Jamaican Plantain Porridge (dairy free)

Tiffany

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-5 People

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If you’re looking for a creamy, sweet, and hearty breakfast you need to make this authentic dairy free Jamaican plantain porridge.

Jamaican plantain porridge topped with cinnamon stick and bay leaf

What is Plantain Porridge

Porridge is one of the most popular breakfast meals in Jamaica besides ackee and boiled hard food. There are many variations of porridge including but not excluded to: hominy corn, oats, green banana, carrot, bulgar wheat, and cornmeal.

plantain porridge decorated with nutmeg and cinnamon

I am a firm believer that porridge in your childhood builds character (insert laughter here). It fills you up for the day and is a very cultural Jamaican breakfast meal. I love making my own homemade coconut milk for porridges because the taste is enhanced and you don’t get the preservatives that come with canned. However, canned coconut milk will still taste just as good.

What you’ll need

water, condensed milk, coconut milk, oatmeal, spices, vanilla, green plantain

How to make Jamaican plantain porridge

Step One:

Boil 2 cups of water in a pot as you prepare the other ingredients. I like to cut off each end of the green plantain and make an incision down the middle then peel off the skin with my fingers. Some people put a little oil on the plantain and their hands so its easier to cut and there is no stick residue on their hands. However, we know oil makes things slipper so be careful if using this method.

Step Two:

Blend the chopped green plantain with oatmeal and coconut milk (no longer than 1 minute). Once the water in the pot reaches a boil, slowly pour in the blended mixture. While whisking, add in the nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaf, and vanilla. Close the pot and allow to simmer on medium to low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes. The oatmeal will make this thick so add more or less water if needed.

Step Three:

Once the porridge is cooked, add in your desired amount of dairy free condensed milk. Serve while warm and enjoy!

How to store Jamaican Plantain Porridge

Jamaican plantain porridge can be stored up in the fridge for up to 5 days making it great for meal prep! Due to its gel like consistency, I would not recommend freezing for long periods of time.

This is a wonderful breakfast meal for children as it is filled with many nutrients from the coconut milk, oatmeal, and green plantain. I always love to start off my day with porridge as it fills me up well and makes me ready to start the day.

Pinterest image Jamaican plantain porridge

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Check out these other Jamaican Porridge recipes you’ll love

Cornmeal Porridge

Green Banana Porridge

Jamaican Oats Porridge

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  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Serves: 4-5 People

This creamy, heart warming Jamaican plantain porridge is a classic breakfast meal on the island and is a great way to start your day.

Ingredients

  • 1 Green Plantain (unripe), large
  • 1/2 Cup Oatmeal, used for thickener
  • 2 Cups Coconut milk
  • 1.5 Water , to boil
  • 1/4 - 1/2 Cup Vegan Condensed milk, to taste, see article for recipe
  • 2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 2 Bay leaf
  • 1.5 Teaspoon Vanilla

Method

  • 1)

    Boil 2 cup of water in a pot as you prepare the other ingredients. I like to cut off each end of the green plantain and make an incision down the middle then peel off the skin with my hands.

    Some people put oil on the plantain and their hands so its easier to cut and there is no stick residue on their hands. However, we know oil makes things slipper so be careful if using this method.

  • 2)

    Blend the chopped green plantain with oatmeal and coconut milk (no longer than 1 minute).

    Once the water in the pot reached a boil, slowly pour in the blended mixture. While whisking, add in the nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaf, and vanilla. Close the pot and allow to simmer on medium to low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes. The oatmeal will make this thick so add more or less water if needed.

  • 3)

    Once the porridge is cooked, add in your desired amount of dairy free condensed milk. Serve while warm and enjoy!

Notes

The plantain used MUST be green and UNRIPE. If you only have green bananas available, check out my green banana porridge recipe using this link. 

If you don’t have access to vegan condensed milk, you can use another sweetener of choice but the taste is much more authentic and intensified when using condensed milk. Use my recipe to make vegan condensed milk if you can’t find any in the stores. 

2 Comments

  • Sharon wilson

    May 2, 2024 at 8:02 pm

    I have been wanting banana/ plantain porridge for a while. I just tried this recipe but I tweaked it a bit. I used two plantain omit the evaporated milk and I used half can of condensed milk. It came out delicious! I also added some heavy cream to mine.

    1. Tiffany

      May 2, 2024 at 11:47 pm

      Hi Sharon!
      So glad you enjoyed the recipe, plantain porridge is one of my favourites. However, my recipe does not include evaporated milk, were you referring to the coconut milk? Cheers!

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