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Rote Grütze

Name: Rote Grütze
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 120 g red currants; 120 g strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large; 80 g raspberries; 120 g sweet cherries, pitted and halved; 100 ml water; 45 g caster sugar; 10 ml lemon juice; 18 g cornstarch; 30 ml cold water; 180 ml whole milk; 40 ml double cream; 20 g caster sugar; 5 ml vanilla extract; 6 g cornstarch

Rote Grütze is a bright, jewel-toned berry pudding with a soft, spoonable set and a balance of tart and sweet fruit. Served with cool vanilla sauce, it is refreshing, creamy, and deeply summery despite its simple preparation.

30 min

2 servings

321 kcal

German

Ingredients

Fruit base

120 gred currants
120 gstrawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large
80 graspberries
120 gsweet cherries, pitted and halved
100 mlwater
45 gcaster sugar
10 mllemon juice

Thickening slurry

18 gcornstarch
30 mlcold water

Vanilla sauce

180 mlwhole milk
40 mldouble cream
20 gcaster sugar
5 mlvanilla extract
6 gcornstarch

Instructions

1
Rinse the red currants, strawberries, and raspberries gently, then drain well. Hull the strawberries and cut them into halves or quarters if large. Pit the cherries and halve them. Set aside a small handful of the prettiest berries for serving if you like. In a small saucepan, warm the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cornstarch together, whisking from cold so the starch disperses smoothly.
2
Cook the vanilla sauce over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until it just thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil hard or it may become gluey. Pour into a bowl or jug, cover the surface, and let it cool while you make the fruit.
3
In another saucepan, combine the red currants, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring carefully so the softer berries keep some shape while the currants and cherries release their juices.
4
Stir the cornstarch and cold water together until completely smooth, then pour the slurry into the simmering fruit while stirring. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the juices turn glossy and lightly thickened. The mixture should be spoonable, not stiff; it will set a little more as it cools.
5
Divide the Rote Grütze between 2 bowls or glasses. Let it rest for about 10 minutes so it loses its steaming heat and the fruit gel settles slightly. Serve warm-cool or chilled further if preferred, with the vanilla sauce spooned over or alongside, plus any reserved berries on top.

Nutrition per serving

321 kcal

Calories

Protein

58g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•If your berries are especially sweet, reduce the sugar in the fruit base by 10-15 g.
•Frozen berries can be used; cook them straight from frozen and add 1-2 extra minutes.
•For a more traditional texture, avoid over-stirring once the raspberries go into the pan.
•The dessert is often even better after a short chill, but it is still delicious within the 30-minute time frame.

Background

Rote Grütze is a classic dessert from northern Germany, especially associated with Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, where tart red berries are abundant in summer. Traditionally made with a mixture of red fruits thickened lightly with starch, it is commonly served with cream, milk, or vanilla sauce.

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