Brazilian Mingau de Coco, Warm Coconut Breakfast Porridge

📍 Where this dish comes from: São Paulo · Mercado Municipal
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Mingau is the warm, spoonable porridge that Brazilian grandmothers make for breakfast, for supper and for anyone feeling under the weather. This version is built on coconut milk, chia and flax, scented with cinnamon and vanilla. It is thick, creamy and keeps you full until lunch.

Per serving: 330 calories · 4.6 g net carbs · 6 g protein · 30 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Mingau de Coco, Warm Coconut Breakfast Porridge

Mingau is the warm, spoonable porridge that Brazilian grandmothers make for breakfast, for supper and for anyone feeling under the weather. This version is built on coconut milk, chia and flax, scented with cinnamon and vanilla. It is thick, creamy and keeps you full until lunch.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 13 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 330kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 tablespoons allulose
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus more to serve
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

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Instructions

• In a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, almond milk, water, allulose, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
• Whisk in the chia seeds and flaxseed meal. Simmer, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the porridge stand for 2 minutes; it will thicken more as it cools.
• Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with the shredded coconut and a dusting of cinnamon, and serve warm.

Notes

If the porridge gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of almond milk. It also sets firm in the fridge overnight, so you can make it ahead and warm it in the morning. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan for extra flavor.

Chef's Tip: Simmer one whole clove in the milk and remove it before serving. Brazilian cooks love the pairing of clove and cinnamon in sweet dishes.

Keto Swap: Mingau is usually thickened with cornstarch, cornmeal, oats or tapioca and sweetened with sugar. Chia and flax do the thickening here, and allulose replaces the sugar.

Success Tip: Top with a few fresh raspberries or a spoonful of nut butter for children, who often love it as a warm pudding.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 330kcal | Protein: 6g | Fat: 30g | Fiber: 7.5g

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About This Dish

The word mingau comes from the Tupi language, and Indigenous peoples of Brazil were making porridges from cassava long before the Portuguese arrived. Today mingau is made from corn, oats, rice, tapioca and cassava, depending on the region. In the Northeast and the Amazon it is a common street breakfast, ladled hot from big pots in the early morning. Many Brazilians associate it with childhood and with being cared for when sick. Cinnamon and clove are the classic finishing spices.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 1: Breakfast (Mercado Municipal). See all Brazilian recipes