Recipe: Enriched Cream of Wheat with Egg and Vanilla

Elizabeth's recent post on Cream of Wheat prompted a lot of comments, including one from liverwurstontoast, who said that sometimes she adds an egg to make a sort of Cream of Wheat pudding in the mornings. My mom did this too, and the sweet, creamy breakfast pudding turned into one of my favorite breakfast indulgences in cold weather. It also makes my breakfast cereal a little more filling and nutritious. Here's how you turn plain Cream of Wheat into a thick, creamy breakfast pudding.

Unlike my other breakfast staple, steel cut oats, Cream of Wheat is best eaten right away while it's hot. So this recipe is for two, or a double helping for one.

Cream of Wheat with Egg and Vanilla
2 servings

1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Cream of Wheat (2 1/2 minute variety)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg yolk*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Grated nutmeg
Milk and butter, to serve (if you're feeling indulgent)

Bring the milk, water, and salt to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Whisk in the Cream of Wheat, whisking as you add it bit by bit. Turn the heat very low and let it simmer for about two minutes or until thickened.

While it's simmering, whisk the sugar and egg yolk together in a small bowl, along with about a tablespoon of water to thin it. When the Cream of Wheat has thickened, put a couple big spoonfuls in the bowl with the egg yolk and whisk to temper the egg. Whisk the egg back into the pot of Cream of Wheat. Continue cooking on low heat for another couple minutes. Do not let it boil.

Stir in the vanilla and a little grated nutmeg and serve promptly.

* Note on the egg yolk: You can use the whole egg in this. However, I find that it's difficult to keep the egg white from curdling at least a little bit when added into the hot cereal, so you may find soft little nubs of egg white throughout. If this won't bother you, add the whole egg. Using just the egg yolk seems to keep it a little smoother.

(Image: Faith Durand)

Comments (19)

I have to disagree that Cream of Wheat must be eaten right away when hot! Maybe this is a childhood quirk, but I love when leftover Cream of Wheat is put into the fridge and eaten cold later.

Boy do I wish it was breakfast time (or that I hadn't just eaten lunch). Cream of Wheat is my ultimate comfort food, but I've never done anything too fancy with it - just brown sugar, butter, maybe some fruit on top.

cream of wheat/oatmeal blend is my favorite and reliable breakfast. i cook the grains in milk, stir in two soft-boiled eggwhites when it's cooked and top with pepper. it's fast, filling and very comforting on the soul.

yum... I need to go but a box right now.

i had it for breakfast today but after this post i'm ready for it again tomorrow!

why can't i just put the whole egg in? why just a yolk? separating eggs in the morning just seems like too much work. this seems like a yummy recipe i'd like to try but would prefer to get the whole protein of the egg not just the yolk.

@Joan - that's a good question. I'll update the recipe with a note on that.

Not sure if anyone is still checking this thread, but thought I'd chime in with a review:

This is amazing! Just had this for breakfast, and it was delicious. It was easy to make, and it smells and tastes wonderful. Both my husband and my baby gave rave reviews as well.

OMG!! This is amazing..I miss Malt O Meal but i cant get that up here in Canada but I can get Cream of Wheat but I found it a bit bland..I just tried your recipe and now I wont be so homesick for the Malt O Meal

Thank you for this post:)

Cream of Wheat is my breakfast of choice! Each week day (occasionally on weekends) I make Cream of Wheat, mix with a little brown sugar and top with freshly ground flax seeds. I take it to school (where I am a 2nd grade teacher) and eat it while preparing classroom activities. This recipe sounds amazing. I can't wait to try it! Yummmm....

I tempered the whole egg - very slowly and carefully - and there were no egg white bits. It tasted like a custard. So yummy. Thanks so much for this post!

I tried this for the first time this morning and I really couldn't detect any difference in texture than with making it the regular way. Could it have to do with the fact that I always use milk only when cooking my cream of wheat and never just plain water.

I would love to add more egg to it as 1 egg yolk for 2 people doesn't seem like much of a protein boost for me. Might as well have a scrambled egg on the side.

Ohhhhh... I know what I'm having for breakfast on this cold morning! I just love Cream of Wheat, although I miss the kid on the Farina box from my childhood!

So I tried the recipe this morning. I used skim milk (that's what I had in fridge) and topped it with freshly ground flax seeds. Delicious! I am now a fan of this pudding-like recipe! Yummmm

Eating this right now! It's so good I feel like I need to be alone! Might try brown sugar next time. Thanks!

when i was growing up my favorite breakfast was cream of wheat. over 50 years later and a lot of experience behind me i quit buying cream of wheat long ago and switced to bear mush by arrowhead mills. it is cream of wheat only whole grain. it is just as creamy and delicious but you aren't giving up whole grains to eat it. you can get it on amazon if you can't find it locally. this recipe looks fantastic and i can't wait to try it with my bear mush.

I used to love this when I was a kid! Now I'm tempted to buy a box. I also recall liking Coco-wheats... maybe I could put a bit of cocoa powder in this? Yum!

I literally just finished having this for breakfast and I am in love. I'm expecting my first child and can't wait until the day when I can make this for them! Now...if only I had some bananas, I'd have made this with the bruleed bananas! Yum!

I just made this! Cream of Wheat is always my guilty cold-weather pleasure, since it really doesn't have any of the nutritional benefits of, say, oatmeal.

I used the whole egg and I tempered the egg with the milk/wheat mixture before it became thick and creamy. While it was still liquid, I put some into the bowl with the whole egg and whisked - and no clumpy white bits in the finished product.

It is DELICIOUS. Honestly, I am SO glad you posted this, Faith! (And a little bummed I didn't think of it first!) Perfect way to make Cream of Wheat a bit more nutritious! Thanks!

I used a whole egg and I needed it to be a little sweeter, so I added one more tablespoon of sugar. So yummy on a cold Wisconsin day! Thanks!!