghum grains sit with the lid on for 5 minutes.½ cup pearled sorghum grains, 2 cups water
- Add ⅓ cup of milk (dairy or plant-based) and blend the porridge with a stick blender to break up the grains and create a creamy texture.⅓ cup milk
- Mix the sweeteners and add-ins into the porridge and enjoy! Keep sorghum porridge in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freezer for 2-3 months. If freezing, only add dairy once defrosted.Tip: Use frozen berries to cool the sorghum porridge fast.3 tablespoon jam of choice
15-minute version
- Add 1 ⅓ cup of cold water to a medium-sized pot, then slowly whisk in ⅓ cup of fine sorghum flour.
- Bring the mixture to boil, whisking from time to time to prevent clumping. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, then let the porridge sit with the lid on for 5-10 minutes. It will be liquid at first but will thicken up as it cools.
- Add sweeteners and add-ins of choice and enjoy! Add frozen berries to cool down the sorghum porridge fast.
Notes
- Pressure cooker: Use 1:4 sorghum to water. Cook 12 minutes (20 if it’s whole and unhulled). Let the steam release naturally.
- Slow cooker: Same ratio. 8 hours on low or 5 on high. Set it before bed, wake up to breakfast.
Natasha Levai says
This is a great option for a gluten-free breakfast and meal prep. Blending makes it creamy almost like regular porridge!