Creamy Cheesy Vegan Grits Recipe Is a Foodie's Favorite (and She's Not Vegan) Vegan Side Dishes Vegetarian

Grits. Well, all I can say is that growing up in the south, grits were on every breakfast menu and were served in bowls beside that plate of eggs, bacon and country potatoes. The grits in the restaurants were bland and unappealing to me, so I never ate them. I did, however, enjoy shrimp and grits, but that's an entirely different animal.

Having said that, it's no surprise that I never cooked grits at home. Having a vegan son and a vegetarian daughter who was once vegan, I am always on the lookout for recipes to cook for them when they visit. This creamy cheesy vegan grits recipe found its way in my newsfeed, and it looked delicious. Having a container of nutritional yeast in my pantry that needed to be used, I decided to try the recipe. Wow! Who would have thought that vegan grits would change my mind and make me a grit lover?

To make these easy grits, you will need non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, salt, instant grits, vegan butter and water. The grits cook up in about 5 minutes. So quick and easy! The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy taste to this dairy-free grit recipe. It's an ingredient that has surprised me the most as I learn more and more about vegan cooking.

Serve these grits as a side dish with your favorite vegan dinners like tofu or vegan meatballs, or even with your favorite non-vegan proteins. I served mine for dinner with crispy lemon pepper chicken thighs. Neither the chicken thighs or my husband cared if the grits were vegan!

Note: 30Seconds is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 cup instant grits
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter

Helpful Products

• Recipe Box
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Salt and Pepper
• Whisk
• Saucepot
• Kitchen Towels

Recipe Notes

• Be sure to use instant grits, which cook fast. If you use regular grits, the cooking time increases dramatically.

• If you're not vegan, you could use regular milk or evaporated milk instead of non-dairy milk and regular butter instead of vegan butter.

• For the creamiest grits, serve immediately. 

Here's how to make it:

1. Stir together the water, milk, nutritional yeast and salt in a saucepot over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Slowly start whisking in the grits (this will keep them from forming lumps).
4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
6. For the creamiest grits, serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories: 220

Total Fat: 13.5g

Saturated Fat: 7.5g

Cholesterol: 31mg

Sodium: 754mg

Total Carbohydrate: 17.6g

Dietary Fiber: 3.9g

Total Sugars: 2.6g

Protein: 9.3g

Vitamin D: 0mcg

Calcium: 101mg

Iron: 5mg

Potassium: 21mg

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily.