Couscous Breakfast Bowl with Apples and Cinnamon
Fluffy couscous steamed in hot cinnamon milk, topped with buttery sautéed apples, toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey. A warm, North African-inspired breakfast that takes about 35 minutes.
- Prep
- 12 min
- Cook
- 16 min
- Wait
- 7 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Makes
- 4 breakfast bowls (about 1¼ cups each)
Steps
Before you start
- Use fine (instant) couscous, the kind that needs only soaking in hot liquid. Pearl (Israeli) or whole-wheat couscous needs different liquid amounts and times.
- Choose firm, sweet-tart apples such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Pink Lady. They hold their shape when cooked.
- Measure everything before you start. The couscous steps move quickly once the milk is hot.
- Read the timing: the apples and almonds can be done while the milk heats, but the recipe is written one step at a time so nothing is missed.
Toast the almonds
- Place the sliced almonds in a dry 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir or shake the pan often for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate right away and set aside.
- Keep the skillet for the apples.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Almonds are light golden at the edges and smell nutty.
Tip: Almonds go from golden to burnt in seconds. Remove them from the hot pan as soon as they color.
Prep the apples
- Core the apples and cut them into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.
- Toss them in a small bowl with the lemon juice so they don't brown while you work.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Pieces are roughly even in size so they cook at the same rate.
Cook the apples
- Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat.
- Add the apples, 1 tsp of the cinnamon and the water.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in 1 tbsp of the honey and cook for 30 seconds more, then take the pan off the heat.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: A knife slides into an apple cube with little resistance, the edges are golden and the juices are syrupy.
Tip: If the pan looks dry before the apples soften, add 1 tbsp more water.
Heat the cinnamon milk
- In a 2-quart (2 L) saucepan, combine 1 cup (240 ml) of the milk, the remaining ½ tsp cinnamon, the salt and the raisins, if using.
- Heat over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The milk is steaming with tiny bubbles around the edge, but not at a full boil.
Tip: Watch the pan closely. Milk foams up and boils over quickly.
Steam the couscous
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour in the couscous, stir once to submerge it, and cover with the tight-fitting lid.
- Leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: All the milk is absorbed and the grains are swollen and soft.
Tip: Don't lift the lid while it steams. The trapped steam cooks the grains.
Fluff and flavor
- Uncover the couscous.
- Drizzle in the vanilla and 1 tbsp of the honey.
- Fluff with a fork, using a lifting motion, until no clumps remain.
- Re-cover and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm the serving milk in a microwave-safe jug for 30 to 45 seconds.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Grains are separate, fluffy and tender, with no hard center when tasted.
Tip: Use a fork, not a spoon. A spoon mashes the grains and makes them gummy.
Assemble the bowls
- Divide the couscous among 4 bowls, about 1¼ cups each.
- Spoon the warm apples and their syrup over the top.
- Pour about 2 tbsp of warm milk into each bowl.
- Scatter with the toasted almonds and drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp honey.
- Serve right away.
+ Show details− Hide details
Tip: Taste before adding the final honey. Ripe apples and raisins may already make it sweet enough for you.
Good to know
Tips
- Use a 1:1 ratio of fine couscous to hot liquid by volume. More liquid makes it soggy.
- Keep the lid tight during steaming. A saucepan lid or a plate set on top works if the lid is loose.
- Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon or a pinch of cardamom over the finished bowls for more North African warmth.
- For a richer bowl, stir 1 tsp of butter into the couscous while fluffing.
Make ahead
Cook the apples up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate them in a covered container. Toast the almonds up to 3 days ahead and keep them airtight at room temperature. Prepare the couscous fresh for the best texture, or see the storage notes for reheating.
Storage & reheating
Leftover couscous and apples keep in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze the couscous; the texture turns pasty. The cooked apples freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, sprinkle 1 to 2 tbsp milk over the couscous and microwave for 45 to 60 seconds, fluffing halfway through. Warm the apples for 30 seconds. Store toasted almonds airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Substitutions
- whole milk → Unsweetened oat, almond or soy milk. Use the same amount. Dairy-free works well; avoid very thin milks, which give a less creamy result.
- honey → Maple syrup or date syrup. Use the same amount. Date syrup adds a deeper, more traditional flavor.
- firm sweet-tart apples (about 2 medium) → Ripe pears. Use the same weight and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, since pears soften faster.
- sliced almonds → Chopped pistachios or walnuts. Use the same amount and toast the same way.
