Dominican-Style Farina, or Cream of Wheat is known as 'Harina del Negrito' in the DR, this is a popular breakfast dish with kids and even adults.
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It’s hard to believe, but this Cream of Wheat® recipe for Dominican-style farina is one of the most searched for in our blog. At least I find it quite surprising, after all, it is a very simple dish that I thought most people could cook without a recipe.
I tend to forget that not everyone spends their days obsessed with food, and to be frank, even I have to sometimes consult my own recipes to remember every little detail.
Some questions you’ve asked about this farina recipe
What’s Farina? What is “cream of wheat”?
Farina –or porridge– is the generic name for this wheat flour, and Cream of Wheatâ„¢ is a commercial brand of farina. In the Dominican Republic, farina is best known as Harina del Negrito® after the most popular brand of farina sold here.
Are grits and farina the same thing?
Farina is a coarse flour made from wheat, while grits is a coarse flour made from corn. They have a similar texture, and can be used similarly but are not the same.
Is Farina Gluten-free?
It’s a wheat product, so it’s definitely not gluten-free. I also can’t think of a suitable GF substitute at this time.
Buen provecho!
Dominican-Style Farina – Cream of Wheat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water
- 3 cups of milk
- 1 1/2 cup of farina (cream of wheat)
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 stick of cinnamon
- A pinch of clove powder
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter
- A pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan mix 2 cups of water, milk, cream of wheat, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, clove powder, and sugar.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes.
How to cook farina
- Heat over medium heat stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
- When it breaks the boil, add butter and lower heat to very low. Simmer stirring until it reaches the desired consistency, taking into consideration it will get much thicker when it cools down. I suggest a thick but still liquid consistency.
- Serve warm and sprinkle with the nutmeg.
Love this. It is going to be a go to for my workday breakfast that I can put in a container the night before and take it to work the next day.
Me too
I made it and it taste great but how do I get it to not be so thick? I want it it more on a thinner consistency.
As consistency is a matter of taste, I suggest you do not let get so thick next time, take into consideration that it always gets harder as it cools down. You can also mix in a bit of extra milk at the end if it did get too thick.
Just add more milk
Consider me a follower of your blog! I make cinnamon farina all the time for my daughter and now she can make it herself (she’s 12). However, I like the spin on your recipe and will try it myself soon.
Delicious
My children LOVE this as do I. Great cool morning breakfast. Thanks for sharing. It’s a keeper.
Hi Clara, my grandmother used to make it with carnation milk. Do you recommend to replace regular milk with carnation milk? or use have carnations and half regular milk?
It’s just a matter of taste. If you are familiar, and prefer evaporated milk, go ahead and use it. The recipe will be the same. I, for one, don’t think I need evaporated milk for this. 🙂
hello Miss Clara, I just made your farina and it was so good. Mine turn out much thicker than yours, yet the grains seemed like they needed to cook it as long as I did. If I cook it for a shorter time do you think the grains will have a ‘bite’ to them? ALSO, i notice that the box of farina only calls for 2tblsp for every cup. I like the way yours turned out better. Should I cook it for a shorter time or should I use less grain?
Different brands may account for the difference. You can increase the amount of liquid to get the desired consistency.