What a delicious breakfast treat! This Norwegian porridge (aka risengrynsgrøt) recipe is creamy, salty, and sweet. Served with a sprinkle of cinnamon and dried cranberries on top—who can resist?
What is Porridge?
According to Wikipedia, porridge is a dish made by boiling ground, crushed, or chopped grain in water and/or milk, often with flavorings. It is usually served hot in a bowl.
Sounds bland and boring doesn’t it? I think most of us associate porridge with tastelessness or something that’s been overcooked and looks like baby food. Yuck!
But wait until you try good porridge because it’s night and day. Let me just say, WOW! Norwegians certainly know how to turn plain rice into something truly delectable. It’s so delicious in fact, that even people who aren’t fans of Norwegian rice pudding, or even other rice puddings, will scarf down a bowl of Norwegian porridge in record time.
And, aside from this yummy nordic preparation, there are a ton of Asian rice porridges that I adore like congee, jook and okayu. But today is all about this delectably sweet, salty and incredibly warming Norwegian recipe.
Ingredients for Norwegian Porridge
- Short grain rice: Rice will be what makes the base of your porridge. Short grain rice is used because it’s fatter and stickier than regular rice.
- Water: The water is added to cook your rice. Simple as that!
- Milk: The milk thickens the porridge and gives it a creamy texture. If you’re looking to make this a dairy-free recipe, you can use plant-based milks like coconut milk or unsweetened oat milk, but it may not hold the capacity to get as thick as the original recipe intended.
- Butter: Adding butter adds saltiness and richness to the dish.
- Honey: Honey adds a natural sweetness and a floral element to the porridge. Make sure you use one that you like as there are many different flavors of honey.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar adds sweetness without any added extras. It rounds up the dish and gives it that breakfast flair.
- Kosher salt: Only a little salt is needed to balance out the sweetness of the porridge. This should also bring out more notes of flavor from the other ingredients of your bowl as well.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla infuses the dish with a subtle caramel taste and a lovely jasmine-like aroma.
Optional but Highly Recommended Toppings
- Cinnamon powder: A sprinkling of cinnamon to add spice and a clove-like taste to your breakfast bowl.
- Dried cranberries: Dried cranberries will make your bowl of porridge fruity while adding more texture and color.
- Butter: Can’t get enough of that buttery goodness? Add more to the top if you want!
Porridge vs Oatmeal
Many people, including myself, have wondered at one point or another what the difference between porridge and oatmeal is. Are they the same?
Here are a couple of bullet points that quickly answers this question.
- Oatmeal can only be made with oats whereas porridge can be made with rice, barley, oatmeal, or any other grains or legumes—as long as it’s boiled in water, milk or broth.
- Think of porridge as its own category. And inside that category, you will find all the types of porridges like oatmeal, cornmeal, rice porridge, etc. So while oatmeal will always be considered a porridge, porridge won’t always be considered oatmeal!
When to Eat Norwegian Porridge
Traditional Norwegian porridge (AKA: risgrøt or risengrynsgrøt) is usually served for lunch the day before Christmas.
The leftovers are then used to make riskrem (rice cream), on Christmas Day, a dessert made with cold rice porridge topped with whipped cream and raspberry (or strawberry) sauce. A whole almond is then hidden in the dessert, and the person who finds it wins a marzipan candy in the shape of a pig.
Sounds like a fun and festive Christmas tradition to have with family and friends, doesn’t it? Your friends and family won’t forget your version of this traditional Norwegian Christmas dessert.
But let’s be honest. Why limit yourself to just once or twice a year? You can impress your loved ones no matter what time of the year it is when you make this sweet rice porridge.
How to Make Norwegian Porridge
- Gather all of your ingredients and cooking tools.
- In a medium size pot, add your rinsed rice and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer. Then cover and leave to sit for ten minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
- Add 1/3 of the milk and stir it in. Then cover your pot again and leave until the consistency thickens. Then add a little more milk every time the consistency of the porridge thickens. You will likely have to do this approximately every five to ten minutes or so while still on low heat. You will need to repeat this step until all the milk is used, the porridge is thick, and the rice is tender. You want this to look like the best fluffy rice pudding that has ever been made. The entire process should take 45-55 minutes. It might sound like a long time but it’s going to be well worth the wait!
- Then add your sweet butter, honey, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt—then stir well.
- Turn the heat off and serve your porridge into your favorite bowl. Top with a small pat of butter, a little cinnamon powder, and dried cranberries to maximize flavor and appeal. Enjoy!
Norwegian Porridge Alternative Ingredients
I’ve made a few minor changes to this traditional Norwegian recipe because I wanted to give it a healthier kick. But if you would like to stick to something a little more traditional you can use whole milk as opposed to the 1% milk listed in this recipe.
You can also substitute cranberries for other dried fruits or nuts.
Using vanilla bean powder instead of the liquidized version will make the vanilla taste more prominent. And if you would like to add a garnish you can include one whole cinnamon stick in it to give an appealing visual flourish (great for those instagram photos).
Other Porridge-Type Recipes
If you’re curious about how to make other rice porridge recipes, here are a couple global porridge recipes you might be interested in too!
What are your favorite porridge or porridge-like recipes? Have you made this Norwegian rice porridge recipe yet? Are there changes you made to your own recipe that you’d like to share?
Did you like this Norwegian Porridge Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comment section below!
Norwegian Porridge With Dried Cranberries
What a delicious breakfast treat! This Norwegian Porridge Recipe is creamy, salty and sweet and is served with a sprinkle of cinnamon and dried cranberries on top.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 3 people 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Norwegian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup white (medium grain rice)
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups 1% milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- cinnamon powder for topping
- dried cranberries for topping
- butter for topping
Instructions
- In a medium size pot, add rice and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover and leave for 10 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
- Add 1/3 of the milk, stir, cover and leave until the consistency thickens. Add a little more milk every time the porridge’s consistency thickens – approximately every 5-10 minutes or so. Repeat until all the milk is used, porridge is thick and rice is tender. The entire process should take 45-55 minutes.
- Add butter, honey, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and stir well.
- Turn the heat off and serve porridge in bowls topped with a small pat of butter (optional), a little cinnamon powder and dried cranberries.
Notes
This Norwegian porridge recipe will keep refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 20.8g
- Sodium: 870.5mg
- Fat: 5.9g
- Saturated Fat: 3.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33.7g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 20.3mg
Keywords: recipe, brunch, rice pudding, Christmas
nevermind! i just tried it and milk + ricecooker = disaster.
Hi Stefan, yes milk is not a good idea for a rice cooker as I have also experienced the disaster! It’s best to add it once the cooking process is done. I wish I had replied sooner, I hope your porridge was still good!
hello my rice cooker has a ‘porridge’ setting, i guess for congee? would this method work as well?
could/should i add the milk in with the water at the outset?
can’t wait to try this.
thanks!
What a lovely recipe! As a norwegian, I approve of your recipe, and I absolutely agree on it being the most delicious and comforting dish! I usually have it more often than lunch the day before christmas eve, but that’s only because I can’t get enough of it! You’re correct about the almond and marsipan pig tradition, however it’s typically hidden in the Risengrynsgrøt and not the riskrem! 🙂 We also tend to top it with raisins and not cranberries, and we top it with butter, a sprinkle of sugar, and cinnamon. Good job! I too also use 1% milk, and it has always turned out well for me 🙂
Thank you so much Synnøve! Coming from a Norwegian, this is a huge compliment! 🙂
So yummy. First time I made this, it turned out perfect.
★★★★★
This is so delicious and has become a new go-to for me!
★★★★★
Thank you so much Charlie! 🙂
Oh yummy! Tried this for the first time today and it is delicious!
I was hoping to make for Christmas Eve but got too busy, do decided on Boxing Day morning, instead (I am the boss of me, lol)
Thank you for this great recipe
★★★★★
Thank you Debbie! 🙂
I have made this twice now. The first time I read the blurb above the recipe to make it and I have to say there is a major typo that ruined it: it says to add a tablespoon of salt. I thought that sounded like a lot at the time but I did it anyway. If I had thought to check the recipe below I could have seen that it is really just a teaspoon! Couldn’t eat it, way too salty. But I made it again, following the proper recipe and golly it’s delicious.
★★★★
Hi Kate, I’m terribly sorry for the typo! Thank you for pointing it out, I’ve made the changes 🙂
This the exact recipe my Norwegian family uses for rice pudding except with more sugar. We serve it warm with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top!
★★★★★
It looks so delicious and tempting a lot. Thanks for sharing the post
Have you tried this with vegan butter or know of anyone who has? Or do you think it would even taste good?
Hi Jennifer, I haven’t but I use vegan butter all the time and to me, it tastes very similar to regular butter, so I think it would be fine 🙂
Can i use almond milk instead of 1%?
Hi Emily, yes you can 🙂
Could I use long grain rice instead?
Hi Meghan, unfortunately long grain rice won’t work for this recipe, you won’t get the same ooey gooey texture. You can get medium grain rice easily at the store, Goya is the brand I use 🙂
Does this recipe do well as leftovers? I’d love to meal prep this! Looks delicious!
Hi Taylor! Yes you can keep the risgrot as leftovers, the texture will be thicker but you can add a little milk and extra butter to thin it and bring back the silkiness 🙂
Thought Id add my two cents, and say that risgrøt the next day is my favourite! Straight out of the fridge, with the same toppings its like a chilled pudding, delicious!
That’s great to know Tawny, thank you for sharing!
Combined with with wipped cream, a little sugar and a pinch vanilla, cold risgrøt makes a very nice dessert called riskrem. Traditionally eaten during the yule-holiday, often served with strawberry sauce. In my opinion best if you hold back on the sugar!
This is amazing. A new family favorite!
★★★★★
Thank you Lauren! 🙂
This was so easy to make and so delicious I love the sweet and salty combination! I also added granola on top for crunch and a little more sweetness. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
This sounds wonderful!