Maple-Spice Ginger Cookie Breakfast Risotto. Easy as oatmeal!

I love hot cereal for breakfast. I love risotto for dinner. I love rice. I love cookies. I love almond butter. I love bananas. I love vanilla, ginger and cinnamon flavors. And this cozy bowl of Maple-Spice Ginger Cookie Breakfast Risotto combines all those favorites in one delish dish.

Easy Bowl. Even though risotto gets a reputation for being “high maintenance” as an entree dish – you have to stir and stir and stir and stir – as a breakfast bowl, risotto (arborio) rice is very easy to make since you can prepare it a bit “wetter” than you do when it is served as a savory entree. Risotto hot cereal prep is fuss free! Just as simple as stove-top oatmeal. Plus for oat-sensitive folks, easy to digest, rice-based risotto bowls are a dream come true.

The texture is so velvet-y and silky, yet still dense, filling and thick like hot cereal should be. For this recipe, I’ve seasoned the rice with some dreamy Ginger Cookie flavors. Call this recipe “dessert for breakfast” .. a very healthy, vegan, gluten-free breakfast. Get my recipe..

Moving day went amazingly! Nelly has adjusted to our new place SO SO well. We considered holding off on our move across town to Santa Monica when we found out Nelly had cancer, but I had a deep sense that moving would actually be GOOD for her. So far I am right. She loves how quiet our new place is – absolutely no “neighbor sounds” at all and she has some killer sunbeams to sprawl across here. I am so happy that she is happy. Some pics from my Instagram account (follow me!)..

Though I’m still unpacking plenty of kitchen goodies, I can easily whip up this homemade breakfast bowl. This AM bowl is extra yummy because it tastes like a giant ginger-spice cookie. If you have never made risotto for breakfast – please please try it! It is easier than you may think and such a nice change from oatmeal.

I first made breakfast risotto a few years ago with this recipe: Citrus + Poached Fig Breakfast Risotto

Boost it: Since rice in general is less fiber-ful than oatmeal, I like to pump up the texture and fiber by adding in chia seeds or ground flax seeds. You could also fold in fresh or dried fruit, or nuts. Or stick to the plan below and await breakfast bowl bliss. Whip up this ginger spice goodness to fuel your day!..

Maple-Spice Ginger Cookie Breakfast Risotto
vegan, serves 2

1/2 cup risotto (arborio) rice, dry
1 1/2 cups water
two pinches of salt
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1/2 cup non-dairy milk, vanilla or plain
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp maple syrup (more to taste if desired)

To Serve:
1 banana, sliced
2-4 Tbsp almond butter
2 tsp chia seeds (or ground flax seeds)
additional non-dairy milk, warmed, to serve
optional: chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Add risotto, water and a pinch of salt to a large pot. Heat over high heat until boiling, then reduce to a simmer and cover pot with lid. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender. Stir rice every few minutes to prevent sticking or burning. Keep a somewhat watchful eye and when the liquid is absorbed, taste test and if the texture is still a bit too al dente, add another 1/2 cup of water and simmer until absorbed. You want the liquid to be absorbed, but you also want a slightly wet rice so that it doesn’t taste dry. Cooked risotto that is a bit too dry will need excess non-dairy milk added to soften things up. (Which is fine! Just be aware of this.)

2. When the risotto fo soft and cooked, and slightly wet, add in the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and maple syrup. Simmer until steamy and warm and the flavors absorb into the rice a bit.

3. Pour warm risotto in two bowls and add banana slices, chia or flax seeds, a splash of non-dairy milk and a drizzle of almond butter to serve. Additional maple syrup is optional. To get your almond butter to “drizzle” simple warm it in the microwave to a few seconds.

Serve warm. You can easily store leftovers in fridge and re-warm the next day. You will need to add additional non-dairy milk or water to loosen and hydrate leftover risotto.