Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!) {GF, GAPS}

I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. I am not a doctor; please consult your practitioner before changing your supplement or healthcare regimen. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!) is a comfort food porridge that’s grain-free, yet utterly satisfying and delicious. Here’s a breakfast to make on repeat for adults and kids — especially each fall thru spring when spaghetti squash are in season. Also Gluten-free and GAPS-friendly.

Dairy-free, egg-free breakfasts

Our house is divided by few different food intolerances. Finding healthy treats we can all eat is challenging. Youngest is intolerant to eggs. Oldest is intolerant to dairy. Middle guy can’t have sugar, although none of us do.

This Paleo & AIP hot breakfast cereal tastes awesome, even to my hubby who can eat anything; and all the kids can have it! Woot.

But yes, these kinds of recipes are hard to come by. AIP says it all: grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined-sugar-free, even nut and seed-free! And delicious.

For those of you who can eat nuts and seeds, this is a great way to add variety to your diet. (Nuts and seeds in moderation — so we don’t overdo omega-6s or phytoestrogens.)

Spaghetti squash porridge

The secret, magic ingredient in this porridge is spaghetti squash, the veggie with which so many of us are now enamored. Years ago, I saw a few other porridge recipes that used it; so I made my own. (I rarely follow other people’s recipes mostly because I can’t be bothered. I just start cooking!)

The first time I made this recipe, the kids were thrilled. My husband loved it. I would have been happy to tweak it; but everyone said it was perfect. Youngest child asked to have it on his birthday! (which isn’t until April) as long as he could have ice cream also. 🙂

I know you’ll enjoy this nutrient dense porridge, full of vegetable goodness.

What to eat with Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!)

When it comes to breakfasts and what to eat, the answer is always: protein! We start with protein, and then get to be creative with our carb side dish.

So: Add a sausage or big meat patty on the side for extra protein.

There’s also gelatin in this recipe. As a result, this fruit and squash porridge is high in protein, with 13 grams of protein per serving.

Did you know: While the gelatin in the porridge is great for your gut, its amino acids are rendered more effective when eaten with a source of meat.

Ingredients in Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!)

You know the main ingredients already: spaghetti squash and apples!

This recipe also contains coconut, gelatin (as mentioned), cinnamon and your sweetener of choice: maple syrup or honey (for the GAPS version). If you use stevia (not for AIP) or monk fruit to make the porridge a little sweeter, that option is given as well.

Most of the ingredients are puréed in the blender, then heated in a saucepan. The resulting texture in remarkably good, and I talk more below about the fiber in this recipe.

SPECIAL NOTE: I chose not to put any thickeners into this porridge — other than gelatin. No tapioca, cassava, arrowroot, etc, because I wanted this porridge to be extra allergy-friendly and produce-based. As a result, this porridge thickens as it cools. If you eat it piping hot, it will be both thick and soupy, which can be nice because no “cream” or milk is needed. But if you want it to be on the thicker side, you can let it cool or even chill it. I like it best warm, but not hot. By kids also love it chilled.

How this recipe is made + extra fiber

One other thing I love about this recipe — Homemade coconut milk. You don’t even know you’re making it; but that’s what happens when you blend water, dried coconut and apple. Better than canned milk and so easy. I love the fiber when you make “milk” this way, too. No need to strain your coconut milk, especially when it’s going into a porridge, where the texture of the fruit is a bonus.

The apple actually gets put in the blender with its skin, which helps to create the correct texture of the finished porridge, adds fiber and makes the recipe more frugal.

Which blender works best

Here’s the blender I love and recommend to do this job best. After owning our Paleo cafe, where we had many of these blenders; I can testify that they hold up to heavy use for years.

Already have a blender you love? Great. Any moderately high-powered blender will do. Lesser-powered blenders will not do as good of a job blending the coconut.

Print Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes

Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!) {GF, GAPS}

Paleo & AIP Apple Breakfast Porridge (with spaghetti squash!) is a comfort food porridge that's grain-free, utterly satisfying and delicious. Here's a breakfast to make on repeat for adults and kids — especially each fall thru spring when spaghetti squash are in season. Also Gluten-free and GAPS-friendly.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: aip, apple, gaps diet, gluten-free, paleo, porridge, spaghetti squash

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 122kcal

Author: Megan

Cost: $3

Equipment

• high-powered blender
• saucepan

Ingredients

• ½ of a whole spaghetti squash already baked, about 4 cups (See recipe notes for how to bake spaghetti squash.)
• 2-½ cups filtered water (Use just 2 cups of water if you want the porridge thicker.)
• 1 cup coconut finely shredded, dried
• ¼ cup gelatin
• 1 medium-large apple : peel and de-seed, but save the peel
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Optional (not AIP): 1/32 teaspoon stevia, depending on the brand/variety or 5-8 drops liquid stevia, to taste
• raw honey to taste (garnish) or pure maple syrup (not GAPS)

Instructions

• Place water, dried coconut, about ⅓ of whole apple and all of the apple peel into a high powered blender. Purée on high for 50 seconds. Add gelatin, cinnamon and optional stevia (not AIP) and blend again briefly, about 10 seconds.
• Dice remaining raw apple into small cubes. Set aside. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from cooked squash. Cut "spaghetti" into very short lengths (the shorter the better).
  
• Place purée into medium size saucepan. Add spaghetti squash and heat gently, stirring. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the diced apple pieces (or reserve some if you wish to top the porridge). Allow the porridge to cool slightly, which will thicken it. Or refrigerate it until it's quite thick.
• Serve, topped with any remaining raw apple pieces and honey. You may also garnish with toasted dried coconut, raisins, fresh raspberries, coconut cream etc.

Notes

How to bake a spaghetti squash

The easiest way to bake a spaghetti squash is simply to put the whole thing in the oven on a cookie sheet:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the outside of the squash.
• Place on a cookie sheet, piercing skin of spaghetti squash in a few places with a paring knife.
• Bake until tender but not mushy inside, about 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Cut off stem, cut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Check the tenderness of the squash by using a fork to see how easily it separates into noodles. If the squash is small, it may already be done.
• Otherwise, rub coconut or avocado oil over the flesh, return it to the baking sheet with the flesh side facing down, and bake about 20 additional minutes until the flesh has cooked through and browned on the edges. Spaghetti squash is fully cooked when the noodles separate effortlessly with a fork.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

More fun porridges and food-allergy-friendly treats? Enjoy my eCookbook! 🙂 It’s a winner: so many goodies that cater to food intolerances, with a sensitivity toward ingredients that digest well and nourish the body for wellness and healing. This book is especially great for Paleo, GF and GAPS.