Plantain porridge is a stable Jamaican breakfast item. Its creamy and has warm spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s naturally gluten, dairy and grain free. I grew up eating porridge, so I am happy to share a cleaned-up version of a recipe that’s close to my heart.

What is porridge?
Porridge is a thick soup usually made from a starch vegetable. Porridge can be made from green bananas, green plantain and oats. However, it is mostly made in Jamaica using cornmeal.
Do you have to use green plantains to make plantain porridge?
While its usually made with green plantains, you can use plantains at any stage of ripeness. Just keep in mind that the riper the plantain the sweeter the porridge will taste which may affect whether or not to use a date in the recipe.
What goes well with plantain porridge?
I like to enjoy plantain porridge with a little coconut milk drizzled on top with some ground cinnamon, but you can add on some sliced fruit if you wish. It’s a great addition to have with eggs and bacon for breakfast.
Other things to know about this recipe:
- When blending the plantain, be sure to get it very smooth. This will help prevent lumps and having any grit in your porridge.
- You can increase the cinnamon flavor by adding the cinnamon to the water as it boils.
- As soon as you add the blended plantain to the boiling water, reduce the heat to low and stir continuously as it cooks to prevent lumps.
- As the porridge cools it will thicken.
- To reheat, add a little bit of coconut milk, stir and heat on the stove or in the microwave for a minute or two.
- I prefer to use lite coconut milk like this one.
Other recipes to try
Check out these other breakfast recipes on my blog like Jerk Style Bacon or Callaloo and Saltfish.

Plantain Porridge
Equipment
- Blender
- Sauce pan
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 green plantain peeled and diced
- 1 date deseeded
- 1 ½ cup lite coconut milk divided 1 cup and 1/2 cup
- 1 ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Add plantain to blender along with the date, 1 cup lite coconut milk, 1/4 tsp salt and ground nutmeg.
- Blend until smooth.
- Bring 1 1/2 cup water to a boil in a sauce pan.
- Add blended plantain mixture to boiling water and reduce heat to simmer. Stir continuously.
- Add cinnamon stick and remaining coconut milk.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring continuously.
- Discard cinnamon stick.
- Serve drizzled with more coconut milk and ground cinnamon.