Start your day with something warm in your tummy! The combination of coconut milk, cinnamon and nutmeg make this Jamaican Porridge the perfect way to start your day!
The first time I ever tried Jamaican Porridge was at a resort on Lake George. I had never heard of it before but it was a special item added to the Brunch menu and our Jamaican waiter recommended it. I’m so glad that he did. One bite and I fell in love with it! I found myself going back for seconds and thirds.
I finally got around to making my own and I’m not really sure why it took me so long. It’s so easy to make and is ready in about 10 minutes! There are many different recipes out there but the main ingredients are corn meal, cinnamon and nutmeg. I made a few tweaks by adding coconut milk instead of regular milk and I sweetened mine with maple syrup instead of sweetened condensed milk.
Do have recipes that bring you back to your childhood when you eat them?
This is one of those recipes for me. Even though I never ate Jamaican Porridge growing up I did eat something very similar all the time. Cream of Wheat was my Jamaican Porridge. My mom would tell me that if I ate all my Cream of Wheat that I would go to school in a bubble. It’s one of those things that you remember so vividly even though you were so young when it happened. I couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 years old but I remember her telling me this.
“You’ll go to school in a bubble”.
In my young mind all I could picture was Glinda the good witch from The Wizard of Oz floating around in her bubble. I pictured myself floating around in a bubble just like hers. Ha! My mom definitely picked a good way to get me to eat all my breakfast! I loved my Cream of Wheat and now I love my Jamaican Porridge!
Jamaican Porridge
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Yellow cornmeal
- 2 Cup Water
- 1/4 teasoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Canned coconut milk
- 1 tespoon Vanilla
- 1/2 teasoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 4 Tablespoons Maple syrup ,Add more or less as you like, honey or agave for sweetening
- Fruit for topping I used fresh mango and some shredded coconut ,optional
Instructions
- Place water, cornmeal and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly.
- Mix in coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Cook for about 1 minute longer.
- Stir in maple syrup or other sweetener to taste.
- Serve with fresh fruit on top.
Nutrition
Make Jamaican Porridge for your kids and send them to school in a bubble! It’s so delicious you really won’t need to bribe them to eat it though. They’ll gobble it up all on their own!
Here are some more of our favorite breakfast treats. Just click on the picture for the recipe.
This certainly warmed me up on this chilly morning! I like the spices, and it’s a nice change of pace from oatmeal or Cream of Rice.
Thank you.
Gald you enjoyed it Chessie. I love warm morning porridge this time of year too.
To make truly authentic porridge sweeten it with condensed milk instead of syrup or honey etc. but it still is a great recipe 😄
Condensed milk is too sweet for people who struggle with diabetes. So, be careful out there.