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.
This is very similar to a recipe my grandma used to make us grandkids as a treat! She grew up having it on the farm. She always called it “milk mush” but then called it Flotgrod in the recipe book she made. I think the technique is a little easier in this recipe though. Very helpful! (I just made this with my 3 year old! It’s very good!)
Hi Anna – I love to hear about your memories with this recipe, thank you for sharing! I believe that my MIL and her mom also called it milk mush. Thank you so much for coming back here to let me know, and to rate the recipe. -Brenda
Oh so good1
I love to hear this! Thank you!
With lots of butter and cinnamon sugar, this is like a cinnamon bun in pudding form – a hug for your tummy on a cold winter day! But 1 serving was enough; it is so rich!
This is one of the best comments ever! I agree with EVERYTHING you said! :) Thank you so much for coming back here to leave a comment and rate the recipe – it means so much to me! -Brenda
I had this in Norway and never forgot it and was so happy to find an easy recipe to make it! I used half a quart of 2% I had and one pint of whipping cream and it still came out really well.
LOVE to hear this – thank you!
I was introduced to Rommegrot when I married my husband, whose mother was married to a 100% Norweigen. He expected all the traditional Norweigen dishes at Christmas so my mother-in-law made potato soup, lefse, krumcake, rosettes, lutefisk, and Rommegrot to honor his heritage. When she passed, even tho I’m a very adept “from scratch” cook, The only passable dishes I was able to reproduce were the soup and Rommegrot. I apologized to my FIL for not providing him with lutefisk and he replied. “I can’t stand that sh__!” We both agreed it tasted like “fish jello”!! Rommegrot remains a Christmas treat…. simple and cheap to make but so rich and decadent, especially with melted butter and plenty of cinny sugar!
My family has an interesting tradition with this that I just thought was “the way”. We leave the heavy cream out for 3 days in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Stir it twice a day. It thickens up and sours.
When its all said and done, it has a bit of a sour bite to it as well as the sweet.
Its also, only the men of the family that make it, and only during Christmas as a way to serve our women. Family tradition. Read into that what you like, but its done out of love. :D
It tastes like a warm bowl of sugar cookie, it’s Divine – why isn’t this a thing everywhere?!
It’s basically a what I would call a white sauce, or a milk gravy, except for the sugar. Interesting idea to make it sweet as a pudding.
Saved this recipe to make soon and serve to my family of four.
I added a tiny bit of vanilla. My Norwegian neighbor refused to try it and said “why are you making that, no one likes it”. I LOVED it. Very rich but delicious. I used cream on top raw milk, raw organic sugar and organic butter. I think I’ll try it with a blueberry compote as well. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you,
The Scotch Irish girl.
SO HAPPY you liked this recipe, Shannon! Thanks a bunch for coming back to leave a comment and rating. Enjoy!!
I am originally from Fargo N.D. My mother (Olerud) is full Norwegian. I was brought up eating Rommegrot, lefse, lutefisk (yuck, lol) so many fond memories. During the summer/spring we had the annual Syttende Mai festivals. Street venders would serve Rommegrot with all other kinds of Nord goodies.. le sigh.. I miss it! I had my first taste of it when I was about 4-5 years old. I remember sour cream was in the recipe.. who knows. I’m down in Missouri now. I might have to whip up this recipe you have on here!!
Thank you for this!
We buy raw milk every week, and sometimes we end up with “extra”. That’s when my children beg for Norwegian pudding. (none of them will try to say Flotegrot) A double batch will feed them enough to stave off hunger for awhile.
I like to melt the butter in a large pot, add the dry ingredients to make a paste, then add the milk whisking until thick.
As kids on a dairy farm, my mom made “milk mush” often (same idea), we had it on a big plate, pats of butter in the middles and then we would make butter “rivers” out to the edge and eat it by swirling the plate around with a spoon at the edge. At holidays, it was a treat when she made it with cream! I still make it, but was given a microwave recipe so I could make smaller batches and enjoy it any time. Loved seeing this recipe pop up in Pinterest.
Thank you for sharing your memories – I love this! Would you mind sharing your microwave recipe with me? I’d love to try it! If so, please send to: brenda@afarmgirlsdabbles.com with subject Rommegrot Recipe – thank you so much!! -Brenda
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Last night I was looking for this recipe. I grew up on a Minnesota farm with Scandinavian parents and relatives.Attending a one room country school in Goodhue County, Smoogaurd School.
Now at age 83 and having traveled many countries and lived in many states have settled in the great state of Washington.My gorgeous Arizona wife can not roll her r’s so she does not pronounce rommegrot with the two rolling r’s.
I printed out this recipe last night giving her a brief history of this delicacy- a couple hours ago she hand me a bowl of it!! Mange Tak.
Hi, I’m from South Africa and I found this incredibly interesting!
We have the Afrikaans culture here (a culture created by the blending of German, Dutch and other settlers) and they also have a very similar dish that’s called “melkkos” – directly translated to “milk food”. It is also a milk porridge made with flour and butter and is a popular breakfast or ‘dessert’ dish especially in farm kitchens.
I noticed someone asked about turning it into a pie – you might try looking up a recipe for South African “Milk Tart”, there is a baked, fridge and microwave version. That might just hit the spot ;).
Thanks for the interesting read!