You can make creamy vegan grits in your Instant Pot with just a few minutes of active time. This Southern staple can be enjoyed sweet or savory!
Making stone-ground grits on the stove requires constant monitoring, so I set out for an easier way to make this Southern staple.
It turns out that it's very straightforward to make grits, specifically dairy-free and vegan grits, in the Instant Pot.
Cooking grits in the Instant Pot allows for hands-free time to make a tofu scramble, slice fresh fruit, or prepare another part of your breakfast.
All in all it takes around 30 minutes to make Instant Pot grits, which is similar to the amount of time required for stovetop grits.
Here's the best part of Instant Pot grits: no lumpy, clumpy grits and no stirring! Could you ask for anything more?
What are stone-ground grits?
Stone-ground grits are made from whole white or yellow corn kernels crushed between two stones. Stone-ground grits include the entire corn kernel. This slow grinding allows the corn to retain its natural oils and earthy flavors.
This is one of my favorite brands of stone-ground grits, but you can also find grits at most grocery stores.
Instant or quick grits have been partially cooked, so they require much less time to make than regular grits.
For this recipe, we'll use regular grits. You can find them labeled old-fashioned grits, stone-ground grits, or even coarse cornmeal.
How to make Instant Pot Grits
Making instant pot grits requires under 5 minutes of active time. The cooking process will take about 30 minutes in all, including the time it takes your electric pressure cooker to come to pressure.
Toast the grits in hot oil or butter for two minutes. To do this, select the "saute" function on your electric pressure cooker. Heat oil, then add grits for two minutes, stirring occasionally to toast to a light brown color. This deepens their flavor.
Add liquid and salt. Salt is essential to the flavor of grits, but we'll start with a small amount and taste for more after cooking. Stir in the non-dairy milk and water. I use unsweetened plain soy millk, because it's a very creamy, mild flavored non-dairy milk.
Cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually, then remove the lid. Saute off extra liquid, or splash with milk. It just depends on how you like your grits.
Taste for salt and pepper. Enjoy grits on their own or try out sweet grits by stirring in spoonful of molasses.
Are grits healthy?
Grits, in their simplest form, are just corn. A serving of grits is energy-dense, with carbohydrates contributing most significantly to their nutritional value.
Whole grain grits, like stone-ground grits, are a better option than instant grits because they contain more fiber.
The true nutritional impact of grits lies in the recipe add-ins. Watch the salt shaker and choose oil instead of butter, or replace heavy cream with non-dairy milk. Enjoy with a tofu scramble and fresh sauteed veggies for a well-rounded Southern vegetarian breakfast.
Looking for more vegan breakfast recipes?
- Fluffy Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats (Instant Pot)
- Easy Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
- Mocha Overnight Oats
- Fluffy Vegan Waffles
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the recipe card or a review down in the comments section. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow along on my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for my newsletter!
Creamy Instant Pot Grits (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cup stone ground grits NOT Instant grits
- 1 tablespoon oil or vegan butter
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 and ½ cups water
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional) for "cheesey" grits
Instructions
- Select the "saute" function on your electric pressure cooker. Heat the oil or butter. Once hot, add the grits. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring often with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Sprinkle with salt, then add the water and soy milk. Add nutritional yeast for "cheesey" grits. Lock the lid in place and set the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. When the cook time is up, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Manually release remaining pressure.
- Saute off additional liquid as desired, or stir in a splash of milk. Taste for salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stone-ground grits: For this recipe, we'll use regular grits. You can find them labeled old fashioned grits, stone ground grits, or even coarse cornmeal.
Lynn
Delicious!! I loved how I could put in my desired servings before I printed out the recipe & it calculated the proper measurements for me. I used avocado oil (high smoke point) & I did not get any burn warnings from my Instant Pot. I added vegan butter to the bowls of piping hot grits. The grits are cheesy, creamy and absolutely yummy. Great recipe!
Cassidy Reeser
Thank you for the review! 🙂
Natasha
This has become my go-to method for grits! I cut the water down to 2 cups and it turns out perfect every time!
Nancy
I cooked for 20 minutes then natural release. Came out too grainy. So cooked for another 15 then NR. Ow have it on sauté to keep cooking. I use whole grain course grits from Weisenberger mill.
Cynthia
This was super easy and very tasty. I will definitely be making it again. I loved the cheesiness, too!
Also, I halved all the ingredients, and did not get a burn notice. There should be ample liquid to prevent it. In fact, I even did a little stirring to incorporate a bit of liquid at the end. Maybe it’s because I used oat milk instead of soy milk.
Sandi
Hi just made this, I'm stuffed. It went with my sweet potato vegetable hash and waffles! I toasted the grits in a saucepan first. I don't have an instant pot but, I put it in my crockpot and added grilled onions. Yum! I'm from New Orleans and a new vegan, this really satisfied my cheesy grits cravings. Thanks!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Sounds delicious, especially with the grilled onions! Thanks for sharing.
MistaWilbun
I've tried various methods trying to prevent the burn error and heating the liquid in microwave for several minutes seems to work...Very good recipe and I think this may help.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hi! I'm glad you got it to work. I haven't had a burn error with this recipe yet, but it may be that some Instant Pots or brands of grits just require more liquid. I'll be updating to include an extra 1/2 cup of liquid. Thanks for the comment!
JJ
smells delicious but the burn error may keep us from enjoying this batch
Jenna
I'm not sure if it's something I did wrong but I kept receiving the burn error when trying this recipe (I initially didn't add enough liquid which I corrected after the first notice).
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
I’m sorry to hear that. Did you clean the pot after the first burn notice? If not that could possibly be why? Maybe some of the uncooked grits stuck to the bottom of the pot when they were being sautés. You can skip the sauté step (keep the oil or butter) and go straight to the pressure cooking. Let me know how it goes!