A delicious, sweet, buttery cream of wheat recipe. The perfect hot cereal for cold winter mornings. It’s commonly made with sugar, butter, and milk, making it super creamy and addicting. Cream of wheat is a classic American hot cereal, also known as porridge. And I think we can all remember our parents making this for us at some point during our childhood, which is why you’ll appreciate this version that’ll excite your taste buds with nostalgia.
What’s the dealio, folks!!! It’s ya boy Jay from Philly, and today I’m back with another banging breakfast recipe! I’m gonna show yall how to make the world’s best cream of wheat, yes the world’s BEST cream of wheat!
I’m sure you’ve all had cream of wheat before… ESPECIALLY those of you living here in the States because most Americans grew up eating it as a child. Let me tell you why this is such a good recipe.
What makes this a good cream of wheat recipe?
- Comfort food: As I said a minute ago, this is comfort food. Cream of wheat is the perfect thing to eat on an early weekend morning, or any morning for that matter, during cold winter mornings. It will fill and warm you up.
- Easy to make: It’s easy to make, which is a plus. You just boil it with some milk and butter for a few minutes, and once tender, add in your spices, and you’re done.
- A quick meal: It takes just 15 minutes to cook. That’s probably what I love most about cream of wheat – how darn quick it is to make.
- Good for kids: This is very kid-friendly, mainly because it’s sweet, and we all know how much children love sweets. But aside from that, children, especially toddlers, love soft, easily digestible food.
- Elderly friendly: Older folk may struggle with eating some foods that require a lot of chewing. Soups and soft food are the kind of food they love, so cream of wheat is the perfect dish to make for Grandma Sally. Lol!
- All-purpose dish: As I said, Cream of Wheat is something most of us make for breakfast, especially during cold months, but it’s also a great option if you get the munchies in the middle of the night.
- Lightweight: Speaking of it being a nice dish you can eat if you get the munchies at night. It’s lightweight, so you don’t have to worry about going to sleep right after eating it because it’s not a heavy dish.
The Black chef on the red box
My mother always made cream of wheat for us before school, and not only did it warm me up on those brisk winter mornings, but it was super delicious and took no time for her to make…
So it was the perfect breakfast a single mother could prepare for the family while getting her slow, stubborn children ready for school!! She would wake us up, we’d do our hygiene and get dressed, and the cereal was already done.
I can remember coming downstairs as a kid early weekday mornings before I left the house for school and seeing that red box of “Cream of Wheat” on the kitchen table. Lol!
One of the things I remember most was the black chef!! Do you guys remember the black chef with a big smile on the front of the box, wearing a Toque and holding a bowl of smoking hot cream of wheat?
Just seeing him smile would brighten up my mornings because I never cared for school and was mad I had to go every day! LMBBO! But that smile, I don’t know, as a kid, it had a way of making me feel everything would be alright.
I say this because grade school was not very fun for me. We did a lot of moving, so I always had to find ways to fit in with new classmates. That was a challenging task for me, but it all eventually went well.
The Trinity
Anyway, Cream of Wheat is my favorite HOT CEREAL, and it’s one of the few things that bring back a lot of great childhood memories for me as a 90s kid. Cream of Wheat is one-third of the porridge (OATMEAL/CREAM OF WHEAT/GRITS) trinity!
I love all three, but as a kid, Cream of Wheat was definitely my favorite because my mom added sugar to it. Lmbo! My mom wasn’t a fan of Oatmeal because she said it looked like “puke,” which is most Oatmeal hater’s reason for not liking it. Lol!
The great debate
Now, I’m sure we all like our Cream of Wheat differently. Most of us “NORMAL FOLKS” like to dress it up with a little milk, butter, and sugar. That’s what most people put in it and how I personally like it.
I think it tastes best this way, as I’m sure many of you do, but you have people with VERY interesting taste buds who like to put salt and pepper in it. LMBO! Just the thought of salt and pepper in cream of wheat confuses me.
But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people arguing about Cream of Wheat & Grits and which one you should add salt and sugar to. My folks always put salt in grits because we considered it a savory dish.
We always put sugar in cream of wheat but to each his own. Most restaurants will definitely give you sugar for cream of wheat and salt and pepper for grits if you don’t say anything, so I think that ends that debate. Lol!
But yeah, that’s always been a debate amongst foodies like myself. Some people actually put sugar in their grits and treat it like cream of wheat, and that just never sat right with me. Haha!
Cookware & utensils you’ll need:
- Saucepan: You can use a medium-sized saucepan for this recipe. You need this to cook the cream of wheat in, of course. But a nice nonstick medium saucepan works best.
- Big Spoon: Make sure you have a big spoon on hand. You need it to serve the cream of wheat.
- Whisk: A whisk is very important, and I’ll talk about why in a few. Make sure you get a silicone one, though, because a metal whisk may ruin your pot, leaving it with scrape marks, and you don’t want that.
- Measuring Cups: Measuring cups are good to have when trying to follow a recipe to a T. You will need this to accurately measure the amount of cream of wheat, sugar, butter, and milk you’re using.
- Measuring Spoons: Measuring spoons are important to have on hand as well when trying to follow a recipe to a T. You need this to ensure you’re using the exact amount of spices we’ll be adding to the cream of wheat.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Cream of wheat
- Evaporated milk
- Butter
- Salt
- Sugar
How to prevent those annoying lumps
First things first, I remember the infamous lumps people would always complain about that show up in every pot of cream of wheat. I had this issue, too, when I first learned how to cook. Here’s how to avoid the infamous lumps.
- Stir vigorously: A vigorous stir is what keeps the cream of wheat from bonding! If you’re anything like me and hate lumps in your Cream of Wheat, this step is the most important step of the recipe.
- Use a whisk: A whisk is made up of bent metal wires that break up any lumps forming during the cooking process. You don’t have to worry about lumps stirring vigorously with a whisk.
- Silicone whisks: Use a silicone or plastic whisk because a metal whisk will cause marks on your pot, especially if you’re using a non-stick black pot.
The butter
- Butter: Butter adds flavor.. it just won’t taste the same without it. All the ingredients together are what makes this recipe so good. They’re all so important because, without 1, the recipe isn’t nearly as good.
- Use a good brand: Since we’re only using a few ingredients it’s important we make each ingredient count. Using the wrong kind of butter can completely ruin the dish, so use a good brand like Land of Lakes, which is the standard.
- Country crock is a good alternative: My nana always used country crock that came in the greyish brown tub. Now, it’s not butter; it’s a spread made of plant oils and looks like butter, but it tastes good with oatmeal. Don’t knock it til you try it.
The evaporated milk
- Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk is pretty much milk… it’s just been heated for a long period of time so that 60% of its water content evaporates; that’s why it’s called evaporated milk. With the water removed, it makes for richer milk.
- Carnation brand: The kind of evaporated milk I use is the Carnation brand. I recommend you do the same for best results and to make the cream of wheat nice and rich. Some brands of evaporated milk aren’t potent at all and taste like regular milk.
- Whole milk is a good alternative: Whole milk is probably the best alternative for evaporated milk, although there’s nothing that can replace the taste and flavor of evaporated milk.
More on evaporated milk and good brands
Cream of wheat is just cereal, and what you put in it determines how good it’ll be. Since we only use a few ingredients, each one becomes that much more important because you can taste ingredients more when you only use a few.
And evaporated milk, just like cheese in mac n cheese and just like sauce on a pizza, it’s what MAKES THE DISH! Without evaporated milk, and without a good brand of it, will completely throw it off.
It wont taste as good, you wont get that toes curling satisfaction you get when food is so good you get a foodgasm… it just wont taste the same. So I don’t know how else to put it to you, but the evaporated milk is the star of the show.
And the butter as well.. for example, if you use an off-brand margarine… it will definitely ruin the dish. The same goes for sugar; use a high-quality brand of sugar like Domino. Every ingredient counts because you’re only using 3.
The salt and sugar
- Salt: Salt is not just to season food for taste, but it makes a great flavor enhancer, so that’s why we’re using it. we’re only using very little, so CHILLAX newbies out there reading this wondering why we’re adding salt to a sweet dish! Lol!
- Sugar: We’re using sugar for obvious reasons and that’s to sweeten the cream of wheat. We do use a lot because cream of wheat is hard to sweeten but use as much as you like. If the large amount in the recipe card frightens you, reduce the amount.
- Healthy option: This is by no means a healthy recipe. This dish is solely for pleasure, and it’s a guilty pleasure for me. Lol! But the cream of wheat itself is pretty healthy. So you can replace the sugar with raw honey or just use less.
Serving suggestions:
- Bacon: Crispy fried pork bacon goes perfectly with cream of wheat. The contrast in flavor (sweet and salty) and texture (smooth and crunchy) makes this the perfect combo.
- Breakfast Sausage: I don’t care if it’s maple sausage links, turkey sausage links, or hot sausage; they all taste great with cream of wheat, which is why you see sausage links in one of the recipe photos. Lol!
- Eggs: Now, when it comes to eggs, I love mine scrambled. They taste great with cream of wheat as well. It’s not something I often make with cream of wheat, but I wanted to list it because it is a good option.
- Omelet: Think about it: an omelet has everything in it that I listed above: bacon, sausage, and it’s made of eggs… so of course, it goes great with cream of wheat.
- Milk: Now a nice cold glass of milk to cool down our esophagus after gulping down a delicious hot bowl of cream of wheat is what we all need. Haha!
Storage and reheating
- How to store cream of wheat? Just seal it in a glass Tupperware bowl and place it in the refrigerator.
- How to reheat cream of wheat? It’s difficult because you often have to add liquid to loosen it up, and that causes lumps. I would reheat it over low heat with a little milk and whisk until smooth. Good luck!
Frequently asked questions
- How long does cream of wheat last? It’s best to eat cream of wheat on the same day. It loses its swag after you place it in the refrigerator, in my opinion. It’s one of those dishes best eaten immediately.
- How do you double this recipe? I would follow the same steps but double the ingredients and stick with the cooking time. However, because you’ll be using more water, it will take longer to come to a boil. You can also just make two separate pots and combine them! Lol!
Other hot cereal recipes
I really want you Cream of Wheat fans out there to try this recipe. My Nana Alice Mae, who could cook her butt off, transitioned in March of last year (2018). So this recipe is in honor of her!
My nana and my mom would cook this for me as a young buck, and I would tear it up, so… shot out to my mom and R.I.P Nana! Anyway, subscribe to receive notifications every time I post a new recipe.
Follow me on social media to stay in touch. My handles are as follows: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Stay connected for updates on everything Philly Jay Cooking! Be blessed!
Enjoy, later!
PBJ~
World’s Best Cream Of Wheat Recipe
- Prep Time: 4 Mins
- Cook Time: 4 Mins
- Total Time: 8 Mins
- Yield: 2
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious, sweet, buttery, Cream of Wheat recipe. The perfect hot cereal for cold winter mornings.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Cream Of Wheat
- 2 Cups Of Water
- 1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Fill a small pot with cool water, add in the salt, and place over high heat.
- After 3 minutes, reduce to medium heat.
- Slowly pour the cream of wheat into the pot while vigorously stirring it with a silicone whisk.
*This prevents the formation of lumps* - Stir in the milk, butter, and sugar, then let it cook for 2 more minutes while continuing to stir.
Notes
I like to add another teaspoon of butter and a little more evaporated milk to my bowl of Cream Of Wheat. That makes it taste even better. Yum!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
by 
30 thoughts on “The World’s Best Cream Of Wheat Recipe”
I added 3 Tbsp of cocoa. It was like a chocolate cookie in a bowl. This would be great for those cold nights when you a small meal.
That seems like a lot of sugar and butter for this recipe. I quartered those amounts and it still came out pretty tasty.
So good I’m still using tour recipe everytime I cook mine I added a splash of vanilla didn’t have evaporated milk did heavy cream mixed it with almond milk it’s perfect thank you
BEST recipe for cream of wheat so far!
Amazing! When we were feeling under the weather my mom used to always make this for us! Childhood memories!
I’m just seeing this post in 2022.
This recipe worked so perfectly that I smiled with every taste!!!
Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. 😊
Glad you tried it and liked it!
Wow, this takes me back to my childhood when my dad would make this for us early mornings. It was one of my favorite breakfasts whenever he made it, I couldn’t eat it any other way. Never got around to asking him for his recipe, but I think I’ve just found it. Thank you!
Your recipe sounds delicious!!! I will definitely grab some carnation milk to add.
I knew something was missing this morning when I made cream of wheat for my daughter who requested post covid.
I decided to make extra and had a bowl as well. I added butter, sliced banana and a sprinkle of brown sugar. I forgot how good this was and good for my bones being diagnosed with osteoporosis a few years ago.
Any recommendations for the best kind of pot to make in? Cause you must get it out of pot cause it will seize up. Since non-stick is more toxic than the Chernobyl ‘elephant foot’…any suggestions? Thank you!
I did 6 months in the county prison when I was 16 because I would have done more time had I gone to juvenile prison, I would have done 24 mo. I used my brothers name and age. Anyway they served cream of wheat every morning with raisins and a little milk and toast with a little cup of strawberry jam and sugar. I don’t want to go to jail to have some cream of wheat but after I finish this post I’m heading to the store😋
tastes like how mom used to make it. thanks!
Delicious, Thank you!!
Happened across this recipe this morning while googling for Cream of Wheat ideas. Saw the box in grocery store and realized I haven’t enjoyed any in decades!! I actually followed your recipe and it was fantastic! And I am fueled up to start my day! Enjoyed your site so I will definitely be back to try more of your recipes. Thanks!
Oh- I did throw in a few blueberries I had (good for my blood pressure issues) and it was 👌!
It’s really good isn’t it… the carnation milk and butter are what makes this recipe so good. It’s 1 pm and you got me wanting some now. Thanks for giving it a shot and I hope you enjoy my other amazing recipes. Later
I disagree. I would use half & half instead of water/evaporated milk & add cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, all spice & ground ginger & substitute sugar for brown sugar (a bit extra to compensate for the cinnamon). Add raisins that have been rehydrated in the hot H&H you’d use. Serve with a container filled with heavy cream. Other then that your spot on.
Finally a recipe to match my childhood. While I am sure I loved that much sugar as a kid when I made it the first time it was too sweet. I halved the sugar this time and it was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
I just wanted to say you are absolutely correct! Grits are a savory dish and CoW is a sweet one. Any other way IS a sin.
I cook my CoW with milk. Then I add a splash of heavy cream, cinnamon and some good Sourwood honey. But I am now on the hunt for some organic evaporated milk to try it your way.
First time trying Cream of Wheat!!! It was amazing! Thanks for sharing.
its a great recipe! But for an added “twist”, add your favorite extract. a splash of vanilla, or almond, really kicks up this recipe. Thinking of trying rum, or even banana extract! add fresh fruit too! so many variations. But, I really reccomend trying the vanilla FIRST!
More sugar? Try none at all. A drizzle of real maple syrup gave mine all the sweetness and rich flavor it needed.
Awesome was very good
Also stayed very creamy didn’t harden up!
Will definitely use this Every time I make cream of wheat thank you for sharing
I finally made it like mom used to ! thank you for sharing!
I have high expectations for this my moms not home and I dont know the recipe so I need this one can’t wait to see how it goes
Great Recipe I love it
Yeah another hit!! Kids loved it! What I like about Phillip boy is that the measurements are ALWAYS on point!!! I was afraid to see if the four kids would eat but they finished and asked for more! Thanks once again… from baked chicken macaroni salad pudding thanks for helping make me a great cook! Waiting for your cooking show to come on tv soon hopefully 😊
3 thumbs up!!!
Loveeeeeeee
You are an awesome cook
Thanks, Rosaline:)