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Jamaican banana porridge is simple, nourishing, sweet and so easy to make! I love this healthy banana porridge because it quenches my sweet tooth with natural sweetness that is good for you. In just a few minutes you can have a delicious and healthy breakfast the whole family will enjoy!
This easy to make porridge recipe originated from the Caribbean islands, and I guarantee it will become your next favorite breakfast recipe! It's vegan, gluten free, can easily be made sugar free, and is kid-friendly too!You can top your porridge bowl with fresh fruit and nuts or shaved coconut for a satisfying breakfast that is great any time of year.
Jamaican breakfast porridge takes less than 10 minutes and it's perfect for picky eaters. My kids love the creamy texture and sweet flavor that the bananas bring. I think this green banana porridge recipe will become a new family favorite!
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This healthy banana cinnamon porridge uses coconut milk in place of regular milk and coconut condensed milk in place of sweetened condensed milk. It's vegan and dairy-free, but even dairy-lovers will love it. What I love the most is it fills me up and gives me the energy I need to get through my day.
If you have not tried porridge yet this is a perfect recipe to start with. Jamaican porridge is a cooked porridge often made in a variety of ways. It contains condensed milk, milk and spices but can vary to include oats, cornmeal, plantains and in this case banana! It's sweet and satisfying and definitely serves as a cozy breakfast perfect on a cold morning.
👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- A healthy breakfast option that can be made with just a handful of common ingredients.
- Top with nuts and your favorite fruit for added nutrients and fiber.
- Make this easy banana porridge in just 10 minutes.
- Great for picky eaters.
- Enjoy this easy recipe for breakfast, lunch, or dinner - even as a snack!
- Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegan and so delicious!
- Make it with or without dairy, based on your dietary preferences.
🥘 Ingredients
This vegan banana porridge recipe calls for pantry staples you can find at your grocery store or you may already have them in your cupboard.
Green Bananas: Unripe bananas are essential for this recipe as they provide the texture and consistency for this creamy porridge.
Water: The water brought to a boil infused with cinnamon and vanilla brings the perfect balance of flavor and moisture to perfect your gluten free banana porridge.
Cinnamon Stick: I use a cinnamon stick to achieve a nice cinnamon flavor. You can add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in its place.
Vanilla Extract: One teaspoon of vanilla extract gives this recipe the perfect touch of vanilla flavor.
Coconut Milk: For this banana cinnamon porridge recipe, I used full fat coconut milk but you can use soy, almond or oat milk too. If you are not dairy free you can use regular organic milk which is also delicious.
Condensed Coconut Milk: For this Jamaican banana porridge, I sweeten it with a splash of condensed coconut milk. You can use sweetened condensed milk if you prefer. Note: the nutritional information below is based on condensed coconut milk which has less sugar than regular condensed milk.
Salt: Adding salt to this recipe helps bring out the flavor of this mashed banana porridge. Make sure to add it at the beginning of the recipe. When you add it at the beginning of cooking, your porridge will be more flavorful and delicious.
📖 Variations
You can customize this recipe to meet your dietary needs and preferences. You can also add your favorite toppings to this hot porridge recipe to customize it further.
Milk: You can use any plant-based milk or dairy milk you prefer. Soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk or whole milk all work great.
Plantain Porridge: You can also use green plantains for this hearty breakfast instead of the bananas!
Sweetener: You can sweeten this recipe with an array of sweeteners such as brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, cane sugar, sweetened condensed milk, or agave nectar. Or you can leave out the sweetener altogether for a healthier option.
Peanut Butter Banana Porridge: Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter at the same time you stir in the coconut condensed milk! Almond butter would also taste great.
Make It Healthier: Use light unsweetened coconut milk, and half the amount of condensed milk to lower the fat and sugar in this recipe.
Chocolate Banana Porridge: Add 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder when you add the banana puree.
Banana Cornmeal Porridge: Combine ¼ cup cornmeal, 1 tbsp oat flour, and ¼ cup milk to make a paste. Add to the water with the rest of the ingredients, and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
Toppings: Addingtoppings is the perfect way to customize this recipe and add more flavor and nutrients! Top with passion fruit, mango, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sliced bananas, crushed pecans or walnuts or shaved coconut.
Banana Oats Porridge: For a hearty bowl of porridge that doubles as oatmeal, add in ½ cup cooked rolled oats when you stir in the banana puree!
🔪 Instructions
This recipe is simple to make! Here's how to make banana porridge:
Prepare The Banana: Peel and chop the bananas.
Blend Banana: Place the banana pieces along with the coconut milk and salt into a high-speed food processor, blend until smooth.
Bring Water To A Boil: Bring the water, cinnamon stick and vanilla extract to a boil in a pot. Add Banana Pureé: Stir in the banana pureé, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring for 10 minutes as the porridge thickens and cooks.
Add Milk: Stir in the coconut condensed milk to taste.
Serve: Remove from the heat and serve.
❓Recipe FAQs
WHAT IS BANANA PORRIDGE?
Creamy banana porridge is a Caribbean breakfast porridge made from green bananas, water, milk, sweetener, and cinnamon.
Is BANANA PORRIDGE Healthy?
This porridge recipe is full of fiber, potassium, folate and antioxidants - all great to promote general wellbeing, healthy digestion and heart health. I also reduced the sugar from the original version which makes it a healthier low calorie option.
IS GREEN BANANA PORRIDGE GOOD FOR DIABETICS?
This recipe definitely has health benefits and can work for diabetics. It is just important to keep in mind the amount of carbohydrates and sugar you consume in one meal and adding some protein to the meal to support stable blood sugar levels is beneficial. I recommend reducing the condensed coconut milk by half, and adding nuts on top or adding some peanut butter to this recipe if you are a person who has diabetes as it adds more macronutrient balance.
HOW SHOULD I STORE THIS RECIPE?
Store the porridge in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. You can add more milk to thin it out if needed.
CAN I FREEZE IT?
Yes, you can freeze the porridge in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When reheating, add additional milk or soy milk if needed. Since this recipe only takes 10 minutes, it's easy to make fresh and you may find it tastes the best this way. You could also place leftovers in an ice cube tray then add a few cubes to your favorite smoothie recipe as a way to enjoy it's goodness in a new way.
💭 Expert Tips
- This porridge will thicken as it cools. It should have a creamy consistency. Some people like more texture and thus blend it less to allow more chunks.
- Use green bananas or plantains for this recipe, ripe yellow bananas will not work.
- Don't forget to add the salt to the boiling water to ensure your porridge flavors are heightened.
- Be sure to turn the heat down so the porridge doesn't burn.
- Start with less sweetener (condensed milk) because you can always add more, but you can't take it out.
- If you're watching calories or sugar intake, you can use monk fruit sweetener and unsweetened coconut cream instead of condensed coconut milk.
- You can add more protein to this delicious breakfast recipe by sprinkling nuts on top or mixing in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Nuts are a great source of healthy fat and protein.
