Yellow cornmeal slowly whisked into milk and water until thick and creamy, sweetened with condensed milk and warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
A breakfast that dates back well over a century, cornmeal porridge belongs to Jamaica's beloved family of morning porridges. Tied to Saturday mornings and hearty starts before school or work, it reflects African cornmeal traditions adapted with island spices and rich condensed milk.
Thick, velvety and comforting, sweetened just enough by condensed milk. Cinnamon and nutmeg give it a cozy, spiced warmth that makes it taste like a hug in a bowl.
Whisking a cold cornmeal slurry into hot liquid disperses the grains so they hydrate evenly without clumping, and constant stirring lets the starch swell into a smooth, creamy porridge.
Variations
Cornmeal porridge with coconut milk, vegan cornmeal porridge, peanut cornmeal porridge
On the Palate
Where Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge sits in the Jamaican flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 5 min
- 13 min
Mix the cornmeal with cold water to form a smooth, lump-free slurry.
Watch outWhisk the cornmeal into cold water until dead smooth before it touches heat — any lumps here never disappear and you'll bite grit in the finished porridge.
- 24 min
Bring milk and water to a gentle boil with a cinnamon stick.
- 32 min
Slowly pour in the cornmeal slurry while whisking constantly.
Watch outPour the slurry in slowly in a thin stream while whisking hard — dumping it in at once sets it into clumps around the whisk.
- 42 min
Reduce heat and stir continuously to prevent lumps and scorching.
- 514 min
Cook 12-15 minutes until thick and the raw cornmeal taste is gone.
Watch outKeep stirring and cook until it's thick and the raw floury taste is gone — under-cook and it tastes chalky; stop stirring and it scorches on the bottom.
- 62 min
Stir in condensed milk, grated nutmeg and vanilla.
- 72 min
Adjust sweetness and thickness with more milk if desired.
- 81 min
Serve hot in bowls, dusted with extra nutmeg.
