Oats & Porridge Recipe: Easy Preparation for Babies and Toddlers

By Mahak Arora | Updated: 31/12/2024

Oats are a wholesome cereal with tonnes of nutritional elements, which makes oats and porridge a beautiful combination. This Oats porridge for babies can be given to little ones as young as 6 months as it is very easy on the digestive system. It is a twist on the more common porridge, which is generally sweet in nature. This one has vegetables, which will add their own flavour, punch and health benefits. This is a really cool way to sneak in vegetables in fussy children’s tummies. Since oats do not take a whole lot of time to cook, apart from the time taken to cut the veggies, oat porridge for babies and toddlers can be made in a jiffy. This is a filling dish which is good to go for breakfast or lunch as a main dish. All the goodness in oats will help your little one grow properly.

How to Make Oats Porridge for Babies and Toddlers?

Oats are one of the easily digestible foods for people of all ages. It is light on the stomach yet keeps your baby full for a longer time. This is the reason the oatmeal porridge recipe ranks top among the best baby porridge recipes.

Cooking Time

Type	Time (hh:mm:ss)
Preparation Time	00:10:00
Cook Time	00:10:00
Total Time	00:20:00

Cooking Method

Gas stove, pressure cooker & blender

Type of Meal

Vegetarian

Suitable For

Any baby above 7 months of age

Meal Schedule

Breakfast/Lunch

Recipe Type

Main Dish

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity and Volume
Oats powder	½ cup
Cumin powder	¹/₈tsp
Garlic	2-3 small cloves
Vegetables of your choice (Carrot, beans, cauliflower, peas, broccoli)	¾ cup – finely chopped
Milk	¼ cup (optional)
Ghee/coconut milk	1 tbsp
Salt	As per taste (not for kids below 1 year)
Water	1½ cups

Instructions

These are the detailed step-by-step procedures to prepare Oats porridge.

Wash the vegetables thoroughly and chop them into bite-size pieces.
Dry roast the oats in a pressure cooker till they give out an aroma.
Add the vegetables and cook for a few seconds.
Add garlic and cumin powder and stir well.
Add water and salt. Do not add salt if the child is below 1 year of age.
Add ghee, and after mixing, close the pressure cooker lid.
On medium flame, cook the whole thing for 2 whistles.
Set aside the pressure cooker to cool down.
Once the pressure from the cooker is released, open the cooker and mash the whole mix with a potato masher. If your child is not chewing as yet, then you could use a blender as well.
You could add milk at this point if the porridge is still thick.
Yummy oats porridge is ready to be served.

Recipe Tips

This is an easy Oats porridge recipe which has a lot of nutrition and will make a delicious addition to your recipes for your tiny tot:

Add cow’s milk only for kids above 1 year, for the younger ones use formula milk, breast milk or coconut milk. You could omit milk as well, as it is optional (1).
You could also use steel-cut oats as they are non-GMO.
To get the most out of oats, you could soak them overnight and then sprout them for a day. Then, you can grind and preserve them in an airtight container in the fridge and can use them as and when needed.
Vegetables can vary based on your choice and what is available seasonally.

Nutrition Information (Per Cup)

Nutrient	Value
Energy	214 calories
Protein	11 g
Carbohydrates	30 g
Fat	5.8 g
Fibre	10.6 g
Sodium	19 g
Calcium	21%
Iron	7.3%
Cholesterol	17 mg
Potassium	438 mg
Vitamin A	8.4%
Vitamin C	3.4%

* Percent daily value is based on 2000 cal diet

Health Benefits

This homemade Oats porridge baby food recipe is a salty version of regular sweet porridge and contains the goodness of vegetables packed in it.

Oats have a lot of fibre, which aids digestion (2).
They are a great source of beta-glucan, which builds immunity.
They are rich in vitamins and minerals, which are essential for a child’s body and brain.
Oats have avenanthramide, which is a unique antioxidant that has the capacity to protect against heart diseases.

Buying Guide

Try to buy organic as much as possible, as giving inorganic stuff to your precious child can wreak havoc on their delicate systems.
Make sure the vegetables are fresh.

FAQs

1. Can I use oat milk to prepare oats porridge for my baby?

The NHS suggests using unsweetened, calcium-fortified oat milk when your baby is 12 months old and above. Although oats can be given to babies after 6 months, they should not be given in the milk form up to 12 months (3).

2. Can I serve leftover oatmeal porridge to my baby?

It is best to serve freshly made, warm, homemade oats porridge to your baby. You can store the porridge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Serve it warm by reheating it in either a microwave or stove.

3. Can I add nuts or dry fruits to porridge for my baby?

Nuts and dry fruits can be given to babies 7 to 8 months after they start solids. Make sure they are crushed, grounded, or smoothened into nut butter. However, it is advised to check for their reaction and rule out any chances of allergy (4).

I hope this step-by-step procedure of how to make Oats porridge for a baby was clear and easy, and it would be the next thing you would want to try for your munchkin!

References/Resources:

1. Cow’s milk – infants; MedlinePlus; https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002448.htm

2. Rasane. P, et al.; Nutritional advantages of oats and opportunities for its processing as value added foods – a review. J Food Sci Technol.; PubMed Central; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4325078/; February 2015

3. What to feed young children; NHS; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/what-to-feed-young-children/

4. Foods to avoid giving babies and young children; NHS; https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/foods-to-avoid-giving-babies-and-young-children/

Also Read:

Ragi Porridge Recipe
Oats Porridge with Chikoo
Instant Porridge Recipes for Baby
Oats Honey Almond Porridge Recipe