Rømmegrøt Recipe – Norwegian Comfort Food

Today we are exploring a Norwegian comfort food recipe, Rømmegrøt. If you haven’t heard of it before, that’s okay, but you need to give this treat a try! If you know what it is, you probably already know how comforting it can be. This recipe will help you recreate it at home. Perhaps your grandmother made Rømmegrøt for you or it was a Christmas tradition for your family. Whether you are searching for a comfort recipe for yourself or looking to bring a new tradition to your family, consider this warm, delicious, and simple Rømmegrøt recipe.

Rømmegrøt Summary

At its core, this is a porridge made from flour, fresh sour cream, sugar, milk, and flavorings. Literally, Rømmegrøt translates into two parts. Rømme translates from Norwegian as ‘sour cream.’ Grøt translates to porridge.

To make our Rømmegrøt, we heat homemade sour cream or heavy cream and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Then we add the rest of the ingredients, and the final result is a sweet and rich breakfast or treat.

Often, this is topped with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. I love it with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a healthy dose of melted butter. This can be cooked very quickly and is a tasty, comforting dish that can either be a great breakfast or a special treat.

What Is The Deal With Sour Cream?

The name of the recipe literally translates to Sour Cream Porridge, and that is what I am going to bring you. That said, there are many recipes that use heavy cream instead of sour cream. Often, this comes down to family tradition. If you use heavy cream, there is nothing wrong with that. I would urge you to try the sour cream, if possible.

As a general philosophy in my cooking… if it tastes good, it’s probably okay. My preference is to use fresh sour cream if you can, and I am providing you with my homemade sour cream recipe. If you choose to do that, great. If not, heavy cream is great, too.

Traditional Norwegian rømme is not quite the same as typical American sour cream. Seterrømme, one classic Norwegian option, is a particularly rich cultured sour cream at about 35% fat. That means typical store-bought American sour cream is not an exact substitute. For this recipe, I prefer homemade sour cream or heavy cream because either option better approximates the richness I am looking for. The consistency and flavor are not the same with standard store-bought sour cream.

Toppings for Rømmegrøt

There are many options for this, but I think the only one that is a must-have topping is melted butter. It really adds a delicious flavor to our porridge and makes a great base for any other toppings you might use.

Other obvious choices would be sugar, cinnamon, or brown sugar. Any combination of these will add to the flavor and richness of our recipe. I mean, we are talking about cream and butter. It is hard to mess that up!

Some of the less traditional toppings, but still delicious, could include fruits like blueberries, bananas, or raspberries. How about some nuts or maybe a sprinkling of nutmeg? There are many options to help make this a delicious recipe for you.

Rømmegrøt can also be part of a more traditional savory meal and served alongside cured meat and flatbread.

History of Rømmegrøt

Rømmegrøt has been eaten in Norway for hundreds of years. Because ingredients such as rich sour cream, butter, and flour were valuable, this was more than an everyday porridge. It became food for special occasions and celebrations, including weddings and baptisms.

The dish is also closely associated with Norwegian summer mountain farms, or seters, where fresh dairy products were traditionally made. With fresh sour cream available, Rømmegrøt became a natural way to turn those rich dairy ingredients into a warm and filling meal.

Traditional preparation can also be a little different from the streamlined version I make here. In some traditional methods, butterfat is allowed to separate from the sour cream as it cooks. That butter is skimmed off and then spooned back over the finished porridge. My version keeps the process simple and uses melted butter as a topping instead.

Tips For Making This Recipe

• Make your own homemade sour cream for the best results.
• If you cannot use sour cream, use heavy whipping cream instead. This is substituted on a 1:1 basis.
• Try different toppings. Anything that would go well with oatmeal would likely be good with this.
• Melted butter is the only must-have topping!
• If you make your own sour cream, do NOT use ultra-pasteurized cream.

Products Used In This Recipe

• Mason Jar
• Saucepan

If you enjoy traditional Norwegian recipes, try my Lefse, Klubb Norwegian potato dumplings, or Krumkake.

Did You Try This Rømmegrøt Recipe?

Awesome! Let me know how it went in the comments area below. If you liked it, leave a rating so that others can see you liked it. I would love for you to share this on Pinterest and Facebook so that your circle of friends can also see this recipe. This really is a special Norwegian treat and I really appreciate you taking the time to give it a try! You can see other Norwegian recipes here. Have a great day!

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