15 Winter Warming Breakfast Recipes

All recipes serve 2

Mornings are busy enough without worrying about a healthy breakfast! But with a little planning, you can change your breakfast routine into something that'll keep you and your family feeling full and energised right through to lunch. I'm sharing three game-changing ways to start your day: creamy porridge with exciting toppings, effortless overnight oats that practically make themselves, and vibrant fruit compotes that turn simple ingredients into something spectacular.

These breakfast ideas pack in flavour and nutrition without demanding hours in the kitchen, and they might help you persuade your kids to ditch the sugary cereals. Each recipe can be customised to your taste, and most importantly, they're designed for real life. Whether you've got time to linger over breakfast or you're eating on the run, there's something here for every morning schedule.

Here's my 3 favourite quick brekkas: classic porridge gets a modern makeover with creative combinations that'll make you excited to get out of bed. Overnight oats are your secret weapon for hectic mornings - just grab and go! And our fruit compotes? They're the versatile topping that turns any breakfast into something special. Plus, you can batch cook them at the weekend to enjoy all week long.

Porridge Perfect

Jumbo or rolled oats are the best here, unless you like that soft 'mushy' texture of Ready Brek. You can also use any type of milk - whole, semi, almond, etc - and yoghurt that you want. Just be mindful that different types might require an adjustments of ratios to get the consistency right - play around and find what works for you.

1. Spiced Apple Pie

1. Base: 100g traditional rolled oats + 600ml semi-skimmed milk

2. Add: 1 large cooking apple (grated), 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp honey

3. Top: 30g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

4. Method: Cook oats and milk for 5 minutes, stir in apple and cinnamon, serve with honey and pecans

2. Blue Banana

1. Base: 100g traditional rolled oats + 600ml whole milk

2. Add: 2 medium bananas (sliced), 150g fresh or frozen blueberries

3. Top: 2 tbsp chia seeds, drizzle of honey

4. Method: Cook oats and milk, fold in fruits at the end, top with seeds and as much as honey as required

3. Banana Bread Bounce

1. Base: 100g traditional rolled oats + 600ml oat milk

2. Add: 2 ripe mashed bananas, 1 tsp vanilla extract

3. Top: 40g chopped walnuts, 2 tsp brown sugar

4. Method: Cook oats and milk with mashed banana, finish with vanilla, sugar and nuts

4. Carrot Cake

1. Base: 100g traditional rolled oats + 600ml almond milk

2. Add: 1 medium carrot (finely grated), 60g raisins, 1 tsp mixed spice

3. Top: 2 tbsp cream cheese, 20g pumpkin seeds

4. Method: Cook oats and milk with carrot, spice and raisins, top with cream cheese

5. Winter Berry

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 600ml almond milk

2. Add: 200g frozen mixed berries (thawed), 2 tbsp honey

3. Top: 2 tbsp mixed seeds, fresh mint leaves

4. Method: Mix base ingredients with honey, layer with berries, chill overnight

Overnight Oats Magic

As above, use rolled or jumbo oats and your choice of milk and yoghurt. It's best to not add any fruit or crunchy elements - nuts or granola - until the morning, so they don't turn into mush.

It's easy to throw some fruits onto your oats and add a sweet topping - sugar, honey, Golden or maple syrup - but try these ideas for something a bit different.

6. Mince Pie

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 300ml semi-skimmed milk + 150g Greek yoghurt

2. Add: 60g mixed dried fruit, 1 grated apple, 1 tsp mixed spice

3. Top: 2 tbsp flaked almonds

4. Method: Mix all ingredients except almonds, refrigerate overnight, top with toasted almonds - if you're not sure how to toast nuts, this post might help you!

7. Gingerbread

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 300ml whole milk + 150g natural yoghurt

2. Add: 2 tbsp black treacle, 2 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp mixed spice

3. Top: 40g pecans, extra drizzle of treacle

4. Method: Combine all ingredients except pecans, chill overnight, add nuts before serving

8. Chocolate Orange

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 300ml oat milk + 150g yoghurt

2. Add: 2 tbsp cocoa powder, zest of 2 oranges, 3 tbsp maple syrup, ½ tsp vanilla extract

3. Top: 30g dark chocolate shavings, extra orange zest

4. Method: Mix base ingredients with cocoa, orange zest, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. Refrigerate overnight, top with chocolate shavings and fresh zest before serving

9. Pecan Pie

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 300ml whole milk + 150g Greek yoghurt

2. Add: 4 tbsp pecan butter (or almond butter), 3 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract

3. Top: 60g pecan halves, toasted and roughly chopped, extra drizzle of maple syrup

4. Method: Mix everything except the nuts until smooth. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, toast the pecans in a dry pan until fragrant, roughly chop, and sprinkle over the oats with an extra drizzle of maple syrup

10. Mocha

1. Base: 100g rolled oats + 250ml whole milk + 50ml strong coffee + 150g Greek yoghurt

2. Add: 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp maple syrup

3. Top: 30g dark chocolate shavings, pinch of sea salt

4. Method: Mix base with cocoa and syrup, chill overnight, add toppings

Warm Fruit Topped Yoghurt Bowls

Use these warm compotes to up your yoghurt and fruit game! The compotes are easy to make at the weekend to use throughout the week, and they keep beautifully in old jam jars in the fridge.

11. Spiced Plum

1. Base: 400g Greek yoghurt

2. Fruit: 4 plums (stoned and quartered), 2 tbsp honey, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise

3. Top: 40g granola, 2 tbsp flaked almonds

4. Method: Gently cook plums with honey and spices until soft, serve warm over yoghurt

12. Caramelised Apple

1. Base: 400g natural yoghurt

2. Fruit: 2 cooking apples (sliced), 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon

3. Top: 40g crushed ginger biscuits, 30g pecans

4. Method: Cook apples in butter with sugar and cinnamon until golden, layer with yoghurt

13. Winter Berry

1. Base: 400g Greek yoghurt

2. Fruit: 300g mixed frozen berries, 2 tbsp honey, zest of 1 orange

3. Top: 4 tbsp granola, fresh mint

4. Method: Warm berries with honey and zest, serve over yoghurt

14. Poached Pear

1. Base: 400g vanilla yoghurt

2. Fruit: 2 pears (peeled), 200ml apple juice, 1 vanilla pod, 2 cardamom pods

3. Top: 30g pistachios, drizzle of honey

4. Method: Poach pears in juice with spices, slice and serve warm over yoghurt

15. Fig and Honey

1. Base: 400g Greek yoghurt

2. Fruit: 4 fresh figs (quartered), 2 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract

3. Top: 40g mixed nuts, fresh thyme leaves

4. Method: Warm figs with honey and vanilla, spoon over yoghurt

Storage Notes

• Porridge: Best made fresh

• Overnight oats: Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days

• Fruit toppings: Store separately, reheat gently when needed

• Yoghurt bowls: Prepare fresh and top with the warmed fruit