Growing up, nothing warmed me up after a cold day like a bowl of Papas Portuguese Porridge waiting for me at my grandmother Filomena’s. The moment I walked through her door, I knew exactly what that warm, creamy smell meant. This humble dish has been feeding Portuguese families for generations — and once you taste it, you’ll understand why.
What is Papas Portuguese Porridge?
Papas — also called Papinhas — is a traditional Portuguese porridge made with either all-purpose flour or cornstarch, milk, and a few simple ingredients. It’s one of those dishes that crosses every generation in a Portuguese household. Think of it as the Portuguese answer to comfort food: warm, filling, and endlessly adaptable. My grandmother would make it two ways depending on what she had in the cabinet, and she’d sometimes stir in a little cocoa powder for a treat that I completely mistook for pudding as a child. Served sweet with a sprinkle of cinnamon or savory with an egg yolk stirred in, Papas is the kind of recipe that takes care of you.
How to Make This Recipe
Making Papas Portuguese Porridge is straightforward — the key is patience and constant stirring. You’ll dissolve your flour or cornstarch in cold milk first to avoid lumps, then cook it gently over low to medium heat, stirring the whole time until it thickens to a smooth, creamy consistency. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Don’t rush it with high heat or you’ll end up with a scorched bottom and an uneven texture. Low and slow is the way my grandmother always did it.
Tips for the Best Papas Portuguese Porridge
- Always dissolve the flour or cornstarch in cold milk before applying any heat — this prevents lumps.
- Stir constantly. Step away and you’ll have a mess on the bottom of the pot.
- Use whole milk for a richer, creamier result.
- For a sweeter version, add sugar and a cinnamon stick while cooking. Finish with a dusting of ground cinnamon on top.
- For a more nourishing version, stir in an egg yolk near the end of cooking — just like my grandmother did when someone needed strength.
- Add cocoa powder for a chocolate version that children (and adults) will love.
- Serve immediately — Papas thickens considerably as it cools.
For this recipe I use a 2-quart saucepan — [here’s the one I recommend]. The tapered edges mean no dripping when you pour, and it goes straight from stovetop to oven.
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Papas is a true comfort food! It can be made with corn starch, wheat flour as well as corn flour. Traditionally, it all depended on what was available at the time. When made with flour, we would call it Papa Grosso/ Thick Porridge. My grandmother would sometimes add a tablespoon of chocolate powder in mine, as well as sometimes a beaten egg into the mixture, so I always thought I was eating pudding!
PS… My favorite was scraping the pan after she made it… such wonderful memories..
- Category: Desserts
Ingredients
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2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
small pinch of salt
Sugar/Cinnamon
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Leave aside.
1. In a saucepan, add milk and over medium heat bring the milk to almost a boil.
2. Slowly add the flour mixture and whisk everything together. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and just begins to boil.
Pour the mixture on to two plates and let it cool for a few minutes. Then sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste!
Thank you ! I always wondered how my Grandmother made this. My sister and I were told she used Wheatina or Cream of Wheat, and maybe she did, but I have tried to get the same consistency of porridge with them, and there is always a texture, no matter how much milk I add or how long I cooked it. Maybe this is the recipe she actually used ! It was always so creamy and warm with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top !
Regards …. Priscilla Petruzzi
I hope that this recipe is close to what
you grew up with… truly comfort❤️
Funny, we had this same conversation with a relative who said it was made with corn starch. We always made it with the cream of wheat too!
Love the ones made with the corn flour the best! I let it cook for a few minutes as my Mom always said that you had to “cook the flour” lol. I actually made some last week and it was delicious …. Comfort food for sure ❤️
I love these papas the only thing different I do is boil the milk with a lemon ? peel and then remove it before adding the flour and sugar.
That sounds delicious ? Its the same thing that I do when making rice pudding… I will definitely try that the next time I make it…
Yummy it’s like eating the rice pudding without the rice.
My mom always made this using corn starch instead of flower. She is from San miguel!
My grandmother used to toast the flour a bit in the oven sometimes before making this, and also added some cocoa powder with sugar. it was the best comfort food❤️
It’s Such a comfort food for me as well ❤️
My mom made something very similar but used wheat-hearts and would add a dash of almond flavouring. Still it’s a favourite especially if sick.
My grandmother would make this with flour. She then served it with added pancake, maple syrup or sugar on top. Delish.