Disclosure: I developed this recipe in partnership with Collectively for the Grain Foods Foundation. I received compensation for my time.
Barley is one of those grains that I pretty much only use in soup or a salad here and there. That changes with this recipe! In the winter months when it is freezing cold I love having something hot in the morning with my smoothie, sometimes I have oatmeal but I knew barley would be just as delicious. Especially when I can make at least 4 days worth of breakfast by adding this to the slow cooker when I was doing all my food prep for the week.
Add all the ingredients in, stir it and 4 hours later you have breakfast to put in containers for a few days. As I was prepping it for each meal I added a drizzle of maple syrup, a few dried cranberries and some sunflower seeds for a little added crunch and just a hint of salt to balance out the sweetness. All I did when I got to work each day was microwave for it a few minutes and added in a splash of almond milk at the end. Warm, delicious, healthy and filing. Whole grains for a hearty breakfast is where it’s at!
This is great around the holiday time if you are entertaining and want a hearty breakfast that each guest can customize. I added maple syrup to mine but you could try a little agave nectar or honey, even some jam on top. Make this one of your six whole grain servings for the day! I know there are a lot of people who have cut down on the amounts of grains they are eating but it is still an essential nutrient in your diet, hello wonderful things like iron, potassium, magnesium and the ever so important fiber.
Breakfast barley in the very early morning light! 5:30am.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup barley, rinsed and drained
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a slow cooker stir all the ingredients together and cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
