• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Threads
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Book
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Book
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home » Breakfast

    Vegan grits (Great for breakfast or anytime!)

    Updated: Aug 23, 2025 · Published: Feb 9, 2022 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 6 Comments

    Jump to recipe
    Text overlay: Vegan grits. Bowl of grits with melted non-dairy butter.

    Creamy vegan grits are a delicious hot breakfast that really sticks with you. It's also a tasty side dish for lunch or dinner. (So good with vegan barbecue and collard greens!)

    Grits are easy to make, gluten free, and very versatile. Ready in less than 20 minutes!

    Vegan butter melted on bowl of grits.

    There are some times when you just need a hot breakfast. Something warm, comforting, and satiating.

    That's when I love reaching for vegan grits.

    Similar to polenta, this warm cereal is simple to make, comes together quickly, and is full of cozy goodness.

    This Southern staple can be a homey breakfast or brunch all on its own. Or enjoy it as a side dish for lunch or dinner.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Are grits vegan friendly?
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Make them your own
    • Topping ideas
    • How to store & reheat
    • 📖 Recipe

    Are grits vegan friendly?

    In and of themselves, grits are totally vegan. They're made of 100% ground corn.

    However, it's what gets added to them that usually makes them not vegan. Grits are often made with cow's milk or cream, dairy cheese, and dairy butter.

    Most grits sold at restaurants aren't vegan, unless it's a plant based establishment.

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

    Labeled ingredients for vegan grits.

    Garlic: The flavor of corn grits is on the mild side. So it's nice to fill it out with fragrant garlic.

    If you're not a fan of fresh garlic you can omit it or replace it with about ¼ to ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic.

    (If using granulated garlic, you won't need oil. Add the granulated garlic at the same time as the nutritional yeast flakes.)

    Corn grits: I like to use Bob's Red Mill organic corn grits. The bag has just one ingredient - organic corn.

    When you're shopping, look for stone ground grits. Don't use quick cooking, instant, or white hominy-style grits for this recipe.

    Better Than Bouillon no chicken base: I like to keep this condensed bouillon on hand in the refrigerator. It's great for adding flavor to the base of a dish.

    However, if you'd prefer you can replace the water & bouillon with vegetable broth or stock.

    Nutritional yeast flakes: This inactive yeast adds a cheesy flavor to the grits. It's also a source of protein and B12. (You can learn more about it in this post on nutritional yeast.)

    Look for it in natural grocery stores. It's sometimes sold in bulk bins, near the nutritional supplements, or by the flour.

    I buy mine at Trader Joe's. It's one of my favorite vegan Trader Joe's products.

    If you're not a fan of nutritional yeast, you can omit it. Or replace it with shredded non-dairy cheese.

    Non-dairy milk: Milk gives the grits extra creaminess. You can use any plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk that you like.

    Cashew, soy, oat, or almond milk are all good choices.

    If you don't have non-dairy milk, you can skip it or add an equal amount of water if it's too thick.

    Step by step instructions

    This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Garlic sauteing in pot.

    Sauté garlic with oil in a medium sized pot.

    Water and bouillon added to pot.

    Once the garlic is fragrant, add water and Better Than Bouillon no chicken base. Stir to dissolve.

    Bring to a simmer.

    Grits slowly being poured into pot while other hand stirs.

    Then slowly pour in yellow corn grits while stirring to prevent clumping. Add salt & pepper.

    Spoon stirring vegan grits.

    Keep cooking uncovered about 6 minutes, until the grits thicken & pull from the edges of the pot when stirred.

    Once it's fairly thick, add nutritional yeast flakes and non-dairy milk.

    Cook uncovered 4 or 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the grits have reached your desired consistency.

    Make them your own

    Overhead two bowls of grits with non-dairy butter.

    It's easy to personalize grits to suit your flavor preferences. With a few tweaks, substitutions, or omissions, you can make grits exactly to your tastes.

    I like thicker porridge-style grits. However, if you prefer soupier grits, add an additional ¼ cup of non-dairy milk. The grits will have to simmer a longer amount of time to cook down any extra liquid (about 30 minutes).

    For spicier grits, add chopped jalapeños at the same time as the garlic.

    For cheesier grits, add shredded non-dairy cheese at the same time as the nutritional yeast.

    Topping ideas

    Beyond Meat sausages and Brussels sprouts on top of grits.

    Savory grits are delicious all on their own or with a pat of plain or herbed vegan butter.

    But they can also be a mouthwatering base layer for any number of bowls.

    Load up that grits bowl with any of the following toppings:

    • Vegan breakfast sausage & shredded Brussels sprouts (shown above)
    • Vegan fried shrimp for a plant based take on shrimp & grits
    • Vegan pulled pork with Soy Curls
    • Sautéed kale
    • Beer battered fried green tomatoes
    • Black-eyed peas and collard greens
    • Roasted asparagus with chickpeas
    • Eggy tofu or tofu scramble instead of fried eggs
    • Chickpea scramble
    • BBQ jackfruit & collard greens (shown below)

    How to store & reheat

    Grits bowl with BBQ jackfruit and collard greens.

    Keep leftover grits in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for about 4 days.

    (That makes grits great for meal prep! Make a big batch, and then portion them out throughout the week.)

    Grits tend to stiffen as they cool. If they are too firm, stir and add more non-dairy milk until they've reached your preferred consistency.

    Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.

    Blue bowls holding grits with chives.

    If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!

    📖 Recipe

    Two blue bowls of grits.

    Vegan grits

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Warm up with a cozy bowl of vegan grits. It makes a delicious, hearty breakfast. Or serve it as a side dish for lunch or dinner.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 18 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: southern food, warm breakfast

    Ingredients

    • ½ teaspoon avocado oil or your preferred cooking oil
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 3 cups water
    • ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base
    • 1 cup corn grits I use Bob's Red Mill
    • Pinch of salt
    • Dash of pepper
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
    • ¼ cup non-dairy milk plain unsweetened

    Instructions

    • Bring a medium sized pot to a medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and minced garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
    • Add water to the pot along with Better Than Bouillon no chicken base. Stir to dissolve the bouillon. Bring to a simmer.
    • Slowly pour in the corn grits while stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Add a pinch of salt and dash of pepper. Lower the heat, so that the grits don't splatter.
    • Keep stirring frequently for about 6 minutes, until the grits start to thicken, and pull from the edges of the pot when stirred.
    • Once it is fairly thick, add nutritional yeast flakes and non-dairy milk. Stir to evenly incorporate all of the ingredients. Continue cooking uncovered for 4 or 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the grits reach your desired consistency.
      If they get too thick, add more milk. If they're too runny, keep cooking until it condenses to your preferred thickness.
    • Turn off the heat, and allow the grits to cool for a couple of minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
    • Serve grits in bowls on its own, with a pat of non-dairy butter, or topped with your favorite toppings like BBQ jackfruit or collard greens.

    Notes

    For this recipe, use stone ground grits. Don't use quick cooking, instant, or white hominy-style grits for this recipe.
    If you like, you can use vegetable broth or vegetable stock in place of water + bouillon.
    Any plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk will work for this recipe. I usually use cashew milk.
    If you prefer soupier grits, add an additional ¼ cup of non-dairy milk. The grits will have to simmer a longer amount of time to cook down any extra liquid (about 30 minutes).
    For spicier grits, add chopped jalapeños at the same time as the garlic.
    For cheesier grits, add shredded non-dairy cheese at the same time as the nutritional yeast.
    Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. Grits will keep for about 4 days.
    They will likely condense & firm as they cool. Add more non-dairy milk until they’re to your preferred consistency. Then reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove until warm.
    Subscribe to Cadry’s KitchenSign up today! JOIN BY CLICKING HERE

    Nutrition

    Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg

    More Breakfast

    • Ribbons of lemony zucchini on plate by seasoned tofu.
      Lemony zucchini ribbons on avocado toast (vegan)
    • Summer tomato toast with slathering of vegan mayo.
      Open faced tomato sandwich (vegan, 4 ingredients, 5 minutes)
    • Bright red glass of beet, carrot, apple juice on table with aqua straw.
      ABC juice (apple, beet, carrot juice)
    • Bright pink pickled red onions on avocado toast with nutritional yeast covered tofu.
      Vegan avocado toast with pickled onions & nutritional yeast (5-minute)
    • Facebook
    • Threads

    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.86 from 7 votes (4 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Annie Wells

      January 07, 2024 at 5:51 am

      5 stars
      Easy, delicious!! And you can adjust all ingredients to taste, without altering the consistency very much. I used a little bit more milk and nutritional yeast. The only caution I would give is to ensure you don’t use too much bouillon or broth, lest it be too salty.

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        January 10, 2024 at 11:39 am

        I’m glad you enjoyed the grits recipe, Annie, and thank you for the feedback!

        Reply
    2. Shell

      February 25, 2022 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      Great vegan adaptation for grits.

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        March 05, 2022 at 4:04 pm

        That’s nice to hear. Thanks, Shell!

        Reply
    3. Susan

      February 09, 2022 at 6:31 pm

      5 stars
      Finding anything here labeled grits is basically impossible without going to a US speciality shop, so anytime I see something that needs grits I mostly just use polenta. Though a couple of times I used a corn-based couscous that was not quite so fine. It always seems to turn out OK! Though I see those Bob’s Red Mill grits say they are the same aspolenta, so maybe I have been overthinking this whole time for nothing!?

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        February 10, 2022 at 4:43 pm

        Polenta and grits are very similar, and there’s a lot of disagreement about what exactly constitutes the difference. Often grits are made with white hominy. But obviously they’re sometimes made with yellow corn, like I used for this recipe. The coarse grind can vary on both polenta and grits. I’m staying out of it! Haha! Anyway, polenta sounds like a great choice to fill that gap.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Cadry Nelson standing in kitchen with hand on hip.

    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m the creator behind Cadry's Kitchen and author of Living Vegan For Dummies.

    I'm a longtime vegan, but I grew up eating a standard American diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

    In stores now

    Air fryer recipes

    • Hand holding vegan sandwich with breaded eggplant, marinara, fresh basil, and onion.
      Vegan eggplant parmesan sandwich in the air fryer
    • Vegan breaded eggplant on plate with marinara and non-dairy cheese.
      Air fryer eggplant parmesan (vegan & crispy)
    • Crispy wontons on bowls with shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, and vegan chicken.
      Vegan egg roll in a bowl (Easy Chinese cabbage stir-fry recipe)
    • Hand dunking crunchy pita chip into bowl of air fryer roasted beet hummus on veggie board.
      Beet hummus recipe (with air fryer roasted beets + oven option)

    Vegan travel guides

    • Text overlay: Denver Airport vegan options. 4-panel collage with oatmeal, tofu bento, tacos, and Voodoo Donuts.
      Vegan options at the Denver Airport (Updated 2025)
    • Hands holding vegan chicken sandwich.
      Ultimate Milwaukee vegan restaurant guide
    • Text overlay: Des Moines vegan restaurant guide. 4-panel collage with taco pizza, pad Thai, cinnamon roll, and birria tacos.
      Ultimate Des Moines vegan restaurant guide 2025
    • Text overlay: Vegan options at Noodles & Company. Exterior fast food restaurant.
      Noodles and Company vegan options (Updated 2025)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Cadry
    • Work with me

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    As seen in

    Logos of sites where Cadry Nelson and Cadry's Kitchen have been featured: Buzzfeed, Taste of Home, Hello Iowa, Prevention, NBC News, Delish, and VegNews.

    Copyright © 2025 Cadry's Kitchen

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.