These creamy farine grits are grain free and made with a single ingredient, Farine. Farine is a type of cassava meal that is popular among the Indigenous people of Guyana. It is also well known throughout the Caribbean, Brazil and the African continent. It is perfect if you are looking for a grain free alternative to grits.
Growing up un Guyana, farine was not a part of my normal diet, although I knew what it was. As my diet has changed and I lean more towards grain free paleo recipes I am finding comfort in a familiar ingredient that does not get a lot of shine. Farine is made by grating cassava, remove all of the juices, drying it and then toasting it. So it is simply a cassava meal. It is also called Garri/Gari and is popular on the African continent, particularly in West African countries like Nigeria and Ghana.
This farine is not related to farina which is made of wheat, but is called farine in Guyana and some parts of the Caribbean as a short form for the Portugues name farinha de mandioca.
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Ingredients
Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.
For the Farine/Cassava Grits:
- Farine/Gari
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Cream
- Ghee
- Nutritional Yeast
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Making the grits with the cassava farine is very simple and takes no time at all. Start by bring water to a boil, then adding the farine.
Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Followed by the coconut milk to give the farine some creaminess.
Next add some nutritional yeast which imitates the taste of cheese. You can also add some nut cheese of you like.
Finish it off with the addition of coconut cream, for extra creaminess.
I also add a little dollop of ghee at the end.
Hint: Do not cook off all of the liquids. Leave it a bit soppy as it will thicken as it cools down.
Substitutions
This recipe is dairy free to make it Paleo and Whole30 compatible which reflects my current dietary needs. If you are simply looking for a grain free alternative to grits but can have dairy feel free to use the following substitutions:
- Coconut Milk - instead of coconut milk you may use regular dairy milk
- Coconut cream - heavy cream is a great substitution here
- Nutritional Yeast - Feel free to skip this and substitute with about 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Ghee - swap ghee in this recipe with butter
Where to buy Farine (Garri)
You can find farine at local African or international markets or online at amazon.com. Check out my affiliate link here for some white garri that is Whole30 compatible. Farine can be white or yellow. In Guyana it is naturally yellow because of the type of cassava used. However, it is naturally white in other placed and becomes yellow when toasted with palm oil (which is also Whole30 compatible). If you don't like the addition of palm oil in your farine, buy the white version, linked here.
Printable Recipe Card
Creamy Farine (Cassava) Grits
Ingredients
- 1 cup Farine (cassava meal, also called garri and African couscous)
- 2 cups water may also use bone broth
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
- Pinch coarse black pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan on medium heat
- Add farine, followed by salt, pepper and nutritional yeast and mix together well (about 1 minute)
- Then add the coconut milk and stir until the mixture thickens but is not dry (about 2 minutes)
- Remove from the heat, then add coconut cream and stir to combine
- Add the ghee just before serving and mix well or you can add a bit of ghee to individual portions
- Serve immediately
Marcia says
This is so good! I love corn grits but they make me feel really yucky. Thank you for the alternative!! I've made this twice and it's so yummy!
Amanda says
These are a great alternative to regular grits. I made them with the brown stew chicken and they were the perfect complement.