These vegan grits with dried cranberries and sliced almonds are super easy to make in just a few minutes. They’re delicious and healthy, too!
Vegan Grits are Healthy and Delicious
We all know oatmeal is a fairly healthy way to start the day. But did you know grits are a delicious and nutritious competition?
What are Grits?
Grits are basically dried cornmeal. The hull and kernel are usually removed before drying. Once fully dried, they’re ground up and can be rehydrated easily, usually by boiling. They’re not just used in sweet dishes, either, Savory grits are also awesome.
Cornmeal, btw, doesn’t come from the juicy and tender sweetcorn you’re familiar with in the summer. It’s made from a different kind of corn that’s allowed to mature on the cornstalk until it dries naturally. This is then used to make grits and a lot of other things.
Grits are:
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Easy to Make
- Low in Fat
- Inexpensive
- Low Calorie
And contain:
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Iron
- Folate
- Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- Magnesium and Zinc
Southern Origin
Grits are a traditional dish in the southern part of the United States. Most restaurants serve them in that region, with many doing so as a side dish that just automatically comes with any breakfast.
They’re great for breakfast, for sure, and can be embellished in endless ways. I added a few tablespoons of dried cranberries and sliced almonds along with a bit of Earth Balance vegan butter and some maple syrup.
How to Cook Grits
Cooking grits is basically cooking polenta, another awesome and tasty cornmeal dish. There are several different kinds of grits and they will have slightly different cooking methods and times depending on how much they’ve been processed.
Start with good quality grits. Here are a few choices to get you started …
- Bob’s Red Mill White Corn Grits These cook in about 5 minutes.
- Palmetto Farms Stone Ground Yellow Grits are minimally processed and take 20-25 minutes to fully cook.
- Charleston Favorites Stone Ground Grits are minimally processed and will take about 45 minutes to cook.
- Quaker Quick 5 Minute Grits are more processed but quicker cooking. These will be done in 5 minutes.
- Quaker Instant Grits are done in as little as a minute or two. For the really impatient, these are awesome.
- Weisenberger Stone Ground White Grits some cooking options that will get them done in as little as 20 minutes.
- Geechie Boy Mill White Grits this company also has grits made from blue corn.
- Geechie Boy Blue Corn Grits when you want something a little different!
For any grits, the best bet is to follow the directions on the package. Here are a few more tips to get the best results.
Add the grits to the water slowly, stirring continuously. Stir very often during the cooking to make sure there are no clumps and it doesn’t stir to the pan.
Use water or plant-based milks for the liquid. Milks will make the grits a little creamier.
Slow Cooker Grits:
Place grits, water or milk, and salt in slow cooker and heat on low for 7 hours or overnight. Use a 4 to 1 ratio for water or milk to stone ground grits.
Instant Pot Grits:
Place grits, water or milk, and salt in Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Use a 4 to 1 ratio for water or milk to stone ground grits.
Other Tasty Additions for Awesome Vegan Grits
- Dried Cranberries
- Raisins
- Dates
- Sliced or Chopped Nuts
- Brown Sugar
- Maple Syrup
- Vegan Butter
- Blueberries
- Sliced Apple
- Banana
- Canned Fruit
- Tempeh Bacon
Savory Grits
Yes, these are a thing. A delicious thing. Savory grits can start off with water or vegetable broth and common additions are vegan cheese, onions, and various vegetables. I love grits with grilled Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and onion with a little vegan cheese.
Here’s the “recipe” for this version of grits, but use your imagination, they’re delicious with just about anything. They go spectacularly well with a nice tofu scramble, or vegan sausage and gravy.
Vegan Grits with Cranberries and Almonds
Vegam grits are a fast and simple plant-based breakfast or snack. Add dried fruit and nuts or your choice of any tasty topping.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water or plant-based milk
- pinch salt
- 1 cup grits
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
-
Bring 4 cups water or vegan milk and a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir 1 cup grits in slowly, stirring contiuously.
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Cook according to your package directions, stirring frequently, until completely softened and creamy.
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Serve topped with dried cranberries, almonds, maple syrup, and vegan butter. Or, use what you have and add any dried or fresh fruit and/or nuts.
XO Lisa
Try this dish with:
Tempeh Bacon
Tempeh Bacon is super easy to make. Just start with thinly sliced tempeh. Marinate in maple syrup, soy sauce, liquid smoke, black pepper, and salt. Then either fry or bake until browned.
Vegan Breakfast Sausage
This vegan breakfast sausage is juicy, tasty, and delicious, just like what I remember my dad making us when we were kids.
Savory Sweet Tofu Scramble
Savory Sweet Tofu Scramble. This was a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am sort of thing I threw together for breakfast. But it turned out a lot better than I expected. Or I was really hungry. One of those.
Hello! I’m Lisa, a vegan artist, photographer, author, Vegan Life Coach Educator, and RYT 200 yoga teacher. I love showing others how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. I draw and paint, cook, write, take lots of pics, eat lots of chocolate, and practice gratitude daily.