Creamy, delicious, and healthy, this Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge makes for a hearty, filling, and warming breakfast. It comes together in under 30 minutes using basic ingredients. Make it over the stovetop or in an instant pot using my easy recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free).
Here are some of my other favorite breakfast recipes that you must try – Pitaya Bowl, Greek Omelette, Instant Pot Oatmeal, Scrambled Egg Whites.
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About Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is a super delicious and warming staple Caribbean breakfast that will definitely join your weekly menu as soon as you try it. It is made by cooking fine cornmeal with water, earthy spices, and coconut milk until it comes to a porridge-like consistency.
This breakfast dish is creamy, full of flavors, and very aromatic. Also called “Cog” or “Pop”, this breakfast food is a part of the breakfast menu at almost all Jamaican households and some of the homes of the Caribbean Islands.
Jamaican believes that this creamy cornmeal porridge makes babies healthy and strong and for adults, it is a great hot and hearty breakfast that is affordable and keeps them full for a long time.
Jamaican cornmeal porridge recipe with coconut milk tastes like a combination of traditional porridge and grits. It has a corny flavor from the cornmeal, sweetness from coconut milk, vanilla extract, and condensed milk, and warmth and spice from cinnamon and nutmeg.
This Jamaican porridge is not too heavy on the stomach and tastes great with a topping of your favorite fruits. It is naturally gluten-free and can be easily made vegan.
The recipe can be easily halved, doubled, or tripled. The time of cooking will differ slightly though.
You can make it in a pot over the stovetop or in an instant pot. I am sharing both recipes in the post below, choose your favorite method.
Ingredients
Fine Cornmeal – You will easily get fine yellow cornmeal in your local supermarket (grocery store) or online. Make sure only fine cornmeal will work in this recipe. Do not try to make it with coarse cornmeal otherwise, it will turn out lumpy and will not taste good.
Coconut Milk – This porridge is traditionally made using coconut milk which adds a unique flavor and a lot of creaminess to it. You can replace coconut milk with dairy milk or any other plant-based (non-dairy milk) milk like almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc to make a variation.
Do not forget to shake the can of coconut milk before opening it. Sometimes the coconut cream and coconut water separate from each other if the can has been sitting for long.
Note – You can cook the porridge in water as well but I won’t recommend it as it won’t be creamy and taste different. It’s definitely healthier though.
Sweetener – Traditionally, sweetened condensed milk is used to sweeten the porridge. It is a culinary inheritance from the world wars that never left the country.
You can also use honey, maple syrup, cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or sugar-free substitutes like stevia or monk fruit. Adjust the sweetener according to your taste.
Nutmeg & Cinnamon – These spices just change the game of this simple Jamaican porridge with their oh-so-amazing flavor and aroma.
Vanilla Extract – A little vanilla extract really adds up so much taste. Make sure you use a good quality vanilla extract for the best taste.
How To Make Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup of fine yellow cornmeal and 1 cup of water to make a lump-free mixture. Use a wire whisk to mix the cornmeal and water to avoid any lumps.
There is nothing as unappetizing as a lumpy porridge, be very careful about it.
Note – The cornmeal cannot be added directly to the pan otherwise it will create lumps. It is very important to first mix it up with some water. Do not skip this step.
Add the remaining 1 and ½ cups of water and 2 cups of coconut milk to a medium-sized pan and heat it over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep stirring frequently using a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula.
Set the heat to low.
Add the cornmeal mixture to the pan and mix everything well using a wire whisk to make a smooth mixture.
Cook the porridge for 15-20 minutes on low heat or until it is thickened. Keep stirring frequently to avoid the formation of lumps. The consistency of the cooked porridge should be like that of custard. It will thicken a bit more once it starts to cool down.
Once the porridge has thickened, add 4 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
If the porridge is too thick, add some more water to it. Stir in some more condensed milk if you like it sweeter.
The cornmeal porridge is now ready. You can serve it either hot or chilled. Top it with your choice of toppings before serving.
Note – This porridge is traditionally served with no toppings and with a side of crackers. But I like it loaded with fruits.
Note – If you plan to serve the porridge later, then cover the pan with a lid to avoid the formation of skin on top.
Instant Pot Cornmeal Porridge Recipe
Press the SAUTE button on your Instant Pot. Add water, coconut milk, and cornmeal to the pot and whisk well using a wire whisk so there are no lumps.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk again. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing position. Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK.
Set the timer to 8 minutes on high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and then open the lid of the pot.
Add condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract, and stir well. If the porridge is too thick, add some more water to it. Stir in some more condensed milk if you like it sweeter.
The cornmeal porridge is now ready. You can serve it either hot or chilled. Top it with your choice of toppings before serving.
Pro Tips By Neha
Make sure that you stir the corn porridge frequently while cooking to avoid any lumps.
Mixing the cornmeal with little cold water before cooking avoids the formation of lumps.
Nutmeg and vanilla are a must in this Jamaican porridge, so do not miss them. You can adjust the flavorings and milk according to your taste.
If you feel the condensed milk did not make the porridge sweet enough for you, you can add in a little sugar too.
If the porridge is too thick, add a little water and adjust the consistency.
You can enjoy it any time of the day – brunch, lunch, dinner, or for a delicious snack.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. It is loaded with fibers and proteins and hence keeps you full for a long time. This also helps in weight loss.
2. It is rich in complex carbohydrates and low in fat.
3. It is naturally gluten-free and is a great option for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
4. It contains a large amount of vitamin A and minerals.
The consistency of this porridge should neither be watery nor very thick. It should be slightly runny because when it cools down it tends to become thick. I like to take it off the heat once it has reached a custard-like consistency.
Although both cornmeal and grits are made by grinding dried corn, the grits are usually a coarser grind than the cornmeal. The process of making grits is also slightly different. Instead of just grinding the corn kernels like in cornmeal, the dried corn is treated with lime to remove the hull when making grits.
No, although these two are made from the same grain, they are very different from each other. Cornstarch (corn flour) is a very fine grind that is almost like a fine powder while cornmeal is grainy.
To make a vegan version, you can skip adding condensed milk and use cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or agave nectar to sweeten it. All the other ingredients used to make this recipe are vegan-friendly.
You can also opt for coconut condensed milk instead of regular condensed milk for a vegan option.
Yes, you can feed this porridge to babies above 1 year of age. In fact, it is the first heavy food given to babies in Jamaica when they are being weaned off the bottles.
Serving Suggestions
This corn porridge can be served hot or chilled for a hearty breakfast. It is traditionally served with some hard-dough bread or crackers.
I like to top it with some chopped fresh fruits such as pineapple, mango, banana, passion fruit, papaya, kiwi, berries, etc. A sprinkle of ground cinnamon is great.
You can top it with slivered nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc, or seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.
Nut butter like peanut butter, pistachio butter, etc is also a great topping option.
You can also serve it with buttered and sliced hard-dough bread or crackers on the side. In Jamaica, it is also enjoyed with Jamaican Fried Dumplings (Johnny Cakes).
Storage Suggestions
You can store Jamaican cornmeal porridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It is great for meal prep too. Just transfer it to individual glass containers and refrigerate. Serve chilled or heat in a microwave.
You can also freeze it for about 3 months.
If you feel it has become a little dry, then add in a little water or coconut milk and mix it well before reheating.
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Recipe Card
Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 2 and ½ cups water (divided)
- 2 cups coconut milk (or any other milk of your choice)
- 4 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (use maple syrup or agave nectar for vegan)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal and 1 cup of water to make a lump-free mixture.
- Add the remaining 1 and ½ cups of water and coconut milk to a medium-sized pan and heat it over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep stirring frequently using a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula.
- Set the heat to low.
- Add the cornmeal mixture to the pan and mix everything well using a wire whisk to make a smooth mixture.
- Cook the porridge for 15-20 minutes on low heat or until it is thickened. Keep stirring frequently to avoid the formation of lumps. The consistency of the cooked porridge should be like that of custard. It will thicken a bit more once it starts to cool down.
- Once the porridge has thickened, add condensed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract and mix well.
- If the porridge is too thick, add some more water to it. Stir in some more condensed milk if you like it sweeter.
- The cornmeal porridge is now ready. You can serve it either hot or chilled. Top it with your choice of toppings before serving.
- Note – If you plan to serve the porridge later, then cover the pan with a lid to avoid the formation of skin on top.
Ashley Smith
Thank u soo much I am learning to cook and I have been usuing this cornmeal recipe thank u
BriarRose
This recipe was wonderful for my children!!! We love cream of wheat, and this was welcomed just as well!!! Thank you for sharing!