Below we will show you how to make a healthier and vegan variation to the staple Jamaican cornmeal porridge breakfast. You'll love this recipe if you like the classic recipe, but are looking for a vegan alternative, or simply if you love porridge and want to experiment with something new.
This tropical breakfast meal is usually prepared with condensed milk and sugar and served with bread, crackers, and butter. We have made some changes to this, to make the porridge suitable for vegans and people with dairy allergies, and to reduce the amount of bad unsaturated fats and sugars.
First, we replaced condensed milk and butter with coconut milk. Coconut milk is a common alternative to cow milk in vegan recipes. The advantages of this plant-based drink lie in the high amount of healthy fats - known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)[1], and its fibres. Moreover, coconut milk is rich in minerals that support a healthy metabolism.
Then, we replaced refined white sugars with naturally sweet maple syrup. We often use maple syrup in our vegan recipes whenever we want flavour, thickness and a better nutritional profile. To make this Jamaican cornmeal porridge 100% sugar-free, use the zero-carbs erythritol sweetener. We tell you how to do that in the tips at the bottom of the page.
Finally, we topped the porridge with yummy tropical fruits, like passion fruit and mango, and some cashew nuts. These additions help turn this breakfast into a more balanced meal.
So there you have it: a wholesome tropical meal that will put a big smile on your face and keep you satiated throughout the morning. It's super easy to make, taking only 25 minutes, so it's the ideal breakfast for a busy day.