Creamy Barley Breakfast Porridge

Creamy pearl barley porridge flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar. A delicious and nutritious alternative to your morning bowl of oatmeal!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Breakfast, breakfast and brunch

Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Keyword: easy barley recipe, easy porridge recipe

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 45

Servings:

Calories: 275kcal

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the pearl barley and cook, stirring frequently, until the barley grains are toasty and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the salt, cinnamon, water, milk and vanilla extract and bring to a boil. Stir briefly and turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is creamy and tender, about 40 minutes. Add additional water as necessary if the porridge becomes too thick or sticks to the bottom of the saucepan.
Remove from the heat, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add additional sugar and/or salt to taste and adjust the consistency as necessary with another splash or two of water. Serve topped with additional milk, cream or other toppings of choice.

Add additional water as necessary if the porridge is looking too dry or sticking to the bottom of the pan. I will often add a splash or two of water at the end of the cooking time to loosen it up and give it the creamy consistency I'm looking for.
To store the porridge: Once the porridge has cooled, spoon it into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat the porridge: Transfer the porridge to a saucepan and add a few tablespoons of water, Warm over low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally and adding more water as necessary to achieve the desired creamy consistency. You can also heat the porridge along with a few tablespoons of water in the microwave until it is warmed through.