Eight Treasure Congee {Instant Pot}

This 8 ingredient, sweet Eight Treasure Congee is A Traditional Chinese Porridge. Easily made in a crockpot Or Instant Pot, this recipe is packed with a variety of grains and a ton of plant-based protein. Serve as a healthy breakfast or even as a side for lunch or dinner.

Eight Treasures Congee or La Ba Congee (八宝粥) was one of my favorite sweet porridges growing up! 

This porridge is traditionally eaten during the Chinese Laba Festival (腊八节), a commemoration of the enlightenment of Buddha. Legend has it, that he meditated so deeply that he forgot to eat and a kind woman saved his life with this rice porridge, allowing him to continue meditation and reach enlightenment.

In Chinese tradition, the Laba Festival is a time to spend with your loved ones and pray for good health and peace in the coming year. 

Growing up, my grandma would make a variety of versions of this healing dish year-round. She is one of my biggest influences in my functional medicine background and love for Chinese food. She would always include a variety of multi-colored grains, beans, and nuts in our meals. 

I truly believe in the power of including these wholesome ingredients in your diet and had to share this easy recipe with you all! 

Why We Love Eight Treasure Congee

Affordable

This Congee recipe has 8 ingredients, but many people make it with much less. The main ingredients are rice and water – everything else just adds to the flavor and decadence! 

Hearty and Warming

Congee is the food of love, health, and positivity! 

You might not think of rice as healing, but Congee has long been a traditional Chinese medicine for digestion. The warmth and texture from the long cooking duration make it our staple recipe for winter mornings.

Real Food Made from Plants

Many Asian cultures eat lots of legumes and our family is no exception. My grandma used to come up with different kind of beans and grains combination to keep the flavors and texture interesting!

• Black Rice
• Adzuki Beans
• Chinese Jujubes

Served Hot or Cold

One of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s perfectly served hot or cold. Now that the days are getting warmer, I like to leave a few servings of this porridge in my fridge so that it’s ready for a quick and easy breakfast!

Simple-Clean Up

I love that you can make this recipe in a crockpot or instant pot because it means that clean-up is a breeze! With Ollie becoming more of an active toddler, recipes like this are a must for a busy mom. 

Ingredients for Eight Treasure Congee

To make this authentic Chinese porridge, all you need is 8 ingredients!

Grains

• Black rice
• Rolled (or steel) oats

Legumes

• Azuki beans 
• Black beans
• Peanuts or walnuts, raw

Sweetener and Toppings

• Chinese Jujubes 
• Goji Berries, optional
• Rock sugar 
• Water 

Substitutes For Eight Treasure Congee

This recipe is very customizable! Feel free to substitute the grains, beans, and sweeteners as you wish. 

Other grains that I enjoy:

Millet

Black sticky rice

Barley

Corn, raw

Other beans that I enjoy:

Mung Beans

Kidney Beans

How to Make Eight Treasure Congee

Congee can be made in a crockpot or instant pot – it’s so easy!

Crockpot

Then, add the rice, beans, oats, nuts, and water all to the crockpot and cook on low for 3 hours. 

Finally, add sugar and any other sweeteners/toppings (jujubes, goji berries, etc) to taste! 

Instant pot

Finish off the Congee with your favorite sweeteners and toppings. 

Yum!

Rice Cooker

Some rice cooker that has “Mixed Grain” or “Stew” functions can also be used for this porridge recipe. It usually takes between 1.5 – 2 hours.

How to Serve Eight Treasure Congee

This mouthwatering dish goes well with so many options.

Pair the sweet congee with spicy side dish like Chinese Spicy Cucumber Salad, savory Chinese Scallion Pancakes, or a light and sweet Chinese Cornflour Sponge Cake,

You can also skip the sweetener and add the Congee as a great side dish to your lunch or dinner. 

Either way, feel free to get creative with toppings! I’ve seen Congee topped with fruit, eggs, vegetables, seeds, and more – the opportunities are endless. 

How to Store Eight Treasure Congee

Once it’s cooled, you can store your delicious Congee in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

I think it tastes even better the next day! 

And for you mamas out there: YES you can freeze it! Simple remove from the freezer to thaw and then warm to your desired temperature. 

What other traditional Chinese recipes would you like to see next? Leave a comment below and I’d love to share my family recipes with you!

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