Kick start your morning with this delicious Caribbean energy boosting breakfast bowl of porridge made from sweet yellow ripe plantain. It is a totally vegan friendly and gluten free breakfast.
Plantain is certainly ranking high in the culinary world with so many diets incorporating it.
If you're looking for a healthy hearty breakfast to sustain you until lunch time, then this yellow plantain porridge is your thing.
Using a small handful of ingredients and made within 15 minutes.
This yellow plantain porridge is like the big sister to its unripe plantain porridge counterpart.
It's sweet, tasty and darn right delicious if I do say so myself Green Plantain Porridge is far more favoured and represented within the Caribbean community.
Although I do enjoy the taste of savoury porridge (I make mine with green banana) I feel that ripe plantain porridge is considerably grossly underrated.
As a result I felt the need to embrace it via this recipe post so it hopefully gains more recognition.
I tried and tested this recipe several times over using my trusty plantain lovers. Trust me if it didn't meet their seal of approval then I wouldn't dare share this recipe.
Thank goodness for honest and favourable feedback which helped to perfect the porridge.
In the Caribbean plantain is pretty much a dietary stable - it's fried, baked, roasted, boiled, stuffed you name it and each island has their unique way of preparing it.
Today I'm going to show you just how tasty preparing sweet plantain in a breakfast bowl can be.
Ingredients you need
- Yellow plantain - this is the star of the show, the plantain which needs to be yellow. If you want your porridge to be naturally sweet with no added sugar then go for plantain with the outer skin that is jet black, if possible.
- Almond milk - I rotate between this milk and coconut milk. Coconut milk is richer in taste while almond is light and neutral. Either work just fine!
- Warm water - you want water this is atleast lukwarm to help breakdown the plantain because it will ease the process of when it is being pureed.
- Spices, pink salt and vanilla - cinnamon and nutmeg and the additional ingredients are all used to enhance the taste.
Recipe preparation
This recipe is very very simple and as mentioned previously, isn't time consuming so it's perfect to whip up before you head out the door.
Plus it's incredibly filling too so you probably won't need to eat until lunch time (bonus)
Ripe plantain - the darker the plantain the sweeter the porridge, it's that simple. Since yellow plantain has it's own naturally occurring sugar (complex).
The great news is you don't need to use a great deal of sugar/sweetener. It's a matter of preference which is why I haven't specified an amount.
Plantain puree - the plantain needs to be sliced up. I used two big ones and pureed them in a high speed blender with water to help ease the process.
Cooking the porridge - once the plantain is pureed you'll need to transfer the mixture into a saucepan.
Milk and spices, sweetener (if required) - I used almond milk which isn't typically Caribbean but I've grown to enjoy the taste of almond milk more in my porridge. You can of course use coconut milk, it tastes equally as nice and add your spices - cinnamon, nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract.
In terms of sweetener coconut condensed milk if you need it or even coconut sugar works well.
Texture of the porridge - once the porridge has all of the above ingredients added, it needs to cook which takes no more than 10 minutes to achieve. It's VERRRRRRY important to STIR THE PORRIDGE throughout the given time or else it will become lumpy.
As the porridge cools down it will thicken up a great deal so don't be tempted to add any starch because it's really not necessary.
Reasons to make this recipe
- It is completely vegan friendly
- Nautrally gluten free and contains no dairy
- A great Caribbean breakfast option
- An energise breakfast that can keep you fuller for longer
- Paleo approved meaning no grains are used
- This is also a great way to use any leftover rippe plantain
- The sweeter the plantain means you can omit the use of additional sugar
The steps
- Place the plantain slices in a blender with the water then transfer to a saucepan with the nut milk of your choice.
- Stir in the spices - nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract, sweeten if needed!
Notes and tips
- The use of sweetener be it vegan condensed milk, raw cane sugar or coconut sugar is optional and at your discretion.
- The darker the outer skin of the plantain, the sweeter the plantain meaning your porridge will be naturally sweet which means you're less likely to use any additional sweetener.
- Make sure you are using LARGE plantain and NOT small ones. The liquid ratio to the size of the plantain will ensure your porridge is thick/smooth and not watery.
- Consume the porridge straight away for best results.
- It's normal for the porridge to thicken up some more when left for a few hours or overnight, just add a splash of water or milk to loosen it up.
- If for some reason your porridge doesn't thicken up, then make a slurry using ½ tablespoon of starch with 2tbsp of warm water and stir that into the porridge.
- The colour of the porridge may darken with time, this is normal so do not discard.
Other porridge recipes to try
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Yellow Plantain Porridge
Ingredients
- 2 ripe plantains large or 3 medium ones
- 1 cup warm water (250ml)
- 2 cups almond milk (475ml) or coconut milk works too
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt
- condensed coconut milk or coconut sugar - as needed optional to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Cut the ends off the plantain and then score each one length ways with a paring knife (not too deep).
- Peel the skin from the plantain and discard
- Slice both plantains and then place in a blender with water to puree.
- Pour the mixture into a medium sized saucepan in medium/low heat
- Proceed to stir in the nut milk .
- Stir for roughly 10 minutes until the porridge is cooked through, do not leave or stop stirring because the porridge will quickly turn lumpy.
- Add your spices along with the vanilla and sweetener - condensed or coconut sugar according to your desire.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Video
Notes
-
- The use of sweetener be it vegan condensed milk, raw cane sugar or coconut sugar is optional and at your discretion.
-
- The darker the outer skin of the plantain, the sweeter the plantain meaning your porridge will be naturally sweet which means you're less likely to use any additional sweetener.
-
- Make sure you are using LARGE plantain and NOT small ones. The liquid ratio to the size of the plantain will ensure your porridge is thick/smooth and not watery.
-
- Consume the porridge straight away for best results.
-
- It's normal for the porridge to thicken up some more when left for a few hours or overnight, just add a splash of water or milk to loosen it up.
-
- If for some reason your porridge doesn't thicken up, then make a slurry using ½ tablespoon of starch with 2tbsp of warm water and stir that into the porridge.
-
- The colour of the porridge may darken with time, this is normal so do not discard.
Monique says
I love porridge and I have tried several different ones such as corn meal, oatmeal, and banana. This is my first time trying plantains and it was delicious. I followed your instructions exactly. My daughter will only drink very smooth porridge so at the end when it was finished cooking, I poured the porridge back into the blender for a few seconds. It was delicious! Definitely adding this to my porridge rotation. Thank you! I'll be checking out your other recipes!
Charla says
Hey Monique, Thank you so much for your feedback, I'm so glad that yourself and your daughter enjoyed the porridge. A lot of people prefer super smooth porridge, so go for it!
StanFL says
I made the recipe with 3 ripe plantains, 1 1/2 cups water to puree, plus 2 cups of almond milk and the porridge never thickened. I think next time I will only use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of almond milk to see if that works. Maybe my plantains are smaller than yours.
I didn't have nutmeg or vanilla so I just threw in some spices I had and adjusted. Different taste, but fine. Honey works nice as a sweetener.
Charla says
My plantains were quite huge so you may need to reduce the volume of liquid the next time you make it. Also, the porridge does thicken up as it cools down in fact I often need to loosen it up before having some the next day.
StanFL says
Thanks. Have you ever weighed one? My plantain plants only grow smaller ones, not like midget bananas, but only about five inches long and one across. I wish I could find a plantain that would grow huge ones, but they aren't for sale in Florida. My porridge was really a soup, and it had a good taste, but it wasn't what I expected. Thanks for all the good recipes!
Charla says
Hi Stan, No I haven't weighed them at all. I usually purchase them in a bundle here (that's how the vendors re-sell them). The size of the plantain will definitely determine the texture but I'm glad you enjoyed it nevertheless. I'm not sure whereabouts you are in Florida, but I have visited that state a few times and was able to get giant sized plantains in Miami and Fort Lauderdale if that helps. Thank you for your support, it's appreciated!
Becky says
I love this recipe so much. It’s great even without sugar.
Charla says
I'm so glad to hear you like it Becky, it's definitely sweet enough to be made without additional sweetener.
Josh says
Excellent recipe.. thanks for sharing your Caribbean recipes with us, very much appreciated. I’m about to make some now, I just can’t wait!
Charla says
Thank you so much Josh. I'm excited for you, reach out if you need any assistance.
Kay says
Made with oat milk and topped with coconut sugar syrup and this was delicious. Warming, thick and filling - perfect breakfast on a cold day!
Charla says
Yay! Sounds delicious Kay, thanks for your wonderful feedback.
Bambi says
I made this and it was great! However, to get a smoother consistency, can I boil the plantain first, then puree, then cook in the saucepan?
Charla says
It should work it's not something I have tried mayself although cooking the plantain may alter the taste. Blending the plantain into a puree should make it smooth but it depends on how powerful the speed of your blender is.
Sarah says
I just finished making the porridge it turned out pretty good..the only thing I forgot to do was add water to the pan first..I only added a bit of water when blending it in my blender. That's not a big deal right?
Charla says
No, it sounds like it came out just fine.
May says
Can this be made the night before and then eaten the next morning? Does it reheat well? Thanks for your help!
Charla says
Yes, you can prepare the night before but keep in mind the porridge may thicken up as it cools so you may need to add a splash or milk/water to loosen it up upon reheating it.
Usnea Rulez says
Just made a batch of this and it was fantastic! My bananas were so ripe that I didn't even need to add sweetener. I just added some coconut cream and viola, perfection.
Charla says
Yes! Thanks for the great feedback Usnea
Rachel says
Can this be done with ripe banana?
Charla says
Plantain and banana derive from the same family but are different (plantain is a vegetable although it grows on the tree like a fruit and starchy enriched) most of the time they are not interchangeable however, with porridge you should be able to use a banana, never tried it myself!
Samantha says
The recipe was pretty good. I added some allspice, a pinch of salt and some evaporated milk at the end because I felt that I was missing that umami taste that I look for in a porridge.
Please don't tell people that plantains are vegetables though. They're fruit, just like bananas. Anything with seeds is a fruit, like pumpkins and squash.
Charla says
Glad you were able to adjust the recipe to suit. In respect to your comment about referring to plantain as a vegetable. I am aware that plantains belong to the banana family. However, they behave like a vegetable because they are starch enriched and are prepared like their starchy vegetable counterparts i.e cassava, dasheen, breadfruit, yam etc....Thank you for your feedback.
Nicks says
Plantains can be eaten raw. Quite delicious raw .
Charla says
Yes they can be eaten raw too, thanks for commenting!
Suzanne says
This looks so tasty! I've been seeing plantains in the produce department more and more, and have yet to pick one up. This will work!
Charla says
Suzanne you are missing out BIG time, get those plantains and get cooking!!
Immaculate says
Never would have thought of this. I love plantains so much and i've just learnt a new way to make them. Thanks!
Charla says
You are so welcome
Shanika says
Porridge is such a huge thing in the Jamaican culture and this plantain porridge looks amazing! Pinned!
Charla says
Thanks for pinning Shanika
Food Fidelity says
I'm lovin this one! Nice
Katrina Adams says
I have had plantains before and I loved them! Excited to try this recipe!
Jazz says
You always introduce me to new and exciting foods. This recipe is no exception!
Charla says
Thank you so much Jazz!!
Billie says
LOVED IT! THANK YOU! I am trying to avoid sweeteners so I only added cinnamon and vanilla. I put a dollop of coconut cream and a sprinkle of vanilla powder. While it was cooking, it smelled like heaven must smell. Then when I tasted it, I was pretty sure I was there. Thank you for sharing. I have a lot of food allergies, am going on 68 next week, and ate a "good" SAD diet all those years. Recently I have developed more and more sensitivities to food (and pollens). So I thank you so much for taking the time to share foods that my body does not know, and my mouth loves. God bless you.
Charla says
Aww you are very welcome Billie. I actually love adding some coconut cream to my porridge and stews too. It adds a subtle hint of creaminess. Thanks once again for your feedback.