Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro | Instant Pot recipe
This creamy and bright Instant Pot Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro is an easy dump-and-go meal with dried fruit, brown sugar, and tender whole grain farro for a healthy morning meal.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Recipe
This easy farro recipe is mostly hands-off, and there’s no babysitting a pot on the stove, so you can manage a busy morning while you make a healthy family breakfast. It’s also just sweet enough and kid-approved!
This summer, my family and I have been starting our days with a creamy bowl of farro porridge for breakfast. (We joke that breakfast is my oldest’s love language.)
This farro breakfast recipe is perfect for warmer weather. It’s bright and fresh tasting, thanks to the lemon and dried cranberries. We think you’ll love it too.
🥣 If you haven’t been making breakfast in the Instant Pot, you’ve got to give it a try! Dishes like Instant Pot Caprese Breakfast Casserole and Oatmeal for One are hearty, satisfying, and so easy to make.
Update: We’ve been making Instant Pot farro for breakfast for years, so we decided to update this post and recipe with new tips and tricks to help you make the perfect bowl.
What is Farro?
Farro is a grain that’s part of the wheat family. Therefore it does contain gluten, so this is not a gluten-free recipe.
Farro is a healthier grain option, higher in protein and fiber than the wheat that’s in regular flour. It also contains more micronutrients than regular wheat and even more than oats. In fact, a 1/4 cup serving of uncooked farro has 5 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of protein, and 10% of your daily recommended intake of iron. It also contains calcium and potassium.
What kind of farro should I buy?
You may find many different kinds of farro at the grocery store, and sometimes the packaging doesn’t specify which type of farro you’ll find inside.
In addition, the farro itself can be labeled under ingredients as farro emmer (medium-length) or farro spelt (longer length).
Here’s how to tell:
- Whole-grain farro leaves the grain with its nutritious outer layer in tact. (The packaging for this one will typically just read “farro.”) If your packaging directions call for cooking the farro at medium-high heat for 30 to 40 minutes, it’s probably whole-grain farro.
- Pearled farro means that the husk and the bran (the outer layer of the grain) has been removed. This helps the grains cook faster, but it also removes some of the nutrients. Typically you’ll see directions that cook at a medium-low heat. for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Semi-pearled farro has only had some of the outer layer removed. Typically packages of semi-pearled will write it out on the package itself and will include directions with a 15 to 20 minute stovetop cook time at medium heat.
Because this recipe is made in a pressure cooker, we generally opt for whole-grain farro for maximum nutrition (you still won’t have a long cooking time!)
However, if you have a quicker-cooking variety, follow the cook time instructions in our Brown Sugar Farro recipe.
INGREDIENTS YOU NEED
Here’s what you need for this creamy breakfast porridge with farro:
- Farro. You will need an entire 16-ounce package of whole-grain farro for this big-batch recipe.
- Brown sugar. Use light or dark brown sugar.
- Lemon extract. You could also use lemon bakery emulsion if you have it near you.
- Salt. Just a pinch of salt enhances the sweet flavors in this dish.
- Cranberries. Sweetened dried cranberries like Craisins are perfect for this breakfast.
How to Make Farro for Breakfast in an Instant Pot
✅ This easy recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s a simple dump-and-go dish!
Just stir together the farro, water, sugar, lemon extract, and salt in your pressure cooking pot. Add the lid and cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Finish with a quick pressure release.
In my experience, farro doesn’t foam as much as oats can, so the quick release should work fine. However, if any foam or food starts to come from the steam release, seal up the pot, wait 30 to 60 seconds, then release the pressure again. Repeat as needed. (This is called an intermittent release.)
Remove the lid and stir in the dried cranberries. The farro will thicken as it cools. Serve with a splash of milk or cream.
Important Tips for Making Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro
- Be sure to use the right proportion of water to grains in this recipe. Too little water, and your farro will burn. Too much, and the porridge will be soupy and mushy.
- Wait to add the cranberries until after pressure cooking for the best texture.
- If you prefer a sweeter or less sweet breakfast, you can adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
- Feel free to use granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey if you don’t have brown sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions about Farro Breakfast Porridge
No, farro contains gluten. For a gluten-free breakfast porridge, try Breakfast Quinoa or Steel Cut Oats.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
We love to freeze this farro! We generally divide it into in 1 cup portions in a freezer safe zip-top bag. (Some of our readers like to use a muffin tin to make for quick and easy portion control.)
The night before, I like to place frozen farro in the refrigerator so it’s thawed by morning. Then you can stir in a splash of water or milk and reheat it in an oven-safe bowl in the Instant Pot or in the microwave.
This recipe already makes a big batch of farro that serves 8 people, but if you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, you can make it even bigger. Just be sure not to fill the pressure cooker pot more than 2/3 full (find the fill line on the inside of the pot).
Certainly, there are endless toppings to try on this lemon and cranberry farro. We love a drizzle of milk or cream, but you could try other kinds of dried fruit, such as raisins, dates, or apricots.
Chopped nuts, like pistachios, almonds, walnuts or coconut would all be great too. For extra sweetness, you can drizzle maple syrup or honey on top. Or try fresh fruit or even a scoop of yogurt for extra tanginess.
MORE Instant Pot Breakfast Porridge Recipes
Try these other creamy and filling breakfast recipes in the Instant Pot next:
- Brown Sugar Raisin Breakfast Farro is another sweet and fruity farro recipe to enjoy in the morning.
- Grapenut Breakfast Pudding is made with Grapenut cereal for a super fast and fluffy bowl.
- Creamy Instant Pot Oatmeal is a perfect weekday meal for kids and adults that comes together in minutes with minimal effort.
Do you LOVE this recipe?
Leave us a review below to tell us why!
Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro
This Instant Pot Lemon Cranberry Breakfast Farro is rich, creamy, and bright tasting thanks to lemon extract, brown sugar, and dried cranberries. We think it's the ideal morning meal!
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 oz) farro
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract or lemon bakery emulsion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- Zest of 1 lemon, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Add farro, water, brown sugar, lemon extract, and salt. Stir until combined. Lock the lid in place, then select High Pressure and 20 minutes cook time.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove lid. Stir the mixture well, then add the cranberries and lemon zest (if using).
- Serve topped with additional brown sugar and a splash of milk.
Notes
Note: I dressed up the farro with a little lemon zest for the pictures. When I'm craving extra lemon flavor, I'll juice the lemon and add enough water to equal 4 1/2 cups total liquids.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 3gSugar: 9gProtein: 7g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
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I made this today and it was wonderful! Loved the taste and texture. I ended up with 5-1/2 cups when finished. I’m not sure what you are considering a serving size to yield 8 servings.
When I added the ingredients to my Fitness Pal, the calories and nutrition information was significantly different than what you have published here. Based on a 1/2 cup serving — my results are 221 calories with 47.8 grams of carbohydrates and 4.8 grams of protein and only 4.4 grams of fiber. Looking at the information you’ve included before the recipe, I was expecting a higher protein and fiber count. I had been pretty excited when I thought a service was only 82 calories. Can you help me understand please.
Hi Karen – so glad you loved it. The recipe card program automatically figures the nutritional information so occasionally it gets it wrong. I use a half cup measuring cup to portion it out into baggies that I freeze for later. Any left in the pot just gets divided among the baggies.
I buy Bob’s Red Mill Farro, four bags at a time. How much longer should I pressure cook it? (I have the 8-quart Evo, thanks to you and your great reviews.)
Hi Jeri – I haven’t tried Bob’s Red Mill Farro but the farro I used in this recipe wasn’t par cooked, so if Bob’s isn’t par cooked either, then 20 minutes should be about right. If it is par cooked, use a 5 minute cook time, as I did in this recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-brown-sugar-raisin-breakfast-farro/ Enjoy!
In place of lemon extract, can I use fresh lemon juice?
Hi Teresa – if you don’t have lemon extract, I would use lemon zest instead.
I made this recipe according to directions and had a lot of liquid remaining in my pot. The Farro was chewy but definitely not thick or creamy. I had to drain off about 2 cups of liquid.
Hi Laura – what type of farro were you using? It sounds like the farro you were using required a longer cook time to get tender and absorb the liquid.
I want to print the recipe but cannot. Please advise.
Hi Colleen – did you click the print button in the recipe card and it doesn’t print? Or is there some other problem?
I just made a batch of the above and it does make a lot!!! I used white raisins and powdered lemon. I portioned what was left into a silicone cowboy sized cup cake pan. (12 servings.) I compressed each one down and then covered with saran and pressed some more, Put on a cookie sheet and froze. I am hoping that they freeze like rocks so I can seal them in my food saver. I have read that the Romans ate farro before going into battle. so if you have any battles to fight make sure you have farrow for breakfast! lol
Hi Mary – Sounds like a great way to freeze it. I freeze it flat in 1/2 cup servings in Ziploc freezer bags.
Thanks for the shout out on the lemon extract!
I eat oatmeal every morning-this looks like it would be a tasty switch up. We’ve not tried Farro yet. I’ll have to give a look-see at the grocery store next time to see what all brands they have. So, if the only one I can get is Bob’s Red Mill, add 1-2 minutes to the cook time?
Want to make. What’s the correct amount of water?
Hi Judy – the recipe is correct. 4 1/2 cups of water for a 16 ounce package.
This looks great and tasty. HOWEVER, I’m gluten sensitive and this would leave me quite ill. Farro is a form of wheat.
Thanks Mariam – yes, Farro is an ancient wheat grain.
Typo, Barbara:
4 1/1 cups water. I’ve been looking for something new and interesting for breakfast. This recipe sounds very tasty. Thank you.
Thanks Rita – I’ve updated the recipe. Enjoy!