Cranberry Walnut Wild Rice Porridge (Mahnomin Porridge) (2024)

Cranberry Walnut Wild Rice Porridge ~ swap out your usual oatmeal for this cozy hot cereal full of antioxidants, protein, and fiber. It’s naturally gluten free and ready in minutes!

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Let me guess ~ you love a healthy hot breakfast but you’re getting a little bit tired of the same old oatmeal. I’m right there with you, so I’m excited to introduce you to this earthy wild rice porridge, it’s going to rock our cozy hot breakfast world!

The Native Americans had the idea first, they called itmahnomin porridge, madewith wild rice, nuts, berries, and maple syrup. The porridge was picked up from the Ojibweby 19th century fur traders, and eventually made its way into the cuisine of Canada and the upper Midwest. Some of you living in those areas might recognize it.

Floating Leaf wild rice gives this healthy hot cereal a depth of flavor that oatmeal just can’t match. Once you try it I bet you’ll return to it over and over again all winter.

I used Floating Leaf’s Wild Rice in Minutes for my porridge. It’s perfect because wild rice can take a while to cook, and this product has been pre-cooked and dehydrated, so it’s ready asap. Really nice on chilly, busy mornings. Note: you can use regular or quick cooking wild rice for porridge, the result will be similar to the difference between steel cut and quick cooking oats.

Wild rice is the seed of a marsh grass that grows in the Great Lakes regions of the US and Canada, and in fact wild rice is considered an ancient grain because it hasn’t changed in thousands of years. It’s got a great chewy texture, and a nutty, earthy flavor ~ use it in all the same ways you use regular rice. Floating Leaf wild rice is great all year round, but it’s especially nice to incorporate into recipes during the fall and holiday months.

Yes! It’s full of antioxidants, fiber, and protein. It’s lower in calories and carbs than regular rice, and has a lower glycemic index, too. The slow burning complex carbohydrates in a bowl of wild rice porridge will keep you feeling satisfied longer, and help stave off cravings. In fact all Floating Leaf’s whole grain and legume products are non GMO, gluten free, and organic. They promote heart health, help keep your appetite in check, and are perfect choices for those with celiac disease and diabetes.

I find that wild rice can be hard to locate in stores, it’s hit or miss, but luckily Floating Leaf products are now available in the US (check out the store locator link below) and you can always buy it on their website, herewhich makes it super convenient. I recommend buying a few bags at a time. They also sell really creative rice/grain/pulse blends too, like 6-Grain Sprouted French Lentils and Sprouted Brown Rice, Split Pea, and Quinoa. I can think of a million ways to use them.

I’ve made my wild rice porridge with fresh cranberries not only because they’re seasonal, but because they have a bright flavor like no other fruit.

Flash roasting raw cranberries is a technique I love ~ I roast them for exactly 5 minutes, and they get just enough heat to soften them and make them pop to release their juices. The heat brings out their brilliant color and flavor and makes them so much more enticing than dried cranberries. They are tart, but the brown sugar and maple syrup balances that out.

Add your juicy flash roasted cranberries to cereal, salads, grain bowls, roasted meats ~ the sky’s the limit!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this porridge but I was hooked after the first bite. The wild rice is earthy and a little bit sweet from the maple syrup, the toasted walnuts are buttery and a little bit astringent, the berries burst in your mouth… the whole thing is just really good! But there are also lots of ways to change out this wild rice porridge for your particular dietary needs or tastes, here are a few suggestions…

Use any number of non-dairy milks in your porridge. I think almond or hazelnut milk would be amazing, and coconut or soy milk would certainly work.

In place of nuts try pumpkin seeds, sunflower seed kernels, or even chia seeds for a bit of crunch.

I add a touch of brown sugar because I love the flavor, but you can use more maple syrup, agave, molasses, or whatever natural sweetener you like.

In Door County WI they make it with their famous cherries. Dried cranberries or other dried fruit like apricots will also work. I think sliced bananas would be delicious. Hazelnuts would be an awesome substitution for the walnuts, but you could also use almonds or pecans. Just be sure to toast them first to bring out their flavor and crunch.

This porridge is quick cooking, so I suggest making a double or triple batch on the stove and then transferring it to the slow cooker, set on warm, to keep fresh for hours. Add the brown sugar and the walnuts as you serve each portion. (A great idea for Thanksgiving morning!)

Put the Floating Leaf Wild Rice in Minutesand water in a saucepan the night before. Cover and leave overnight. In the morning drain off any excess liquid, and proceed with the recipe.

This is the perfect season to incorporate wild rice into your menu, it can be used alone or mixed with other rices or grains for side dishes, stuffings, soups, and casseroles. Here are a few ideas from my blog get you started…and you’ll find more delicious recipes on the Floating Leaf website.

• Wild Rice Bowl with Watercress and Hazelnuts
• Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice and Mushrooms
• Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Nuts
• Basmati and Wild Rice with Chickpeas, Currants, and Herbs