This breakfast polenta is a twist on porridge, which is traditionally made with oats. So if you are bored with the same old oatmeal or you are not able to eat oats this is the recipe for you! Breakfast polenta is creamier than oatmeal and has the added delight of a corn flavor, making it naturally sweeter than oats. Mixed with apples, cinnamon, vanilla and honey and topped with chopped walnuts this breakfast polenta is like a healthy apple pie in a bowl!
What is polenta?
In Italy, polenta is not an ingredient, but a style of cooking coarsely ground grain into a porridge. It can be made with buckwheat, chestnut or rice, however, corn is the most popular ingredient for polenta, which is why Polenta has become synonymous with the cornmeal version of the dish.
Polenta is very similar to cornmeal or the grits that you would find in the southern United States. It is made from a hard variety of corn, comes in a coarse grind and has a vibrant yellow color. Polenta is traditionally eaten throughout Italy and historically has been associated with people of lower economic stature. However, more recently it has become a classic comfort side dish and is frequently found on restaurant menus as polenta fries or alongside a chicken or beef dish.
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Why you’ll love this breakfast polenta recipe
- There are 462 calories per serving, which fits into my weight-loss and weight-maintenance meal plans.
- This is a versatile dish that you can make your own. Add nuts, seeds, protein or any other type of fruit you like.
- This is a hearty breakfast and will keep you full all morning.
- This is great for meal prep and can be reheated for a quick, on-the-go breakfast.
- It tastes like a warm bowl of apple pie. Yummmm!
Ingredients you'll need
- Polenta. I use Bob’s Mill organic polenta.
- Coconut milk. I used full fat canned coconut milk in mine, which made the polenta extra creamy and gave it a really nice flavor.
- Water
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract
- Honey or pure maple syrup.
- Apples. I used the royal gala varietal, but other varietals that are sweet rather than sour would work as well. This could include golden delicious, honeycrisp, or Fuji apples.
- Ground cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this dish healthy
- Use organic ingredients wherever you can, especially for the apples. Apples are an ingredient that fall on the dirty dozen list and can.
- Use full-fat milk always. This may seem counterintuitive because fat has a bad reputation, but oftentimes reduced-fat dairy products have a lot of additives in them to make sure they taste as close to the full-fat options as possible.
- Add seeds that contain essential micronutrients and protein.
Tools you'll need
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Medium sized pot
- Whisk
Instructions
Gather all your ingredients and let’s get started!
- Bring the milk and water to a boil in a medium-sized pot.
TIP: Milk tends to bubble up and spill over when it is boiled, so watch the pot closely during this step. Turn the heat down to low as soon as it reaches a boil to avoid making a mess.
2. Add the polenta and salt to the pot and whisk everything together. It will quickly start to thicken up and absorb the liquid. You are going to cook for at least 15 minutes.
Follow the cooking directions of the polenta package. For creamy polenta, I suggest adding an extra cup of milk beyond what is suggested and cooking for as little as 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes. I like my polenta to be a touch gritty so I only cook mine for about 15 minutes. Taste-test your own until you feel like you’ve got your desired texture.
3. Add the vanilla and honey to the pot and stir.
4. Add the chopped apples about halfway through cooking the polenta. You can choose to add the apples at any time you like. I prefer mine to still have a bit of a crunch to them for texture, so I add them later on in the cooking. But if you want to add them earlier go for it!
5. Once the polenta is finished cooking, scoop it into bowls and add any other ingredients you desire to make it a healthy, balanced meal. I added walnuts to mine because I like the way they taste with apples.
Other Healthy Additions
- Raw organic Pumpkin seeds
- Organic Hemp hearts
- Raw organic Sunflower seeds
- Raw organic chia seeds
- Raw organic walnuts or pecans
- Raw organic ground flax seeds
- Organic berries
Substitutions
- Honey. Can be substituted for pure maple syrup, agave nectar, brown rice syrup. Or any other kind of natural sweetener. I recommend staying away from processed or artificial sweeteners.
- Coconut milk. Can be substituted for whole milk, almond milk, oat milk or any other non-dairy option that you prefer.
- Instant polenta. You can substitute regular polenta for instant polenta, just ensure you follow the cooking directions for the type of polenta you are using.
- Cornmeal. If you don’t have any polenta on hand, you can substitute a coarse ground cornmeal or grits for this dish. Ensure you follow the cooking intuitions on the package.
Variations
Breakfast polenta is so versatile you can really turn it into any flavour combination you like. Here are a few options to spark your creativity:
- Triple berry breakfast polenta. Instead of apples add in ½ cup of frozen berry mix. Or try using fresh berries if you have them.
- Savoury Italian breakfast polenta. Skip the sweet ingredients and add freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes and fresh rosemary for a savoury breakfast. And top it off with a fried egg for some extra protein.
- Banana nut breakfast polenta. Substitute the apples for a mashed banana and lots of walnuts or pecans.
- Cherry and almond breakfast polenta. Use ½ cup of frozen or fresh pitted cherries and add some raw or toasted almonds on top.
FAQ
Polenta is essentially the same as cornmeal, but with a coarse grind and made from a specific hard variety of corn called eight-row flint. For that reason polenta tends to have a little more texture to it and cooks a little more slowly than cornmeal. Cornmeal has a finer grind, which make it best for use in baked goods and breads where you would not want a gritty texture. You can swap coarse-ground cornmeal for polenta, but if you want to make a traditional Italian polenta dish it is best to use polenta and not corn meal.
Polenta and grits are both made of coarsely ground corn. Grits, however, tend to have an uneven grind compared to polenta which causes the grits to cook unevenly, creating a “gritty” texture. You can substitute grits for polenta if you are in a pinch or if you just prefer the texture of grits.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Breakfast Polenta with Apples and Cinnamon (porridge)
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Medium-sized pot
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups canned full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 royal gala apple cubed, option to leave remove skin if desired
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup raw organic walnuts chopped
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil.
- Whisk in the polenta and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes for creamier polenta (or according to the package). Whisk occasionally.
- Halfway through cooking add the vanilla, honey, cinnamon and chopped apples.
- Once the polenta has the desired texture, scoop it into bowls and add your favourite toppings.
Notes
- Milk tends to bubble up when boiled, so watch the pot carefully so it does not boil over on you.
- For crunchy apples, wait until the polenta is almost ready to add them to the pot.
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