This rich and creamy rice pudding is legendary in my family. Based on a very old traditional Norwegian recipe passed down from my grandma, who learned it from the older generation. Enjoy!

Norwegian rice pudding (risgrot) recipe

Does cooking a loved one’s favorite foods bring you joy? It certainly does for me.

This rice pudding is one of my dad’s favorites. It’s a recipe that my family has been making for decades. A traditional Norwegian recipe that has been enjoyed by my family for generations.

Whenever we made this rice in the past, it was a big deal. Special occasions only.

But now that I make it myself, I wonder why we ate it so seldom growing up, considering how easy and cheap it is to make.

About The Recipe

This rice pudding is thick, creamy, and not too sweet. It’s made with whole milk – and I don’t recommend skimping by using 2 percent or skim.

This Norwegian rice pudding is best topped with melted butter and cinnamon. You can also add berries, raisins or nuts on top.

I like to eat this as a hearty snack, preferably in the winter. But you can eat it however you want: for dessert, breakfast or dinner.

How Do They Eat It In Norway?

I consulted a Norwegian friend who told me that risgrøt is traditionally eaten for dinner. Many Norwegians eat it as an early dinner, if they’re having another meal much later in the evening.

A lot of people eat risgrøt on Christmas Eve to hold them over until a late Christmas Eve dinner.

If there is any rice pudding leftover, Norwegians often make riskrem, the dessert version of risgrøt. To make riskrem, mix the rice pudding with whipped cream and serve it with a berry sauce (raspberry or strawberry). Voila!

Check Out These Other Traditional Norwegian-American Recipes:

Norwegian rice pudding (risgrot) recipe

Norwegian Rice Porridge (Risgrøt)

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

My family adds raisins to this rice pudding, but they're not my favorite so I left them out.

This recipe is a little bit sweeter than the traditional. Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Cinnamon, for topping
  • Butter, for topping

Instructions

  1. Bring water and rice to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until most of the water is absorbed into the rice.
  2. Turn heat down to medium. Start adding milk to the rice, one cup at a time. After each cup is added, stir the rice and cook for 5 minutes or so, until most of the milk is absorbed into the rice. Continue with this process until all the milk is added. The rice is cooked low and slow - the whole process can take up to an hour. Once all the milk is added, stir in the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
  3. Serve rice warm with butter and cinnamon on top. The rice can also be served cold, with melted butter on top.

Did you like this recipe?

Please give it a 5-star review on the recipe card above!