Comfort in a Bowl: How to Make a Great Bowl of Cream of Wheat (2024)

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Cynthia Nelson

Food columnist and blogger Cynthia Nelson is the author of "Tastes Like Home: My Caribbean Cookbook." Living in Barbados, Cynthia shares her love of the diverse food of the islands.

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Kristin Stangl

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Updated on 03/17/23

Tested by

Danilo Alfaro

Tested byDanilo Alfaro

Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.

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What is Cream of Wheat?

Cream of Wheat is actually a brand name, not food in and of itself. It is a brand of farina, which is a semolina wheat porridge. Cream of Wheat is ground more finely than other farina, so it tends to be lighter and smoother. If you can't find the Cream of Wheat brand or prefer using another farina, you can make this recipe with any farina. Just keep in mind the texture will be slightly different due to the coarser grind of other brands of farina.

Cream of Wheat was created during the late 1800s by a North Dakota flour mill to prevent bankruptcy after the Panic of 1893. The new product was a way to use the part of the wheat not necessary for producing flour. It quickly became popular; so much so, the company had to move to Minneapolis (a milling hub) to expand its operations and keep up with the demand.

What's the Difference Between Cream of Wheat and Grits?

Cream of Wheat is made from ground wheat. Grits are made from a less sweet, yet starchy variety of corn, which has been coarsely ground corn (either white or yellow corn).

Tips

If you're using milk rather than water in this recipe, don't boil it. Just bring the milk to a simmer.

How to Serve Cream of Wheat

Because it is a blank canvas, Cream of Wheat is endlessly adaptable.

You're not limited to a cinnamon stick for flavoring. Sprinkle in a few dashes of pumpkin spice, nutmeg, or cardamom.
When serving, add a pat of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar or swirl of molasses or maple syrup.
A spoonful of canned pumpkin puree makes for a wonderful fall breakfast.
Almost any fruit goes well with this porridge, including berries, mango, and peaches.
A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, almonds or walnuts adds crunch and a bit of protein.
For a savory twist, skip the cinnamon and fold in some sharp cheddar cheese, top with a soft egg, chili crunch or hot sauce and scallions.

Make Ahead

A batch of Cream of Wheat can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, simply scoop out a portion and add a splash of water or milk to prevent the porridge from drying out, and heat in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes (or over medium heat in a small pot on the stove) until warm.

Comfort in a Bowl: How to Make a Great Bowl of Cream of Wheat (5)

Ingredients

2 cups water or whole milk or non-dairy milk of your choice
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/3 cup Cream of Wheat
Granulated sugar, to taste
Milk, to taste
Sliced bananas, optional
Blueberries, optional
Drizzle of honey, optional garnish

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Add the water and the cinnamon stick to a saucepan. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.
Add the Cream of Wheat. Using a whisk, stir well so there are no lumps.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2minutes until the Cream of Wheat has thickened.
Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick.
Sweeten with sugar and milk, stirring until everything is fully incorporated. Top with fruit and drizzle with honey if desired. Serve and enjoy.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
180	Calories
8g	Fat
19g	Carbs
8g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	180
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	10%
Saturated Fat 5g	23%
Cholesterol 24mg	8%
Sodium 112mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 321mg	25%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 334mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

cream
breakfast
american
back to school

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