Dominican-Style Farina: Spiced Cream of Wheat Porridge

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.

Let's answer some questions you've asked about this farina recipe

What's Farina?

Farina is the generic name for a type of wheat flour used to make porridge. In the Dominican Republic, farina is best known as Harina del Negrito® after the most popular brand of farina sold here.

What is "cream of wheat"?

Cream of Wheat™ is a commercial brand of farina.

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 it 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

Dominican-Style Farina - Cream of Wheat Recipe: Known as "Harina del Negrito" in the DR, this is a popular breakfast dish with kids and even adults.

Servings: 6 servings

4.88 from 8 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Dinner

Cuisine: American, Dominican

Keyword: cream of wheat in spanish, cream of wheat recipe, creamy wheat recipe, farina recipe, sweet cream of wheat

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 12 minutes

Calories: 361kcal

Recipe Author: Clara Gonzalez

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.

Video

Tips and Notes

Why is my farina too thick / thin?

As consistency is a matter of taste, I suggest you do not let get as thick as you want it to be in the end, take into consideration that it always gets thicker as it cools down. You can also mix in a bit of extra milk at the end if it did get too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Calcium: 445mg | Iron: 14mg