Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge – Tired of the same old oatmeal for breakfast? Mix things up with this warming cornmeal porridge instead! Infused with Caribbean spices and coconut milk, this Jamaican cornmeal porridge recipe is a thoroughly comforting breakfast.
Is there any better way to kick start the day than with a warm, hearty breakfast? Not in my book! And if you wake up wanting something a bit sweet like I do, this Jamaican porridge is perfect for combating those early morning cravings. It’s filling, just sweet enough, and super energizing. ⚡
Plus, it’s oh-so-cozy! When blessed with much-needed rain here in Southern California, all I want to do is cozy up with a bowl of this cornmeal porridge and watch as the rain falls in crazy, chaotic drops – slowly savoring one spoonful at a time. Secretly, I want it to go on for days on end, but alas, every good thing must come to an end.
What Is Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge?
This Caribbean breakfast dish dates back more than a century. It’s sometimes called “Cog” or “Pop.” It’s a hot cereal with depth and texture but not too heavy on the stomach. You make Jamaican cornmeal porridge with yellow cornmeal and infuse it with earthy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Some drizzle it with condensed coconut milk for a rich and sweet taste.
What does it taste like? The texture is an incredible cross between traditional porridge and grits. Flavor-wise, it has sweetness, the warmth from the cinnamon and nutmeg, and that lovely “corn” flavor from the cornmeal itself. 🌽
Recipe Ingredients
- Coconut Milk – Adding coconut milk to the water delivers a creamier, tropical-flavor-infused porridge.
- Cinnamon – A cinnamon stick adds warmth to the porridge, making it taste cozy and indulgent.
- Cornmeal – This Southern pantry staple makes a gorgeous porridge with a sweet corn flavor and texture slightly less grainy than grits.
- Flavorings – Vanilla notes and nutmeg pair with warm spices to enhance this Caribbean comfort dish.
- Sweetener – How and if you sweeten this dish is up to you. You could use condensed milk (my favorite), brown sugar, coconut sugar, or another sweetener here.
How to Make Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Cook the Porridge
- Liquids – Add about two cups of water and two cups of coconut milk to a large, heavy saucepan. Toss in half a cinnamon stick and bring everything to a boil. (Photo 1)
- Cornmeal – Gradually whisk in the cornmeal a little at a time, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent any lumps. (Photo 2)
- Simmer – Next, reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened (about 15 minutes). (Photo 3)
Add Spices and Toppings
- Flavoring – Add the vanilla extract, nutmeg, and sweetened condensed milk. (Photo 4)
- Adjust the porridge consistency with coconut milk or water if desired. Turn off the heat.
- Serve piping hot with extra nutmeg, sweeteners, nuts, and fruit.
Recipe Variations
- More toppings. You can’t go wrong with your choice of sliced banana, mango, blueberry, slivered almonds, and walnuts.
- Adjust spices. Just note that if you’re going for a more traditional flavor, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla are non-negotiable. But cloves, cardamom, ginger, anise, etc., are also delicious additions.
- Consistency is up to you! Adjust the amount of milk to make the porridge thicker or thinner, as per your preference.
- Dairy-free. Replace the condensed milk topping with coconut condensed milk.
Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to stir the porridge frequently during cooking to avoid any lumps in your porridge.
- Remove the cinnamon stick before serving so no one gets a spicy, crunchy surprise.
- Cornmeal holds in the heat well, so be careful not to burn yourself when digging in. You might want to give it a few minutes to cool off or add a splash of cold milk to cool it quickly.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this porridge a couple of days ahead of time. Just let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat it, put it in a pan set to medium-low heat and stir until it warms up. This porridge tends to thicken in the fridge, so you may need to add a splash of milk or water to loosen it up.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve Jamaican cornmeal porridge warm, topped with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg and some fresh fruit.
Keep leftover porridge in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and reheat as noted above. It will last in the freezer for 4-5 months.
What Goes With Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Make a fancy breakfast by serving bowls of Jamaican cornmeal porridge with other fun breakfast foods like sausage rolls and egg muffins. Serve it with an assortment of nuts and fresh, dried, and grilled fruits, like grilled apples, to make it the star of the show.
You might also want to make a steamy chai latte to drink. The warm spices are the perfect way to wash down the cozy porridge. 😊
More Jammin’ Jamaican Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in January 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 cups coconut milk drinkable carton variety
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg adjust to taste
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- optional sweeteners (sugar, honey, coconut sugar, brown sugar, etc.)
Instructions
- Add 2 cups water and 2 cups coconut milk to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Throw in ½ stick cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil.
- Gradually whisk in the cornmeal until you have added the whole thing to the pot, a little bit at a time, and keep stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract, nutmeg, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Adjust consistency with coconut or water if desired.
- Turn off the heat. Serve piping hot with extra nutmeg and optional sweeteners.
Tips & Notes:
- Stir the porridge frequently during cooking to avoid lumps.
- Remove the cinnamon stick before serving so no one gets a spicy, crunchy surprise.
- Cornmeal holds in the heat well, so be careful not to burn yourself when digging in. You might want to give it a few minutes to cool off or add a splash of cold milk to cool it quickly.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
This porridge is simply delicious!!
Thank you for sharing .
God bless you !
Made it this morning and it was fantastic
This came out so good. Nice and creamy. Thank you
Thank you Scarlet! So glad to hear it turned out great for you :)!
I made it. Its delicious.
I forgot how to make this dish! Came in handy for the New Year breakfast . My family and I enjoyed it. Thanks!
Love love love this recipe. I added a little butter. It was amazing. Thanks for this recipe!!
Forgot to leave the 5 stars!! Would give more if I could
My 2 year old nephew loved this. I personally did not care for the nutmeg and cinnamon taste. Just a personal preference. Maybe next time I’ll add just a hint of nutmeg and skip the cinnamon. Otherwise, very quick and simple recipe.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
I put sausage in mine and i use vanilla ensure instead of coconut milk i love this stuff and healthy, everyone always wants me to make it,
Those are really great additions. Thanks for sharing!
This is my go to corn porridge recipe. My wife gets excited when I make it! I use coconut water and add whole allspice and cloves.
I get excited about corn porridge too! Thank you for the tips Tommy.
I just made this recipe as I can never find a good replica of jamaican cornmeal porridge and this was IT! I just replaced the coconut milk with 2% lactose milk (all I had at the moment) and it was just fine . I loved every spoonful of it
Delish!!! I make this porridge using the fine cornmeal and I absolutely love it….No more cream of wheat for me.My official winter breakfast meal
My son fell in love with cornmeal porridge in Jamaica this winter. He says this was almost as good. I think the warm ocean breeze and view might have been the missing ingredients.
LoL. I need to add these two ingredients to the mix to make it just right. Thanks for taking time out to share this with us Mary.
hi i lost so much weight from my recent surgery and my friend suggested that i eat this to gain weight. what is the best cornmeal brand to buy? i will go found shopping today
Hi Steph,
I usually use quaker cornmeal, Albers or Aunt Gemima . However, any store brand works just fine.
My husband is Jamaican and Dominican and I am Salvadorian and Hawaiian and across both cultures there are a lot of similarities in what we use for cooking. I tried making cornmeal porridge for him once before based off of how he described it and it came out good but not as good as this one at all. The look on his face and the way his eyes lit up when he smelled it and then ate it was so priceless. My husband said this was food was the essence of his childhood and it really fed his soul today. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and helping me make my husband a bowl of happiness
I married a man from Jamaica and I’m American… I make this recipe for him and it makes him behave well. Very good recipe. I like it too and our kids too.
Wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to try it. What’s the difference between drinkable coconut milk and the coconut milk in the can? Or is it the same?
Thanks Diego. I prefer cartoon coconut milk because it has less calories. Only about 80 calories per cup. You may use canned coconut milk
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious. I just made it, and I’m eating a full bowl while leaving you this comment ! I couldn’t find cornmeal in our regular store (I’m located in France) so I replaced it with polenta and it went just fine !! Will do it again for sure. Thank you for sharing the recipe :))
I love cornmeal porridge, but I have high cholesterol, I just noticed how much saturated fats it contains..
Any tips on how I can make it with less saturated fats.. I guess I can probably use soya milk instead of normal milk, but what about the condensed milk..?
What could I use instead.. It’s just not the same without it..
Thanks..
Hi, John. My bad, I just noticed this comment. I haven’t tried using other types of milk for this recipe, but perhaps soya and almond milk would be a healthier option for you (although there’d be noticeable difference in flavor).You can check out a chart on this link for other healthier types of milk >>> https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/which-type-of-milk-is-healthiest
How long can I keep corn meal porridge in the fridge for?
I usually don’t let it stay for more than a day. Mine never lasts anyways. It’s best the day of.
I just discovered your blog, so many delicious-looking recipes! I love Caribbean food, even if I’ve never tried to cook it myself before.
This corn meal porridge looks sweet and comforting! Definitely the kind of food I’m craving at the moment, as it’s freezing cold here in France… I can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Hi Claire! It’s definitely the time to make this, I can only imagine how cold it is there. Happy Cooking!!!
i love your recipe! thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks for letting let me know !
Just reading the recipe I start to smell the porridge grandpa used make every morning before he passed away, I was 5. I’m excited to try out this recipe.
Hi Ceianna. I am glad this brings back some childhood memories. Do let me know how it turns out!
This was a great simple recipe! I loved it. Thank you so much!
So happy you enjoyed it as much as I do. Thanks for sharing!!!
Very good. I used light, canned coconut milk and boiled milk and sugar for the condensed milk while my porridge cooked, then added it right before serving. It wasn’t as thick as canned sweetened condensed milk but I liked how it thinned out the porridge a little. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for taking time out to share your thoughts with us Nikki. God Bless!
Am a Jamaican and a lover of cornmeal porridge too. Try adding a little evaporated milk to your porridge too…then you can talk about creamy and heavenly ..
.so delicious
Thanks for the tip.
You bet! I Bought Goya- Pre-cooked cornmeal! Yo will be like Oh YEAH!!