Rømmegrøt is a warm Norwegian porridge recipe, similar to a rich milk pudding, that’s delightful with a drizzle of melted butter and a good sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar over the top. Enjoy it as a hot breakfast, side dish, or dessert!
This easy Rømmegrøt recipe is a beloved piece of my husband’s Norwegian family tradition. It’s simple, basically a creamy Norwegian porridge or pudding. My mother-in-law taught me to enjoy it with melted butter and a hefty sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over the top. We make this all year ’round as a cozy breakfast, side dish, or dessert, and especially like to make it during the holidays.
Why We ❤️ Love This Rømmegrøt Recipe
I have an affection for special family recipe traditions. At Christmastime, Mom’s soft & tender caramel rolls, Grandma Klein’s chocolate caramels, and Grandma Renelt’s oyster stew stand out for me, with my mostly-German heritage. Rømmegrøt, however, is from my husband’s side of the family (he is 75% Norwegian, 25% Swedish), and this has been a happy, delicious tradition addition. (Just don’t ask me to try lutefisk!) Here’s why we love this recipe:
- So simple. The ingredients list is super short, with only milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Plus melted butter and cinnamon-sugar for topping individual bowls.
- A year-round dish. While I most often make rømmegrøt during the cold months, and especially for Christmas, we do make it all year ’round. In Norway, rømmegrøt is often served during summer holidays!
- Versatile. Enjoy rømmegrøt for breakfast, or as a side dish or dessert. You can serve it more like a sweet pudding, with fresh fruit and other toppings. Or leave off the cinnamon-sugar topping and serve it with meat.
What Is Rømmegrøt?
Rømmegrøt is a Norwegian porridge that is thick and sweet and always served warm. It’s made with sour cream, as “rømme” translates from Norwegian as “sour cream” and “grøt” translates to porridge. So, for us non-Norwegians: “sour cream porridge”.
That said, there are many recipes that do not use sour cream, that use whole milk or cream instead, and still call it rømmegrøt. It all comes down to the traditions of specific families and regions. And for my husband’s family, they have always use whole milk – or heavy cream, if they’re feeling particularly indulgent. Technically, this would then be called fløtegrøt or fløyelsgrøt.
No matter the dairy you use, this dish is wonderful served with melted butter and cinamon-sugar, and you’ll often see it in Norway accompanied with cured meats. I love that you can enjoy rømmegrøt with both sweet or savory sides, or just spoon it up for a decadent breakfast option.
⭐️ To learn more about where this recipe comes from and my first experience eating it at Sons of Norway in Fargo, ND, scroll to the bottom of this post, right after the recipe card.
What is Rommegrot Made of?
Here’s what you’ll need to make this rømmegrøt recipe that’s part of Blake’s family tradition. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Milk – I was taught to make rømmegrøt with whole milk, at the approval of both my husband and my mother-in-law. 😉 I’ve given some substitution suggestions lower down if you want to experiment with using other milks or sour cream.
- Flour – This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Use the spoon & level method to measure the flour for the best accuracy.
- Sugar – A scant amount of sugar adds a little sweetness. You can adjust this as necessary.
- Salt – A little bit of salt helps to draw out the simple flavors in this recipe.
- Butter – I like to use salted butter for this recipe, for added flavor. Don’t skimp on the butter, as this adds rich flavor and texture. And then offer extra melted butter on the side, at serving time.
- Cinnamon-sugar – To sprinkle over individual bowls of pudding.
How To Make Rømmegrøt
So, here you go. Here’s how we make rømmegrøt! Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Heat milk. First, heat the milk to 195°F, stirring continuously.
- Whisk dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.
- Melt butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour. Whisk the flour mixture into the melted butter.
- Cook. Keep cooking the flour and butter mixture until it forms a thick paste.
- Combine with milk. Mix the heated milk with the flour-butter mixture, stirring constantly, until the milk starts to boil.
- Cook on low. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes more, until smoothed-out and thickened, like a thick pudding.
- Serve! Spoon rømmegrøt into individual bowls, drizzle warm melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with a good amount of cinnamon-sugar.
Tips for Success + Variations
Rømmegrøt is not at all fussy, but here a few helpful tips to keep in mind as you make this dish:
- Whisk it well. For the smoothest, creamiest porridge, whisk the flour very well with the milk. You want to eliminate any lumps, so keep whisking until it’s very smooth.
- Cook it long enough. Similar to a roux, when you cook flour and butter together to form the base of a sauce, rømmegrøt needs to be cooked long enough so that the flour cooks fully. Bring the flour-milk mixture to a true boil before lowering it to a simmer, then simmer it for at least a full five minutes so that the flour doesn’t taste raw.
- But do not overcook. After you’ve whisked the milk and flour together, keep stirring the porridge as it cooks, scraping the bottom of the saucepan. This will ensure that the milk doesn’t overcook or burn.
- Use a thermometer. For the best, most consistent results, use an instant-read thermometer to easily tell when the milk reaches the proper temperature of 195°F.
- Try heavy cream. You can substitute the whole milk for heavy cream, for a much richer rommegrot. Or try swapping out just 1 cup of the milk for 1 cup of heavy cream.
- Or use skim milk. For less richness, use skim milk. My MIL shared with me that her three boys asked her to switch from cream to skim milk…because they wanted to eat more of it!
- Add sour cream. To make a more traditional version of rømmegrøt, swap out 1 to 2 cups of the milk for full-fat sour cream.
How to eat rømmegrøt?
Blake’s mom, Loree, recalled her own mom making this dish whenever there was excess cream from milking the cows – which provided an inexpensive way to put food on the table. Most often, they enjoyed it these two ways:
- as a side dish: a special treat (especially during the holidays) topped with melted butter and cinnamon sugar
- as a simple meal: served plain with soda crackers for dipping, along with a glass of milk
Loree most often served rommegrot to her own family with melted butter + cinnamon-sugar. The first time I enjoyed it myself, she advised me: “Eat it with a spoon, and skim off the top crusted layer of sweet cinnamon-sugar. Then repeat, repeat, repeat – until you see the bottom of the bowl.” 🥰
What To Serve With Norwegian Porridge
There are many ways to enjoy this porridge, besides the way my MIL taught me (above). Here are a few more ideas for you:
- Toppings. You can think of rømmegrøt a bit like oatmeal, and add toppings such as berries, raisins, nuts, seeds, nut butter, maple syrup, honey, or a spoonful of jam. Try my raspberry blackberry freezer jam or strawberry freezer jam.
- As a side dish. Rømmegrøt is served mostly as a side dish in Norway, beside fish or meat, especially ham, and various cured salamis and sausages.
- With juice & flatbread. I’ve also read that Norwegians like to eat rømmegrøt with a glass of raspberry juice, plus cured meat and Norwegian flat bread.
Proper Storage
Here’s how to easily store and reheat any leftover porridge:
- Fridge – Place cooled leftover rømmegrøt in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat – Gently rewarm the rømmegrøt in a saucepan over medium-low to low heat. Or place it in a microwave-safe bowl with a loose cover to prevent any splatter, and heat it in 20-second increments, stirring after each time, until heated through.
More Side Dish Recipes To Try
Rømmegrøt
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ cup salted butter, plus more for serving
- cinnamon-sugar
Instructions
- Set a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Using a kitchen thermometer, heat milk to 195°F. Stir almost continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan, so the milk does not burn.
- While milk is heating, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- While milk is heating, gently melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off heat and hold until milk has reached 195°F.
- Once milk temperature has reached 195°F, stir flour mixture into melted butter to form a thick paste. Add this to the heated milk, stirring constantly, until milk starts to boil. Then turn heat down to low and let cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often. The mixture should be smoothed-out and thickened, like a thick pudding. Remove saucepan from heat.
- Spoon rømmegrøt into individual bowls. Drizzle warm melted butter over the top and then add a hefty sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar. Enjoy right away!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
my First Rømmegrøt Experience
It was a cold March day, sun-less and dreary, when we visited the Sons of Norway in Fargo, North Dakota with Blake’s family.
Inside, the dark paneled walls displayed Norwegian ancestry everywhere we turned. There were whimsical wood troll carvings, beautiful rosemåling pieces, gigantic framed paintings of valiant Vikings, and oh-so-lovely wallpaper designs.
It was there that I experienced rømmegrøt for the first time.
A kind lady handed me a bowl of the simple, warm Norwegian pudding, and then advised me to pour some melted butter over the top, followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar…the very same advice my mother-in-law had already given me.
After finishing bowl #1, I went back for bowl #2…with more butter and more cinnamon sugar the second go ’round. That stuff was wonderful!
A Shared Rømmegrøt Recipe
Then I asked one of the servers if they might be able to share their rømmegrøt recipe with me. Because, first, I wanted to make this at home because it was so delicious. And, second, I wanted to preserve a bit of Blake’s heritage, to pass this tradition on down to our own daughters.
I was immediately invited back into the kitchen, where I met Vivian.
Standing at the stove with a red apron tied around her back, Vivian was stirring the thickening milk mixture, watching the thermometer rise. She chatted me through the recipe and was happy to share it with me – and that’s the recipe I’m sharing with you here!
This post was first published in 2016, then updated in 2024.
This reminds me of one of my favorite comfort foods: macaroni and milk. Just add any kind of cooked pasta to simmering milk and butter. I have usually enjoyed it in a savory fashion, adding salt, Parmesan cheese and/or pepper. Now I will try it with cinnamon! Thank you!
Mom also made this with rice, and a few raisins…and I also remember her taking them out of the oven? Anyone else?
I like that idea! Thanks, Susan.
Yes – my mormor made that dish almost every Saturday. It’s called ‘Risengrønsgrøt’, or ‘Risgrøt’ for short. And always served with melted butter, cinnamon, and sugar sprinkled on top!
Romme is a soured cream in Norwegian. Which was a surprise when I ate REAL Rommegrot in Norway..
I grew up with Rommegrot made with farm cream. It is even more tasty.
What you call rommegrot is what my mother called milk mush.
Simply made with milk
All is good!
Thanks for sharing this, Leanna. I will definitely try the sour cream route at some point – it sounds delicious! This is the recipe where I first I enjoyed it myself, at the Sons of Norway – and this is how my MIL and her mother used to make it. Everyone calls it rommegrot, though I definitely hear what you are saying.
What you are making is called Fløtegrøt or Fløyelsgrøt in Norway , fløte meaning cream.
Love it but it’s not Rømmegrøt. Rømme translates to sour cream and is made with a very fat Norwegian sour cream . It is served the same way, red berry juice to drink. It’s also served with cured and smoked meat, but then only with the butter of course . I know some Americans when being served real Rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) in Norway, they don’t like it because it’s sour .
Best regards
Hello Mai – thank you for your comment. You helped me think about how to address this. I have updated my post to include this information. I will try making this with sour cream – I am definitely curious on the difference in flavor.
Can you make this ahead of time? How do you reheat it?
I do refrigerate leftovers and then reheat. It will definitely thicken. I add a bit of half and half or milk, heating the rommegrot in a pan with it. Use a whisk to get it all incorporated and smooth.
I think your Dad would like this, so I am going to have to make this. So fun to see Grandma Klein’s
pan being used to make the pudding.
I KNOW Dad would LOVE this. It has his name written all over it. :)
My husband’s family is part Norwegian and every Christmas we have this after the main meal. BUT there is an almond hidden somewhere inside and whoever’s serving contains the almond is blessed with good luck for the upcoming year! It’s sort of a game between everyone now! His grandmother also makes leftsa, served with butter and sugar, and Krumkake (delicious little wafer like cone shaped cookies/crackers. However, I like you as well as my husband bypass the Lutefisk and try to avoid the pungent smell!!!
Oh, so much fun (the almond)!!! Thanks for sharing!
Could you make this ahead and then keep warm in crockpot to serve?
I think that would work. Depending on how long it’s in the slow cooker, you may need to add a bit more milk or half and half to keep it from cooking up too thick.
i loved reading this story so much, and reminds me of my roots, and all the traditional german/norwegian recipes that have been passed down to me as well. My grandma still rolls the thinnest lefse I have ever seen anyone make. This pudding is new to me though, and surely picked my curiosity. Butter, and cream, and cinnamon… what could be better served warm after dinner.
xo
Thank you so much, Amanda. I definitely have an appreciation for that thin lefse!
This is proper comfort food! I love it! Gotta try :)
Thank you, Bird!
My husband’s mother used to make this and add rice. I had never had it before until I tasted hers soon after we were married. She served it as a meal, and it was delicious.
With rice, that’s interesting. And it sounds good! Thanks for sharing, MaryAnn.
I am so intrigued by this Brenda!! Looks amazing and I love it highlights your lineage!
Thank you, Lauren!!
It’s interesting… I feel like most cultures have a pudding recipe. I wonder why that is? Maybe because pudding is so comforting and easy to prepare (and inexpensive to make)? I don’t know.
Anyway… this looks and sounds fabulous and I love that you asked them for the recipe (why not?!?!)
I think that’s true, Brian. My MIL said the inexpensive piece was definitely a factor. Extra cream from the cows + flour, butter and sugar = a meal. Or dessert with the addition of cinnamon sugar!
We have this treat at Christmas, too, and everyone loves it. A little trick though is to make it in the microwave and it is every bit as good. I melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave, whisk in the flour and let that cook a minute and then whisk in warm whole milk and microwave it till thick, stirring every minute or two. No scorching or burning! Yum! I’m getting hungry for it just typing about it. Melt extra butter to drizzle over the top and have the cinnamon sugar handy! We have a Drive Inn restaurant and used to serve it with potato dumplings and ham – very popular. Several small town restaurants up north of us serve this every Thursday.
I had seen microwave recipes for this, but never thought they’d actually be good. Thank you for sharing, Marlene. (Although there is definitely something to be said about a lazy slow stirring of a pot on the stovetop!) You made me hungry for potato dumplings and ham, YUM!
This was such a lovely post! Really interesting to learn about the Rommegrot recipe, and I loved the glimpse into the Sons of Norway. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so very much, Jen.
I’d definitely enjoy rommegrot as a dessert. But, like you, I’m going to pass on the lutefisk! There is a really hilarious episode of King of the Hill that centers around lutefisk. YOU definitely need to see it! :D
Thank you Jean – I’ll have to look that up!
Definitely pronounced “Ruh-meh-gruht” as the Norwegian letter ø makes an “uh” sound. Rømmegrøt translates to “Sour Cream Pudding”. So, a real Norwegian recipe would include sour cream. “Rømme” is a type of sour cream. So without that in the recipe, it’s just something like cream pudding.
I have ZERO idea how to pronounce this…but I know I definitely want to try it! It looks so creamy and good!
We say “ROO-meh-grot”. But I’ve heard others say “ROO-meh-graut”. Thanks, Taylor!
Hi Brenda,
Did you go to Sons of Norway this year or was this from last March? I am a little confused because the menu board says March. I am genuinely curious because I have been wanting to visit Sons of Norway and I am eyeing that Corned Beef and Cabbage meal lol!
This pudding looks devine and I will have to make it and see what my children think of it! Thanks for another great recipe!
We visited the Sons of Norway a few years ago. In my post I talk about how I lost these pictures, and then just found them this year so I could share about this recipe. I believe if you go to their website, that you’ll find a calendar of events. Maybe you can find that corned beef and cabbage meal! Thank you so much – I hope you (and your kids) like the rømmegrøt! :)
This sounds like the base for my southern homemade banana pudding minus the cinnamon and sugar. I know that’s delicious. I have a hard time refraining from eating it all before I layer vanilla wafers and bananas. I will definitely try your recipe, seems perfect for the season with the butter, cinnamon and sugar. Sounds Decadent!
Homemade banana pudding, OMG that sounds wonderful!!!!
Do you think I could sub arrowroot for the flour? Or anything else? Wheat allergies here. Thanks!
Bobs Red Mill one for one gluten free flour works great as a sub for all purpose flour.
I do very little GF baking/cooking, but I would have to agree with Daphne – I would try a GF flour that you trust.
Thank you ladies!!
I used a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour. It tasted fabulous. I have also added raisins and vanilla. It is so versatile.
This looks interesting. Would you consider it a dessert?
I bet you could pass it off as a dessert, much like many serve rice pudding as a dessert. It would make a good snack too!
Hi Susan – this is mostly served as a dessert. But I also shared within this post how my MIL remembers eating it as a very simple meal (minus the butter and cinnamon sugar).
I agree, Bailey! Especially now during this holiday season!
This is not how traditional “rømmegrøt” is made. This is “fløyelsgrøt”. To make “rømmegrøt” you need to add full fat sour cream as well. You boil the sour cream for 5 min. befor adding half the flour. Wisk together and let boil to the butter comes out of the sour cream. Take the butter of, wisk in the rest of the flour, add milk and let boil for another 5 min. Serve with sugar, cinnamon and the butter. Sour cream is the same as “rømme” in norwegian