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I am that person who drinks hot coffee when it’s 95 degrees and humid.
Similarly, I like a bowl of something warm over cold for breakfast all year round. Chia pudding and overnight oats….. you haven’t won me over yet.
That being said, I’ve been experimenting with different grains and ingredients to make porridge, because as much as I love oatmeal, it can get a bit monotonous. Sweet or savory, cornmeal porridge is a winner.
So today I’m sharing this creamy yogurt version of breakfast grits, with sweet berries and honey. For my dairy-free friends, I used Silk’s new Almond Yogurt, which worked wonderful in this recipe. And as far as non-dairy yogurt’s go, it has a really clean, short list of ingredients. No gums or strange stabilizers, unlike this popular one which is made with 2 gums.
I wasn’t introduced to polenta until my early twenties, and in case you aren’t familiar, it’s simply ground cornmeal. You can buy it according to how it’s been milled, from fine (that cooks very quickly like instant oatmeal), to coarse stoneground (that takes closer to 30 minutes like steel cut oats). When boiled with water, broth, or milk, the cornmeal softens into a creamy, warm, comforting bowl of good.
I prefer coarse, stoneground polenta for its fuller, richer corn taste despite it’s longer cooking time. It also retains more texture, and nutrients, as you’ll likely see black/brown specks of the hull. If you’re more of the “quick in the kitchen” type, you could use instant polenta, just be careful not to overcook as it will become a little pasty.
Most often butter and cream is stirred into polenta, but here, yogurt takes its place beautifully. Thick, velvety, and naturally a little sweet because it’s corn. I added a bountiful amount of toppings, including blueberries, raspberries, and honey. Almonds for crunch, and chia seeds for an extra fat boost.
As with many of my recipes, I encourage you to make this cornmeal porridge your own, what you have on hand, or what you’re feeling privy to. I had a made craving for berries, in March, and I didn’t let that stop me. A girl wants what she wants sometimes.
xo, Amanda
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Mark Deitz
November 12, 2018
Hi I am a polenta lover I used to eat oatmeal but in my 30s I switched to polenta for it’s cheery yellow colour and a lighter feel in my stomach my favourite topping is unsweetened apple sauce with nutmeg
amandapaa
November 12, 2018
love the applesauce idea!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen
April 8, 2017
sounds amazing! I’ve just got onto porridge (having previously been an overnight oats girl) and have started playing around with different grains – fave so far is a mix of steel cut oats and whole oats, and sometimes buckwheat. Wouldn’t have thought of polenta though – must try it soon!
cara
April 2, 2017
Using yogurt in this is such a brilliant idea. it sounds so reach and creamy. Also your styling and photography is so on point!
amandapaa
April 4, 2017
yes, so creamy! i love it. and thanks for stopping by, along with the kind words about my work. xo
Angélica
April 2, 2017
Hi, this looks delicious, here in Portugal it’s normal do polenta with meat or seafood inside. I’m going to try this one . Thanks.
amandapaa
April 4, 2017
i love savory polenta too. something so comforting, which is why i wanted to try it with some sweet notes. hope you enjoy!
Ruby
April 1, 2017
I LOVE this idea for breakfast! I am also a hot breakfast person, and I generally like them sweet as well, but oatmeal can definitely get tiring day after day. This ticks all my boxes :) xo
Izzy | Pinch of delight
April 1, 2017
This looks so delicious!
-Izzy
amandapaa
April 1, 2017
breakfast love!
Tori//Gringalicious.com
March 31, 2017
Mmmm! Sounds incredible and looks even better!
amandapaa
April 1, 2017
Thanks for stopping by Tori!