How to Make Cream of Wheat Porridge
Learn how to make Cream of Wheat for breakfast. It is basically a porridge or hot cereal that is made of ground wheat, milk (and/or water) and some salt and sugar. It comes together really quick and can be served with honey, berries, nuts, jam or syrup.
If you grew up in a Slavic home, this is probably one of those dishes you ate starting in your childhood and on. There were no packaged foods back then, so people cooked stuff from scratch. And it was better that way. This recipe comes from my second mama (MIL), though most recipes will probably be very similar. The more wheat you add, the thicker the porridge will be. So you can experiment with the amounts, if you like. Here is my favorite way to cook cream of wheat which gives the perfect consistency for this porridge.
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What is Cream of Wheat?
Cream of wheat is basically a porridge or hot cereal made of ground wheat kernels that are cooked in milk or water and served for breakfast (or any meal). This is a very popular dish in Slavic communities and is one of the first “solid” foods the kids start eating.
Where to Buy Cream of Wheat?
Most grocery stores should should carry the cream of wheat cereal. If yours doesn’t, check out specialty European or Russian stores, or order it online (Here is one on Amazon).
What liquid to use for cooking Cream of Wheat?
I generally use milk and water for cooking cream of wheat. I either do full milk or half milk and half water. You could also use full water in your cooking, but the taste is more bland so I always cook with at least some milk. Other alternatives are almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk (if that’s your thing). I wouldn’t really recommend the nut milks because they have a lot of additives, but they are a vegetarian option for cooking cream of wheat porridge.
Ingredients for Cream of Wheat
Cream of wheat cereal – I just buy whatever is available at the store (it’s widely available here in Germany). I’m linking to an online product on Amazon if you can’t find one locally.
Milk and/or water – I like to use milk or a mixture of milk and water (half each) when cooking cream of wheat
Salt – don’t forget the salt otherwise the dish will be tasteless
Sugar (optional) – I don’t add sugar when cooking as I usually add sweet toppings to the porridge. Feel free to add 1 tsp sugar and adjust if you are not planning on using any sweet toppings.
Butter – there is a saying in Russian that goes like this, “You can’t ruin porridge by adding butter” (Маслом кашу не испортишь) and it is totally true! Adding butter to porridge (really any kind), only makes it better. I love, love, love using KerryGold Unsalted butter. It’s the only butter we use around here for eating (I do use something cheaper for baking).
How to make Cream of Wheat (Step-by-Step)
Measure out your milk and add to a (small) saucepan. Bring milk to a simmer and add salt and sugar (if using). I don’t add any sugar generally because the toppings I add at the end are very sweet. If you don’t add any sweets in the end, add some sugar when cooking.
Add the cream of wheat to the milk, sprinkling it in gently and whisking the milk all the while. I like to use two tablespoons for mixing and sprinkling instead of a whisk, but do whatever you prefer.
Reduce the heat and keep whisking the cream of wheat for about a minute or two. The porridge should be a bit runny when still cooking. Turn off the heat and let the cream of wheat stand on the warm stove for about a minute. The porridge will thicken up as it stands. Add a sliver of butter on the top before serving (can also be added during cooking). Serve hot.
Toppings for Cream of Wheat Porridge
Here are some of our favorite toppings to use when serving cream of what porridge:
- Syrups – honey, maple syrup, agave syrup would all be great here
- Jams or jellies – I love eating this with black currant jam or strawberry jam
- Fresh fruit – raspberries and strawberries are great, but mangoes or bananas would be good, too
- Apple sauce – or other fruit sauces. These are especially great for feeding babies.
- Cinnamon and Sugar – just mix a small amount together in a jar and sprinkle on the porridge
Lastly, if you make this Cream of Wheat porridge, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!
How to Make Cream of Wheat Porridge (Mannaya Kasha)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk or water (I usually do milk or half milk, half water)
- Pinch of salt or to taste
- 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cream of Wheat cereal (uncooked)
To serve
- Sliver of butter
- honey, maple syrup, jams, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, sugar etc.
Instructions
- Add milk (and/or water) to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Add salt and sugar (if using) and mix into the milk.
- Slowly add the uncooked cream of wheat cereal whisking all the while.
- Once all the cereal has been added, let the cream of wheat simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking all the while.
- Turn off the heat and let the cream of wheat stand and thicken a bit.
- Serve hot with butter, honey, maple syrup, fresh fruit, sugar or whatever you like.
Looking for other easy Breakfast recipes? Here are my favorites:
Dec. 14-2024 from Angus Ontario, Canada. I grew up on a farm in the Province of Saskatchewan-Canada and as a boy, my mom would make us Cream of Wheat cereal on the weekends. During the week it was Oatmeal porrage. After leaving home in the 60s I never had it again until today when I made my own batch of Cream of Wheat. It was not as thick as I remember but it still tasted good. Will be making more after finding your recipe. James
Hi James. Glad to hear that it worked for you. I also love food that reminds me of my childhood:) You can make the porridge thicker by adding more cream of wheat. Start by adding half a tbsp more and go from there to get the consistency you like.
2 tbs of cream of wheat is much to low for 1 cup of liquid, unless you like it tasting like water. Do at least 1/2 c of wheat to 1c of liquid, boil, then immediately reduce heat to lowest and simmer covered for 2 minutes while occasionally stirring. Then remove from heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
Hi Jerry. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I started doubting my recipe after reading your comment and so I prepared it again this morning:) The cream of wheat turned out good. It was on the thicker side and turned even thicker as it stood for a few minutes. In fact, I had to thin it out with additional milk before I served it. I think the problem here is the difference between American and European wheat. I know from making other recipes (like dough) that I need to use less flour than my mom when she prepares the recipe in the US. I could totally see this being the case with cream of wheat. I will add this to my recipe notes section for anyone making the recipe in the US. All the best!