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Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

This Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is a traditional and favorite breakfast dish, that is creamy, sweet and pack with lots of flavors and spices.

Just about every Jamaican grew up on this authentic breakfast dish, Cornmeal Porridge.

As soon as you are about six to nine months old, it’s a guarantee that a pot of this porridge is on the stove top cooking for your breakfast.

My mother used to tell me, if you want to be strong and healthy, eat some Cornmeal Porridge.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Pinterest

As a child growing up, this was the go to breakfast meal.

It keep you full until it was lunchtime at school.

Plus, quick and easy, since it didn’t require any additional work, than to add the cornmeal to the boiling water and then sweeten it.

So pretty much it was my breakfast every morning, even if there was something else cooked for breakfast, cornmeal porridge was still apart of it.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is still apart of my breakfast tradition, just not that often as a child.

I make sure to pass on the tradition to my children and they love it.

Water vs. Coconut Milk

Growing up whenever my mother didn’t have any dry coconut to make fresh homemade coconut milk, she would just use pure water to boil the yellow cornmeal and then sweetened with the condensed milk and sugar.

But, whenever there was just fresh homemade coconut milk, she would use that only.

Let’s just say the more coconut milk the better it taste.

Another option is to do a mixture of water and coconut milk/evaporated milk of equal amount to cook the cornmeal.

The liquid you use to cook your Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is a personal choice.

You can use pure water, fresh homemade coconut milk or a mixture of water and coconut milk/evaporated milk.

The choice is yours.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge ready to eat.

How to make Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge?

For this recipe, I did a mixture of coconut milk and water to boil first. But if you have some fresh coconut milk, that’s even better. It will be delicious.

So the first thing is to mix the cornmeal and the water in a small bowl and stir. The cornmeal cannot be added dry to the liquid or else it will create lumps by the time the porridge starts to cook and gets thick.

Secondly, add the water and can of coconut milk, salt and cinnamon stick (if you are not using ground cinnamon). Let it come to a boil.

Thirdly, slowly add the cornmeal mixture to the pot and stir vigorously. Cover and allow to cook for the next 30 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5 to 7 minutes.

Fourthly, add the nutmeg, vanilla extract, almond extract (optional) and ground cinnamon (if you didn’t use the cinnamon stick in the beginning) and stir.

Finally, add the sweetened condensed milk and sweeten to taste. Enjoy when it is warm to your desire.

Step By Step Pictures

Mixing the cornmeal with water.
Adding the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water.
Stirring the coconut milk to the Cornmeal.
Vanilla extract and nutmeg added to the Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge.
Sweetening the Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge after adding the sweetened condensed milk.

What To Serve Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge With?

With any Porridge, you can eat it just by itself.

However, back home in Jamaica, we eat any Porridge with buttered slice hard-dough bread or some crackers.

Another great traditional option is to serve the with this porridge is some Jamaican Festivals or Jamaican Fried Dumpling (Johnny Cake).

However, if you want to go fancy and healthy, you could add some slice bananas, mangoes or even some blueberries to it also.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 cup water for mixing the cornmeal
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 cups water for boiling
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, add the yellow cornmeal and water and mix together with a whisk. Set aside.
  2. Pour the 3 cups of water and can of coconut milk into a medium pot with the salt and allow to boil up. If you are using cinnamon stick, add it to the liquid mixture to boil also.
  3. Slowly pour the yellow cornmeal mixture to the boiling liquid and continue to stir vigorously with a whisk on medium low heat, to prevent lumps. Cover and allow to cook for the next 30 minutes on low heat. Be sure to stir every 5 to 7 minutes or so.
  4. Add the ground cinnamon (if you didn’t use the cinnamon stick), nutmeg and vanilla extract, almond extract (optional) and stir. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and sweeten the porridge to your taste. If the entire can of condensed milk didn’t sweeten it, add 1 to 2 Tablespoon of sugar. Make sure to check the consistency. If it is too thick, you can add about 1/2 cup of water or evaporated milk to the porridge.
  5. Remove from the heat. Serve warm and enjoy.
A bowl of Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge.

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Notes

  1. You can choose to boil the cornmeal with just pure water; do a mixture of coconut milk/evaporated milk with water; or just fresh coconut milk.
  2. Add 1 to 2 tablespoon of sugar to the porridge if the can of sweeten condensed milk wasn’t enough.
  3. Also, add 1/2 cup of water or evaporated milk if the porridge is too thick.

Another Cornmeal dish that you can give a try is the Turn Cornmeal.

Please let me know what you think about my Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by and please come back again.

Blessings and Love, as you carry on, on your YouNique Journey!

Cornmeal Porridge in a white bowl.

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is a traditional and favorite breakfast dish, that is creamy, sweet and pack with lots of flavors and spices.

Ingredients

  • 4 cup water for mixing the cornmeal
  • 2 cups yellow cornmeal
  • 3 cups water for boiling
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

      1. In a small bowl, add the yellow cornmeal and water and mix together with a whisk. Set aside.
      2. Pour the 3 cups of water and can of coconut milk into a medium pot with the salt and allow to boil up. If you are using cinnamon stick, add it to the liquid mixture to boil also.
      3. Slowly pour the yellow cornmeal mixture to the boiling liquid and continue to stir vigorously with a whisk on medium low heat, to prevent lumps. Cover and allow to cook for the next 30 minutes on low heat. Be sure to stir every 5 to 7 minutes or so.
      4. Add the ground cinnamon (if you didn't use the cinnamon stick), nutmeg and vanilla extract, almond extract (optional) and stir. Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and sweeten the porridge to your taste. If the entire can of condensed milk didn't sweeten it, add 1 to 2 Tablespoon of sugar. Make sure to check the consistency. If it is too thick, you can add about 1/2 cup of water or evaporated milk to the porridge.
      5. Remove from the heat. Serve warm and enjoy.

Notes

  • You can choose to boil the cornmeal with just pure water; do a mixture of coconut milk/evaporated milk with water; or just fresh coconut milk.
  • Add 1 to 2 tablespoon of sugar to the porridge if the can of sweeten condensed milk wasn't enough.
  • Also, add 1/2 cup of water or evaporated milk if the porridge is too thick.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 402mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 7g

The nutritional information that is provided, is computer generated and therefore it is an estimate. Please do your own research with the ingredients that are listed here, if you have any concern about any specific diet or your health.

Sheri P.

Tuesday 4th of October 2022

About to attempt this now, grateful for An authentic recipe!

Yanique Vincent

Wednesday 5th of October 2022

You are most welcome Sheri P.

David Williams

Thursday 17th of February 2022

Thank you, a real Jamaican recipe.

Yanique Vincent

Saturday 19th of February 2022

Hi David, Thank you for your kind words and you are most welcome.

Yasmin

Sunday 14th of February 2021

I made this a few days ago and I absolutley loved it. Really impressed by this recipe. Thank you for sharing it. I did it using a mixture of coconut milk with water. I halved the recipe (as it was just for me) and it was enough for 3 breakfasts. I will definitely be making this again.

Yanique Vincent

Monday 15th of February 2021

Hi Yasmin, Thank you so much for your feedback. I am glad you loved it. I did some this past weekend too. Thanks again for giving it a try.

Kari

Monday 21st of September 2020

Wow, it's been so many years but now I'm inspired. Just need to bake up a loaf of hard-do so I can have cubes of bread on top! Just like (grand) Mama used to make. :)

Yanique Vincent

Monday 21st of September 2020

Hi Kari, Yes that the best way or some 'tuff crackers' on top lol. Thanks for giving it a try. Enjoy.

Shelley

Sunday 13th of September 2020

Followed your recipe and am delighted with my first attempt at cornmeal porridge. Delicious!

Yanique Vincent

Monday 14th of September 2020

Hi Shelley, Awesome! I am so happy for you and glad it was delicious. Thanks for giving my recipe a try.

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