The World’s Best Cream Of Wheat Recipe

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! You won’t find a cream of wheat recipe that can top this one here!

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.

Ok so here are the ingredients we’re going to be using. In this section, I’ll discuss each ingredient in depth, provide alternatives, and recommend the best option for each. 

Ingredients

• Main Ingredient: Make sure you use the right Cream of Wheat; the kind in the red box, not that instant stuff.
• Water: Water is used to boil/cook the cream of wheat. Make sure to use cool water, and using spring water won’t hurt, just saying:)
• Milk: Use the Carnation brand; it’s the best on the market. Evaporated milk has been heated for an extended period, allowing 60% of its water content to evaporate; that’s why it’s called evaporated milk. With the water removed, it makes for richer milk. Whole milk is a good alternative
• Fat: Butter adds flavor… it just won’t taste the same without it. My Nana loved using Country Crock, even though it’s a spread made from plant oil. It tastes so good, so don’t knock it till you try it.
• Seasonings & Spices: The salt is used to enhance the flavor, and we’re using only a little, so it won’t make the dish too salty. The white sugar is what sweetens the dish. The recipe calls for a lot because it takes a lot to make it taste good, but consider using less or substituting with raw honey for a healthier option.

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. I’m sure this will bring back nostalgia for you, too.

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 haters’ 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!

Cream of wheat recipe

1. Fill a small pot with cool water.
2. Add the salt, and place over high heat.
3. After 3 minutes, reduce to medium heat.
4. Slowly pour the cream of wheat into the pot while vigorously stirring it with a silicone whisk.
   *This prevents the formation of lumps*
5. Stir in the milk, butter, and sugar.
6. Let it cook for 2 more minutes while continuing to stir.

Tips for best results:

• Silicone Whisk: Ensure you get a silicone or plastic whisk, as a metal whisk may damage your pot, leaving it with scrape marks, which you want to avoid.
• Stir a lot: Make sure to stir a lot as you’re adding the cream of wheat to the hot water. Stir vigorously; this will ensure lumps won’t form. But stirring during the first few seconds is very important.
• Use high-quality ingredients: Ensure the ingredients are not only from reputable brands for optimal results, but also new, fresh, and not expired.

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 also taste great with cream of wheat. It’s not something I often make with cream of wheat, but I wanted to list it because its a good option.
• 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? I don’t usually store it because I eat it in one setting. However, place it in a small bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store 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!

Cream Of Wheat FAQ’s

• How to prevent those annoying lumps? If you’re anything like me and hate lumps in your Cream of Wheat, it’s crucial to stir vigorously with a whisk as you’re pouring the Cream of Wheat into the hot water during the first few seconds. This will keep it from bonding. Continue stirring periodically until it’s done.
• 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 same cooking time. However, because you’ll be using more water, it will take longer to come to a boil.

Equipment:

• Saucepan: A medium-sized saucepan is suitable 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: Be sure to have a large spoon on hand. You need it to serve the cream of wheat.
• Whisk: Whisk are good for preventing lumps as stated earlier.
• 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 also essential to have on hand when trying to follow a recipe to the T. You need these to ensure you’re using the exact amount of spices that’ll be added to the cream of wheat.

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). This recipe is dedicated to 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.

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Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

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