Crema de harina de Maiz is a popular cornmeal porridge for a Puerto Rican breakfast. This creamy hot breakfast cereal has a fine texture resembling farina or wheat cream.
It has hints of butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg and is slightly seasoned with your favorite sweetener. If you enjoy maizena, avena (oatmeal), or hot breakfast cereals like grits, you'll love this cremita de maiz.
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Ingredients
The ingredients used in making this smooth Puerto Rican crema de maiz recipe are:
- Fine Cornmeal Flour: For a smooth, silky texture, use fine harina de maiz.
- You can find this cornmeal in the grain aisle of your grocery store, near the cornbread boxes. It will be in a bag labeled "pre-cooked cornmeal." It may come in yellow or white; use whichever color you prefer. I choose to use yellow cornmeal for this warm breakfast dish.
- Water: This is optional, but I like to mix the cornmeal with water before adding it to my pot to coat it and prevent lumps.
- Milk: Whole milk adds incredible richness to crema de maiz, but use your favorite milk in its place. Coconut milk is a common ingredient in many crema de maiz recipes.
- Butter: Salted butter adds more flavor, but use salt-free butter to control the salt or to make it a salt-free cornmeal porridge.
- Spices: Cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg add warm spices, making this the perfect hot breakfast cereal recipe for cold mornings.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds a nice vanilla flavor that's not overwhelming. This is optional.
- Sweeteners: Adjust the sugar to your liking, or substitute your favorite artificial sweetener or brown sugar.
- I also love adding a drizzle of condensed milk over my bowl of crema de maiz for that extra sweetness.
Puerto Rican Harina De Maiz: Cornmeal Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal flour (fine texture)
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoon butter (salted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- ½ cup sugar (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoon condensed milk (optional, use if you like it extra sweet)
Instructions
- Whisk water and cornmeal flour in a bowl to make it lump free.
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the condensed milk, to a medium pot. Mix it well.
- Note: You need to mix the cornmeal the whole cooking time, to make sure it does not form lumps -at least until it thickens, then you can switch to a wooden spoon and gently stir every few minutes. Turn the stove on over medium-high heat and cook the harina de maiz mixture to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat to medium and continue mixing for 6-10 minutes until the harina de maiz thickens.
- Once the harina de maiz has thickened to your desired consistency, you can adjust it by leaving it on the stove longer to make it thicker or adding more milk to make it thinner. Taste it to check the sweetness and make any necessary adjustments by adding condensed milk, more sugar or nutmeg.Note: The longer you allow your crema de maiz to cook, the stronger the corn flavor will be. Be sure to lower the heat to low if you let it cook longer.
- Serve in small bowls and garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Cinnamon Sticks: To give a stronger cinnamon taste, you can use 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks during cooking. I usually do this, but I was out of cinnamon sticks then. Sweetener: You can use the sweetener of your choice. Brown sugar is used in Jamaican cornmeal porridge, and condensed milk is a favorite in Cuban crema de harina. I personally love adding a little condensed milk to my serving. Salt: If you're using unsalted butter, add about ¼ teaspoon of salt, if desired.Storage & Reheating
- Storage: Store crema de maiz in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator. Consume it within 24 hours.
- Reheating: Reheat crema de maiz in the microwave for 1-2 minutes with a splash of milk (stirring halfway through) or reheat the cornmeal porridge on the stove over medium-low heat with a few splashes of milk for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until it warms through.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions about crema de harina de maiz
Harina de maiz, commonly known as cornmeal flour, is made by grinding dry corn into flour. It is sold in either white or yellow. This harina de maiz is not pre-cooked.
Note: Cornmeal's texture can vary from very fine to very coarse. I prefer fine cornmeal for most recipes, especially this crema de maiz.
Polenta and crema de maiz are within the same family, but that's like saying lasagna is the same thing as Alfredo.
Both are made using cornmeal, and both are cornmeal mush recipes at their core. But the change here is that polenta is more of a base for a savory lunch or dinner.
It's like a Puerto Rican funche recipe, which is typically topped or made with sofrito, broth, vegetables, and protein.
Check out these popular Puerto Rican breakfast recipes
This harina de maiz would be perfect with an ice cold horchata to drink and a small bowl of fresh fruit!
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