Sweet Wheat Frumenty

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Easy

A medieval porridge of cracked wheat simmered slowly in milk, sweetened with honey and perfumed with saffron and cinnamon. Our version uses cracked wheat for convenience instead of hulled wheat berries. Makes 4 bowls in about 45 minutes.

Prep 10 min

Cook 35 min

Total 45 min

Yield 4 bowls

Ingredients

Adjust yield

bowls

5 ½ oz (150 g)coarse bulgur or cracked wheat
2 ½ cups (600 ml)whole milk
¾ cup (200 ml)water
1 pinchsaffron threads
¾ tsp (2 g)ground cinnamon
1 pinchfine salt
2 (36 g)egg yolks, optional, for richness
2 ½ tbsp (50 g)honey
1 ½ oz (40 g)dried currants
¼ cup (30 g)toasted almonds, chopped

Fresh ingredient guides

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Rinse the bulgur and drain. Crush the saffron into 30 ml warm milk and let it steep 10 minutes.
Combine the bulgur, remaining milk, water, cinnamon and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook over low heat 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are tender and the porridge is thick but loose.
Stir in the currants, honey and saffron milk and cook 5 minutes more.
If using yolks, whisk them with a spoonful of the hot porridge, then stir them back in over low heat for 2 minutes until the porridge reaches at least 160 F (71 C); do not boil.
Serve warm in bowls topped with chopped almonds and an extra drizzle of honey.

Tips

Stir often; milk scorches on the bottom easily.
Add more milk if it thickens too much as it stands.
Hulled wheat berries are traditional; soak overnight and simmer 1 to 1.5 hours if you can find them.
If you add egg yolks, heat the porridge to at least 160 F (71 C) and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make sweet wheat frumenty?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 4 bowls.

How should I store sweet wheat frumenty?

Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of milk.

Can I make sweet wheat frumenty ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

A recipe for frumenty appears in the c. 1390 English cookbook The Forme of Cury, and sweet versions were served on special occasions. Serve it with spiced wine.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 4 servings this recipe makes.

379 Calories / serving

11.4g Fat

64.6g Carbs

8.5g Protein

56.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (4 servings): ~1516 cal · 46g fat · 258g carbs · 34g protein · 225g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.