Recipe: Chestnut breakfast porridge with pan-roasted Japanese persimmons

Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Aaron von Frank

Chestnut breakfast porridge is one of the simplest recipes you’ll ever make — only two ingredients! Find out how to make it and how to dress up your chestnut porridge with seasonal fruit like Japanese persimmons.

Chinese chestnuts were one of the first perennial plants to go into our small food forest back when we first started planting in 2010. (Learn how to grow Chinese chestnuts organically.) We’re very thankful for that decision today.  

In late summer-early fall, our chestnut trees produce large quantities of delicious nuts. Unlike pecans, almonds, and other common tree nuts, chestnuts are much higher in starch than they are in fat or protein, hence them commonly being referred to as “bread of the woods.” 

Chinese chestnuts, aka “bread of the woods” due to their high carbohydrate/starch content.

Another difference between chestnuts and many other common nuts: chestnuts have to be cooked prior to eating to break down the tannins that might otherwise cause GI distress.

The search for new chestnut recipes…

We’ve been seeking out new chestnut recipes to add to our edible arsenal. Our standard go-to chestnut recipe is cast iron pan-roasted chestnuts made on a stovetop. Simple, savory, and delicious. 

This year, we were also blown away when we made American persimmon pie with maple whipped cream and chestnut flour crust. This might have been the best dessert we’ve ever created.  

This year, to store our excess chestnuts without taking up a bunch of freezer or cupboard space, we turned our excess chestnuts into chestnut flour. The sweet earthy aroma of chestnut flour combined with its fine texture made me wonder if we couldn’t come up with a chestnut breakfast porridge that would be perfect for a cool fall morning. 

Homemade chestnut flour from our chestnuts. A versatile and delicious ingredient.

Late one morning while The Tyrant was taking her shift with Baby Sebastian, I snuck into the kitchen to experiment…  

The results were nothing short of delicious and we now have a new way to use our chestnuts and chestnut flour: chestnut breakfast porridge with pan-roasted Japanese persimmons. (Here’s how to grow your own organic persimmons, another favorite in our home orchard.)

Interesting note: when The Tyrant emerged and tried the chestnut porridge, she immediately asked: “how much sugar did you have to add to sweeten this?” When I told her there was no added sugar she was quite surprised given how sweet it was. 

So, if you’re into low-sugar diets like Paleo or Atkins, chestnut porridge could be a great go-to breakfast. 

Chestnut porridge recipe tips

1. Whole grass milk (or alternatives) 

We recommend using whole organic grass milk (e.g. milk from grass-fed cows) for this recipe. It adds a rich creamy flavor and a protein boost to boot. 

If you don’t drink milk, substitute the milk alternative of your choice in a 2:1 ratio to the chestnut flour. If you have 1 cup of chestnut flour, use 2 cups of milk alternative. 

2. Can you use whole chestnuts instead of chestnut flour? 

We used homemade chestnut flour to make this porridge recipe. You can buy chestnut flour if you don’t have any. 

If you have whole chestnuts, but don’t want to make chestnut flour, you can also make this recipe. It’s just going to require time with your blender and modifications to the quantity of liquid/milk you use.

You’ll probably want to start by putting your chestnuts in a blender with milk and blending them into a pulp. Then pour the mixture into a pan and start cooking. You may need to blend again (or use an immersion blender) prior to serving, depending on how chunky it is. 

3. Pan-roasted Japanese persimmons + fresh-grated nutmeg 

If you want to keep this recipe stupid-simple, just go with two ingredients: milk and chestnut flour. However, we’d recommend dressing it up to take it to the next level on the deliciousness scale. 

That’s why we use sliced, pan-roasted Japanese persimmons and dust the bowl with freshly-grated nutmeg.  

Pan-roasted persimmons make the perfect seasonal addition to chestnut porridge.

Trust us, it’s worth it to go this route. You could also use roasted apple, pears, or other seasonal fruit of your choice. 

Recipe: Chestnut breakfast porridge with pan-roasted Japanese persimmons and nutmeg

Chestnut breakfast porridge: a delicious, sugar-free alternative to traditional grain-based breakfast porridges.

Print

Chestnut breakfast porridge with pan-roasted Japanese persimmons

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: chestnut flour, chestnut porridge, chestnut recipe, chestnuts, paleo diet

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

A delicious, sweet and satisfying breakfast porridge with NO added sugar! Made with naturally sweet chestnut flour and fresh seasonal fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chestnut flour
• 2 cups whole organic grass milk
• 1 Japanese persimmon, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp organic grass butter
• fresh-grated nutmeg for garnish

Instructions

1. In a sauce pan on medium low heat (3 on our stove), combine chestnut flour and milk. Stir together with spoon or whisk. You’ll notice the mixture start to thicken pretty quickly, within about 5 minutes or so. Continue to stir regularly to make sure it doesn't stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until it reaches the desired thickness — for us, that was about 15 minutes. The longer it cooks and the thicker it gets, the more quickly it will stick and burn, so keep an eye on it! Pour into bowls when done.

2. Thin slice one Asian persimmon. Put slices into buttered pan on medium low heat (level 3-4). Cook on both sides until slightly browned, then remove from heat. Place slices over chestnut porridge, then dust with fresh-grated nutmeg. Serve and enjoy!

Whether you’re looking for a new and delicious way to use your chestnuts or a healthy low-sugar alternative to typical breakfast cereals, we hope you love this chestnut porridge recipe as much as we do! 

KIGI,

Go nuts (or fruity) with these related articles:

• Chestnuts: How to grow (organically), harvest, and eat
• How to make chestnut flour
• Chestnut crabapple mash
• One-pot roasted chicken with chestnuts and crabapples (or Granny Smith apples)
• Chestnut flour cake with persimmons and buttermilk
• Chestnut spread infused with spruce needles
• Chestnut flour crepes with beautyberry whipped cream
• Chestnut breakfast porridge with pan-roasted Asian persimmons
• American persimmon pie with chestnut flour pie crust
• Chestnut and shiitake mushroom soup
• How to make roasted chestnuts on a stovetop | Web story video
• How to make acorn flour
• Recipe: Hickory nut ambrosia 
• Recipe: Acorn flour & American persimmon cookies
• Recipe: American persimmon panna cotta