This Rømmegrøt recipe has been passed down for generations in my husband’s Scandinavian family! It’s similar to a rich milk pudding and served warm with a drizzle of melted, salted butter and a good sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on top. I make it with whole milk — or with heavy cream if I’m feeling indulgent, just like my Norwegian mother-in-law enjoyed when she was a little girl.
I Always Follow My Mother-In-Law’s Advice For Enjoying Rømmegrøt.
Family recipe traditions have my heart. 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. However, rømmegrøt, a warm, creamy Norwegian porridge, is from my husband’s family (Blake is 75% Norwegian, 25% Swedish), and this has been a happy, delicious tradition addition. (Just don’t ask me to add lutefisk!)
Loree, Blake’s mom, 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. And Loree passed down this food tradition to her own family; she would serve it warm with melted butter and (lots of) cinnamon-sugar. The first time I enjoyed it myself, she advised me, with a twinkle in her eye: “Eat it with a spoon. First skim off the top crusty layer of cinnamon-sugar. Then add another layer of cinnamon-sugar and repeat. Continue to repeat – until you see the bottom of the bowl!”
Rømmegrøt is typically made with a mixture of sour cream and milk, but I was taught to make rømmegrøt with only whole milk (or heavy cream if feeling indulgent), at the approval of both my mother-in-law and my husband.
Besides milk, flour, sugar, and salt, I use salted butter for this recipe, to subtly boost the flavor of this simple dish. And I always include extra for serving, along with extra cinnamon-sugar. Don’t skimp on the butter as it truly adds to the enjoyment factor, with its glorious rich flavor and texture.
Our family most often serves rømmegrøt as a cozy dessert or a festive, decadent breakfast during the holidays. In Norway, it’s traditionally served alongside cured meats. My mother-in-law remembers eating it as a very simple meal (minus the butter and cinnamon-sugar).
I love to share stories about food and traditions. If you’d like to see where I learned to make rømmegrøt, you can find my story at the end of this post.
“It tastes like a warm bowl of sugar cookie, it’s Divine – why isn’t this a thing everywhere?!”
Crystal
How I Make Rømmegrøt
My Top Tip: Do Not Walk Away From The Stove.
I learned the hard way. The first time I made rømmegrøt on my own, I walked away from the stove while it was thickening and finishing up. And I lost track of time. By the time I returned, it was overcooked and had burnt to the bottom of the pan. I quickly added a note to my recipe card: Do not walk away from the stove. Do not overcook!
Creamy Rømmegrøt (with milk)
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 will become smoothed-out and thickened, like a thick pudding. Do not walk away from the stove. 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.
- 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
- Fridge – Place cooled leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat – Gently rewarm the rømmegrøt in a saucepan over medium-low/low heat, using a whisk to smooth it out. If needed, add a splash of milk to loosen it up. 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.
Nutrition Information:
my First Rømmegrøt Experience
It was a cold March day, sun-less and dreary, when our family visited the Sons of Norway in Fargo, North Dakota with Blake’s parents and the rest of his family.
Inside, every dark wood paneled wall displayed Norwegian ancestry. There were whimsical wood troll carvings, beautiful rosemåling pieces, gigantic framed paintings of Vikings, and vibrant patterned wallpaper.
It was there that I experienced rømmegrøt for the first time.
The kind lady behind the buffet line handed me a bowl of this simple, warm Norwegian recipe tradition, and then showed me how to add warm melted butter and cinnamon-sugar over the top — just like my mother-in-law Loree had told me about.
After finishing bowl #1, I went back for bowl #2…this time with more butter and more cinnamon-sugar than before. My MIL was 1000% right!
A Shared Rømmegrøt Recipe
Then I asked if they could 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 (above).
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. This is the same recipe I’m sharing with you here!
This post was first published in 2016, then updated in 2024.
Love the history behind this treat. Such a great recipe
A new favorite dessert in our house! SO good!
What an incredible flavor! I’m definitely going to make this again!
I adore recipes that turn pantry staples into something magical!
I love how you obtained this recipe for rommegrot! It’s so creamy and delicious!!
I love that you are sharing this recipe. My aunt used to make this for us when we were little. Happy to have the recipe to myself now!
Loved the story behind this recipe. Absolutely delicious!
When I was growing up this was a treat we would get when sick. Amazing sometimes we would all say we were sick and need it, (we called it milk mush). Grandma would laugh and make it for all of us. She also made Lefsa from scratch; I remember peeling the potatoes. Lefsa was once a year treat.
She died at the age of 99 and five months from 100.
I am 67 and her first Grandchild; the Dr. tells me that I come from good genes. Thank God for the Scandinavian in me!
Hi I’m working as a chef in norway this porridge is in Norwegian called velvet porridge rømme is the Norwegian word for sour cream and it’s similar but made manly with sour cream and just a touch of milk . You also boil out some of the fat that you ladle over when you eat it . Best of luck Liv
Mmmmmm! This sounds AMAZING, Brenda. The added butter along with the cinnamon sugar could very well be perfection. ;)
Just want to thank you for the recipe! I grew up in MN with my grandparents who came from Norway. I was a little girl surrounded by our Norwegian heritage! Grandpa was a Lutheran pastor, so we attended MANY lutefisk dinners. This and lease was the reason for us girls to go! My grandmother made this a lot, just like your recipe. She would say that in Norway, they used sour cream. Although I’ve eaten this tons over the years, I’ve never had the sour cream version. Maybe for Christmas this year?!? I think it’s a term many Scandinavian Americans use in reference to a dish minus sour cream – even knowing that’s not the literal translation.
I do see some of the comments, but still, I think there is one very important detail lacking in this ;-)
First of all, true “Rømmegrøt” is made with sour cream. (Rømme = sour cream if you translate it as well)
Second, and here is the fine little detail.. When you make Rømmegrøt with sour cream, you will come to a point where the Rømmegrøt start to separate fat (This is after you just add half of the flour)… This fat is to keep, Then you add the rest of the flour and add regular milk,
When you serve the rømmegrøt, you sprinkle suger and cinnamon on the top, and finish off with some of the fat that was separated from “Rømmegrøten” ….
A very quick video from “Tine” , showing the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHp4lFd613Q