Jamaican Green Banana Porridge

I grew up always having an array of porridges in the breakfast rotation of meals. However, out of them all, Jamaican Green Banana Porridge was always my favourite porridge to eat for breakfast.

The base of this porridge is green cooking bananas (not the yellow ripe ones we eat regularly). Green bananas are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, full of fibre, great for diabetics, and our heart.

This recipe is essentially an excellent way to start off your day; nutritious, easy to make, family friendly and simply delicious!

You’ll Love This Recipe and Here’s Why:

Healthy and Nutritious – green bananas are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, full of fibre, great for diabetics, and our heart.
Keeps you Full – this is a great recipe for keeping you full, especially if you’re having it with some bread and or crackers.
Very Easy to Prepare – start by adding everything to a blender, then adding the mixture to boiling water and giving a good whisk until thickened!
Creamy and Delicious – the flavour is sweet, unique and nothing like ripe bananas but just so good. It’s also deliciously creamy with the perfect blend of warm spices.

green bananas on countertop. — Green Bananas on Countertop

What Are Green Bananas?

Green bananas have a similar appearance as yellow bananas. However, the flesh of green bananas are firm and starchy rather than soft and sweet like a yellow bananas.

Green bananas are often eaten as a vegetable, boiled, blended, mashed and are rarely ever eaten raw. They can be used to make boiled dumplings, chips or boiled with other ground provision such as yams and potatoes.

Are Green Bananas the Same as Yellow Bananas?

Green bananas and yellow bananas that are more vastly known, come from the same banana family, but are different.

Yellow bananas are often smaller in size, have thinner/softer skin, and eaten raw as a fruit. This type of banana also contains less starch and is sweeter in taste, especially as it ripens.

Is Green Banana the Same as Plantain?

Both green bananas and plantains come from the same banana family, but are also different.

Plantains, are typically larger in size, have tougher/thicker skin, and contain much more starch than traditional yellow bananas. As they ripen, the skin goes from green to yellow and then dark brown and even black when overripe. The darker the skin, the sweeter the taste.

green banana porridge ingredient flatlay.

Ingredients and Ingredient Notes

Green Bananas – you can use 3 medium or 4 small green bananas, roughly chopped.
Milk – or milk alternative, any will do. I used 2% as well as oat milk, and they both work great, divided.
Flour – this is used to thicken the porridge.
Water – bring this to a boil prior to pouring the green banana mixture in.
Pure Vanilla Extract – optional, you can also use almond essence/extract.
Ground Cinnamon – or 1 cinnamon stick.
Nutmeg – freshly grated or ground.
Salt – more or less to taste.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – or sugar, to taste.

What Kitchen Equipment Needed to Make Recipe

High-Speed Blender – this is used to blend the green banana smooth, so rich creamy consistency and texture. Alternatively you can grater the green banana, but this will lend a more gritty texture.
Medium Saucepan – tis is the cooking vessel used to cook the porridge.
Whisk – important and key kitchen tool for ensuring a lump free porridge.
Wooden Spoon – for stirring the porridge one combined during the cooking process.

How to Make Green Banana Porridge

1. Prepare Green Bananas – wash, peel, and slice green bananas into chunks then set aside. In a medium saucepan, add water with one cinnamon stick and bring to a boil over medium heat.

peeled and chopped green bananas. — Step One – Washed Green Bananas

2. Combine Ingredients in Blender – combine the banana, milk, flour, salt, vanilla and cinnamon or nutmeg (if using a cinnamon stick, leave out ground cinnamon). Purée until you’ve reached your desired texture (smooth or with some texture)

adding milk to blender with green bananas. — Step Three – Add Ingredients to Blender Cup

green banana and other ingredients pureed in blender cup. — Step Three – Add Ingredients to Blender Cup

3. Add Mixture to Boiling Water – pour mixture into boiling water and whisk constantly to prevent lumping. Continue to whisk until mixture has thickened.

After approx. 5 to 7 minutes, or when porridge has thickened and has slow large bubbles, add remaining 3/4 cup of milk to thin porridge to your desired consistency (you may not need all the milk).

4. Simmer and Sweeten – stir with a spoon and let simmer on low heat for another 5 to 10 minutes or until desired consistency is reached. Sweeten with condensed milk or sugar to taste. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Are Green Bananas Healthy?

A green banana is healthier than a ripe banana due to the higher concentrations of sugar in yellow bananas. A banana’s starches begin to break down into sugar as it matures and ripens. Hence, yellow banana’s have a sweeter more desirable taste.

Despite the difference in sugar, all bananas are great sources of potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin A and antioxidants.

What is Jamaican Green Banana Porridge?

Green Banana Porridge is a blended hearty porridge made with green bananas, flour, milk, and flavoured with delicious warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla. It is served for breakfast, and is commonly eaten with hard water crackers or hard dough bread.

How to Peel Green Banana

The skin of the green banana is thicker and harder to remove, than traditional yellow bananas. Before peeling, you may want to rub some cooking oil on your hands, to prevent the tannins from leaving a sticky residue. Then, follow these steps to remove the skin:

Use a paring knife and cut off the top stem end of the banana and also the bottom.
With the tip of the knife, cut lengthwise along the skin, creating a slit. Try not to cut through into the flesh of the banana.
Hold the banana with one hand, and use the thumb of your other hand to push back the skin from the white flesh of the banana.
Remove the skin, and set aside.

Vegan Green Banana Porridge (Green Banana Porridge with Coconut Milk)

The traditional way of making this porridge is not dairy-free or vegan friendly. However, with two simple swaps, you’ll completely veganize this delicious breakfast recipe. To make vegan green banana porridge:

Milk – swap cows milk, for almond, coconut or oat milk.
Sweetener – swap regular condensed milk, for brown sugar, coconut sugar or vegan condensed milk.

green banana porridge with some texture in wooden bowl with spoonful of porridge. — Green Banana Porridge with Texture (Not Blended Smooth)

Recipe Notes and Tips for Success

Consistency – it’s all up to you! When using your blender to combine all the ingredients, you can blend until smooth and as lump-free as your blender will allow or you can leave it with a bit of texture.
Avoid Lumps – when adding the blended ingredients to the water, you want to ensure that you whisk constantly to avoid any lumps being formed.
Medium Heat – cook porridge on medium heat. This will keep the bottom of the porridge from burning. Maintain a keen eye and stir until the porridge thickens.
Add More Liquid – add more milk or water as needed. You want to ensure your porridge is cooked through (the banana), so if the mixture is too thick (preventing a slight simmer), add additional liquid.
Spices – you can use whichever warm spices you have on hand or prefer. Personally, I like the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. However, you can also use almond essence, or throw in a cinnamon or bay leaf for added flavour. Keep the spices to a minimum because you don’t want them to overpower the taste of the banana.
Milk – use regular cows milk, or any nut milk you prefer as there is no significant difference with the outcome of the recipe. Some, may also choose to simply use water, however the milk gives a rich creamy taste.

Pairs well with Hard Dough Bread and

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Make it Vegan and Dairy-Free – see notes above, for what to use as replacements for cows milk ingredients such as vegan condensed milk and coconut milk.
Spices – you can use whichever warm spices you have on hand or prefer. Personally, I like the combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. However, you can also use almond essence, or throw in a cinnamon or bay leaf for added flavour. Keep the spices to a minimum because you don’t want them to overpower the taste of the banana.
Milk – use regular cows milk, or any nut milk you prefer as there is no significant difference with the outcome of the recipe. Some, may also choose to simply use water, however the milk gives a rich creamy taste.

What To Serve With Jamaican Porridge

Jamaican green banana porridge is often served on its own. However, you can serve this porridge with hard dough bread or Jamaican Excelsior Water Crackers.

You can either dip the hard dough bread in the porridge while eating it or break up the hard dough bread and add it into the cornmeal porridge.

See My Story Below for Step-by-Step Instructions!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do I need to use ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks?

No, if you use cinnamon sticks, you don’t have to use ground cinnamon as well.

How do I make this recipe dairy-free?

Swap cows milk, for almond, coconut or oat milk and to sweeten, swap regular condensed milk, for brown sugar, coconut sugar or vegan condensed milk.

How do I prevent lumps?

Be sure to whisk then stir the porridge frequently during cooking to avoid any lumps.

Looking for More Jamaican Breakfast Recipes? Try These…

Traditional Jamaican Green Banana Porridge
Creamy Jamaican Hominy Corn Porridge
Jamaican Callaloo
Jamaican Festival Recipe
Jamaican Fried Dumpling
Saltfish Fritters

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5 Comments

Tiyana says:

May 31, 2021 at 10:56 am

Thanks for this recipe! It tasted lovely and reminded me of when I was a little girl when my mom would make this for me. Coming from a Jamaican household and now married and having my own household, it’s nice to implement simple but memory filled meals. ?

Carolyn says:

October 31, 2022 at 4:02 pm

Made it this morning, and it was so good! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!

1. Taneisha Morris says:
  
  November 2, 2022 at 6:58 pm
  
  Amazing! So happy to hear this Carolyn! Thanks so much for trying and leaving me this wonderful feedback! I appreciate it!
  
Randy says:

December 31, 2023 at 12:01 pm

How long to boil the green bananas for?

1. Taneisha Morris says:
  
  February 13, 2024 at 12:12 pm
  
  Hi Randy, you won’t be boiling the bananas on its own. You will blend the banana mixture into boiling water and whisk constantly to prevent lumping. Continue to whisk until mixture has thickened. After approx. 5 to 7 minutes, or when porridge has thickened and has slow large bubbles, add remaining 3/4 cup of milk to thin porridge to your desired consistency (you may not need all the milk).

Green Banana Porridge

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