Homemade Creamy Polenta Recipe

While many people enjoy polenta as a savoury dish, we actually love it as a sweet breakfast dish. If you want it savoury just don’t add the sugar but more on that on polenta serving ideas down below.

This polenta is creamy, filling and oh so delicious! If you haven’t tried it as a breakfast option yet, you should! You and your kids will love this filling, warm, comforting dish.

Polenta is made from dried ground corn. It thickens beautifully and can be used to make many different assortments of dishes.

Creamy Polenta Tips

1. Have your liquids already warm before adding the polenta. It will cook the polenta faster if it’s already on the warm to hot side.
2. Keep mixing your polenta once you poor it into the pot. It can become lumpy if you just let it sit but by stirring it you will have a lovely smooth consistency.
3. Polenta keeps thickening after you take it off the heat. So, make sure you take it off before it’s the consistency you actually want, or it can go very thick. If it thickens too much just add more liquid to it to thin it out!
4. While I am making a sweet version you can easily make this a savoury version by excluding the sugar and vanilla and topping it with whatever else you make like instead!

Ingredients Needed

1 cup cornmeal also known as polenta. Make sure it is fine and not very coarse.

2 cups milk of choice. I use whole fat milk for extra creaminess.

2 cups of filtered water.

2 tsp vanilla adds a lovely depth of flavour

1/2 cup sugar. You can use whatever sugar you like I like Raw sugar or Rapadura sugar which is similar to brown sugar but healthier.

2 tbsp coconut oil or butter adds a little more flavour and makes this extra creamy.

Pinch of salt. I use sea salt for the minerals, but you can use whatever salt you like.

How To Make Creamy Polenta (Step by Step)

1. Add all the ingredients except for the cornmeal into a medium size pot.
2. Give it a quick stir so the sugar dissolves and let it heat up until it’s nice and warm.
3. Once the liquid has started to heat up add in the cornmeal and whisk continually for about 5 minutes.
4. You will notice the cornmeal start to thicken. I turn it off the heat once it’s almost at the consistency I want it to be as it will continue to thicken as it cools.

5. Make sure to keep stirring it until it’s the consistency you like and then serve!

Polenta Serving Ideas

You can serve polenta many different ways.

1. Top this breakfast mixture with shredded cheese! We personally love it this way.
2. You can top this breakfast version with fruit and a little honey or maple syrup.
3. Don’t add the vanilla and sugar and you can make this more savoury and top it with sautéed veggies and even an egg!

If you try and love this recipe don’t forget to come back and give it a 5-star review!

How To Store

You can store warm or completely cooled down polenta in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3-5 days.

Because it does thicken a lot you might need to add a bit more milk or water when you decide to heat it up and serve it again.