Millet is a good-for-you, gluten free grain that is as versatile as it is delicious. You can use it in main dishes, salads, soups, and I’ll even show you how to cook millet to use in a healthy breakfast grain bowl recipe!
Welcome to my superfood, super grains series!
Each month, for the next few months, I will highlight a gluten free “super” grain. I am starting today with millet. I’ll have a video in each post that will show you how to prepare the grain. Oh, and of course, we will have delicious recipes for you to make with each grain, too. Sound good?
By the end of this series, you’ll be SUPER informed about these grains. Puns totally intended.
Alright, let’s do this!
What is Millet?
Millet is a plant based, gluten free cereal grain that is perfect for anyone looking to add some extra nutritional benefits to their diet. It’s often found in birdseed but good news – it’s not just for the birds!
It has a mild, sweet flavor and it cooks very quickly. Hello, convenient busy morning breakfast! It is versatile enough to use in everything from savory dishes like this stir fry recipe (from Bob’s Red Mill) to sweet desserts. You can even add raw millet to bread dough to add a crunchy texture.
An interesting fact about millet is that it has a high PH level. This means it is “alkaline” rather than acidic, so it’s easier for the body to digest than many other grains are. It also helps balance the body’s natural tendency towards acidity.
Millet Nutrition
This grain has plenty of nutritional benefits that make it a super healthy super grain! It is:
- High in iron
- Great source of fiber
- Contains minerals such as phosphorus and manganese (which gives millet its antioxidant properties)
- High in plant based protein
Protein Tip!
Unlike quinoa, millet is not a complete protein. It’s missing one of the amino acids, lysine. So, in order to make it a complete protein, simply pair the grain with foods rich in lysine. Some examples are:
- Cheese
- Beans
- Eggs
- Fruit – apples, mangoes, apricots, and pears all contain lysine
- Avocados
- Tomatoes
- Lentils
- Tofu
- Edamame
Learn about this gluten free grain
As I already mentioned, this supergrain cooks in a flash. Although, you don’t really HAVE to make it the day you want to eat it, because it’s super easy to meal prep, too!
I like to cook a double batch and then separate it into smaller freezer-safe containers, or I sometimes pack it flat into zip top plastic bags. Oh yes, it is very freezer friendly! If it is in an airtight container, it will keep well for up to 4 months in the freezer. Just be sure to remove as much air as possible from the container.
I usually cook it in a pan on the stovetop, but you can make it in an Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or even a slow cooker if you want to. Here are directions for how to cook millet three different ways – on the stove top, in a pressure cooker, and in a slow cooker.
This recipe is from Bob’s Red Mill. Who, by the way, have some fantastic recipes for this wholesome delicious grains. You can see their recipes here.
Let’s put it all together now – video and recipe!
How to Cook Millet and Nutritional Benefits
How to build a millet breakfast grain bowl video!
How to cook Millet + Gluten Free Grain Breakfast Bowl
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Description
How to cook Millet + Gluten Free Grain Breakfast Bowl. This delicious millet gluten free grain breakfast bowl is like a warm porridge. Top it with milk a little sweetener, and your favorite fruit for a wholesome, comforting breakfast.
Ingredients
For Millet
- 1 cup hulled millet
- 1 ¾ cups – 3 ½ cups water (amount varies depending on cooking method
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For Breakfast Bowl
- ¾ cup cooked millet
- milk of choice
- cinnamon
- honey or maple syrup
- fruit (peaches, plums, pears, apples, etc.) diced or fresh berries
- Optional 1 tablespoon chopped nuts or seeds.
Instructions
For Stove Top
- Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil in a small pot. Stir in 1 cup millet and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Return contents to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain off any remaining water, then serve it as is, or use it to make some of these millet recipes.
For Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
- Place millet, 1 ¾ cups water and salt in the pot of a pressure cooker. Set the valve to sealing.
- Using manual setting, set on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When cook time is finished, naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then serve.
For Slow Cooker
- Place millet, 3 ½ cups water and salt into a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or high for 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours.
To make a breakfast grain bowl with millet: 1 serving
- Place ⅔ to ¾ cup cooked millet in a bowl. Cover with non dairy milk or creamer (⅓ c to ⅔ cup; warmed if desired).
- Mix in ½ teaspoon cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon+ honey or maple syrup.
- Top with fresh fruit, nuts, berries, extra cinnamon and maple syrup top top.
Notes
1 cup uncooked millet yields about 3 ½ cups cooked millet.
1 serving = ¼ cup uncooked or about ¾ cup cooked.
Nutrition for 1 serving cooked millet, plain- 210 calories, 2 grams of fat, 42 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein.
Nutrition for the millet breakfast bowl below.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 294
- Sugar: 17.6 g
- Sodium: 98.5 mg
- Fat: 7.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.5 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Alright my friends! I hope you enjoy this series. Let me know if you have any questions about these super grains, or if you’d like to add any to the list. Next up, quinoa!
Cheers,
LC
I use the instant pot recipe weekly. I just add half a teaspoon olive oil as well and it comes out perfect/exactly how we like it. Thanks so much for a great receipe!! We went from never eating millet to eating it weekly.
Oh love it! Isn’t millet so diverse? It’s a great grain. 🙂
This turned out well with your IP method. My husband & kids commented on liking the millet in our dinner more than usual.
Thank you!
Oh, that’s great Amanda! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
What is Millet?
Millet is a plant based, gluten free cereal grain. It has a mild, sweet flavor and it cooks very quickly.
I’ve been attempting millet porridge, and so far I’ve experienced millet porridge as an chewy / half cooked pasta texture. This morning I did the “For Pressure Cooker” (1 cup millet & 1 3/4 cups water) instructions. I still ended up with the same texture as I’ve been getting with stove cooking. Is this the texture of millet? Or am I missing something? Thank you:)!!!
honestly, I prefer using the stove top. But yes, it can be chewy if there’s too much liquid. What brand did you use? Did you rinse it? It should be a little nutty, but not chewy. Happy to help remedy this!
Admittedly, I have not consumed millet very often! Mainly, I’ve eaten it in packaged goods like protein bars, cereals, or in vegan bakery foods! Haven’t gotten around to cooking it on its own. I would love to try it out for salads, stir-fries, and porridge though–it’s all over Instagram and I’m probably missing out!
I hope this has inspired you to try cooking it at home! Let me know if you have any questions Cassie!
Oh girl, then you must try millet and jump on the bandwagon.;)
I had no idea just how many health benefits are tied to millet! Excellent. Looking forward to your next post in this series, on Quinoa ???
I know right?! So healthy!
My kids loved this! As a gluten free family, we are always looking for more ideas! Especially for breakfast! Thanks for sharing.
yay! I’m so glad!
I love this post! I a making that breakfast bowl tomorrow for sure!
Oh yay! Keep me posted!