The semolina pudding recipe
for your table
Bring the milk with the sugar, a pinch of salt and the split vanilla pod or lemon zest almost to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Stir over the bottom occasionally, because milk sticks there and then burns.
Sprinkle the semolina into the boiling milk in a thin stream while continuing to whisk. If you add it all at once, you’ll get lumps that you can no longer whisk out: they are balls of dry semolina with a cooked layer around them, and no more moisture can get through.
Then let the pudding simmer gently for five to eight minutes over low heat, continuing to stir. Any shorter and the semolina will remain grainy between your teeth. During those minutes, the mixture visibly thickens and comes away from the bottom; that is when to stop.
Spoon the pudding into the glasses or into a mold you have first wetted, and let it set covered in the refrigerator for at least three hours. Pour the berry sauce over it just before serving.
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Send the semolina pudding recipe to your own email so you have it to hand when you are ready to make it. You will also receive a € 5 discount code on purchases from € 50, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Semolina is wheat that has been coarsely ground, coarser than flour and finer than cracked grain. In hot milk, it swells and binds the milk into a mixture that becomes firm as it cools. That is the whole mechanism: no gelatine, no egg, just starch that retains moisture and does not release it again. This makes it a dessert made from almost nothing, milk with a handful of semolina and some sugar, which also explains why it has been a staple in Dutch kitchens for generations. At home, people rarely agree on the finishing touch: one person insists that redcurrant sauce belongs with it, while another swears by brown sugar or a splash of syrup.
The right glass
Semolina pudding sets firmly as it cools, and that determines what the glass needs to be able to do. If you simply leave it in the glass, nothing needs to be unmoulded, so the opening is the main consideration: the redcurrant sauce should be able to form a layer over the entire surface rather than sink into a hollow. According to the description, the ice cream coupe below is 8.6 centimetres high and 10.9 centimetres in diameter, making it wide and shallow, so the pudding also cools faster and more evenly. The second coupe stands on a higher foot; that foot keeps your hand away from the bowl, so the pudding does not warm up while you eat. If you want to unmould it, you need a proper pudding mould, and we do not sell those, so we chose the two shapes in which it simply stays put. More shapes can be found among the dessert glasses.
Onis Primavera Ice Cream Coupe 28 cl (6 pieces)
Royal Leerdam Desserts Ice Cream Coupe 25 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 59,90.
The right tools
For semolina pudding, in addition to the glass, use a fine strainer to push the red berries through and a zester for the lemon zest. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Pushes the red berries through without skins and seeds
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 53,85.
What do you serve with it?
This is a dessert that is often served with children at the table, so most people do not pair it with anything. If it is a dessert for adults, a small glass afterward is a good match: in the Netherlands, usually genever or vieux, while a liqueur also goes well with the pudding's sweet side. On every drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Whisk two egg whites until stiff and fold them in as soon as the pan comes off the heat: the pudding will become noticeably lighter and airier, although it will also set less firmly and need to spend longer in the fridge. Using brown sugar or a splash of syrup instead of white sugar makes the whole thing darker and more caramel-like in flavour. Raisins that you have first soaked in warm water can be folded in, and if you prefer to keep the tartness separate, serve the berries in a small bowl alongside. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Make the pudding in the morning so it has the whole day to set; three hours is the minimum, but overnight is better. Pour the berry sauce over it just before serving; otherwise, the acidity will seep into the pudding and the contrast will be lost. Covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for a day, but do not stir anything into it afterward: once set, it will become runny again if stirred.
Good to know
Why do I get lumps in my semolina pudding?
Because the semolina goes into the milk too quickly. Each grain that touches the boiling milk forms a layer of cooked starch on its outside within a second. If the grains are touching each other at that moment, that layer makes them stick together, creating a lump that stays dry inside; no liquid can penetrate it later. Sprinkling it in a thin stream keeps the grains separate, and whisking does the rest. Once a lump has formed, the only way to remove it is to push the entire pudding through a sieve.
How long should the semolina cook?
Five to eight minutes over low heat after adding it. During that time, the grains absorb the liquid and the starch cooks through. Stop sooner, and the pudding will still feel grainy on the tongue, even if it looks thick enough: the mixture has thickened because the starch on the outside of the grains has swollen, while the centers are still hard. Keep stirring, though, because semolina quickly sinks to the bottom over low heat and burns there.
Why is a tart sauce served with it?
Semolina pudding is sweet, soft, and fairly flat in flavor, with little texture to chew. Red berries are distinctly tart, and that acidity cuts right through it, making each bite feel fresh again. If you replace the berries with something sweet, the counterbalance disappears and the whole thing becomes monotonous after just a few bites. Fresh red berries cooked with sugar into a sauce work best; bottled berry juice is the quick option and does the same job.
How do you get the pudding out of a mold?
By wetting the mold beforehand and not drying it. That layer of water sits between the glass or metal and the pudding, so it releases instead of sticking. Rinse the mold with cold water, spoon the warm pudding into it, and cover it. Once it has set, place the mold in a shallow layer of hot water for about ten seconds, loosen the edge with a finger, and turn it out onto a plate. In a glass, none of this is necessary: you can simply leave it in there.
How long does semolina pudding keep?
Covered, it will keep for a day in the refrigerator. During that time it will become slightly firmer and a skin may form, so place plastic wrap or a lid directly on the surface. Do not stir it again, because the structure comes from starch that has set and stirring breaks it down; the pudding will then become thin and will not regain its consistency. Store the berry sauce separately.
Frequently asked questions
How do you prevent lumps in semolina pudding?
Sprinkle the semolina into the boiling milk in a thin stream while continuing to whisk. Adding it all at once produces lumps: dry semolina with a cooked layer around it, through which no more liquid can penetrate and which you can no longer whisk out.
How long does semolina pudding need to set?
At least three hours in the refrigerator, covered. Overnight is better, as it will then set more evenly. It sets while cooling: warm, the pudding is still pourable; cold, it is set. If you make it in a mould, you should allow a full night anyway, otherwise it will collapse when unmoulded.
Can you make semolina pudding lighter?
Yes, by folding in two stiffly beaten egg whites as soon as the pan is removed from the heat. The pudding will then have a lighter, foamier texture. It will set less firmly, though, so leave it in the refrigerator longer and serve it in a glass rather than unmoulded.
Which glass do you serve semolina pudding in?
In a wide, shallow coupe glass. The pudding cools quickly and evenly in it, allowing the berry sauce to form a layer over the entire surface. A stemmed coupe has the advantage that your hand stays away from the bowl, so the dessert remains cold while you eat.
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