Whipped Lingonberry Semolina Porridge (Finnish Vispipuuro)

This vispipuuro, the Finnish whipped lingonberry semolina porridge, is an easy recipe to whip up for breakfast or a snack that you can meal prep to enjoy during the week or serve right after making. Take advantage of the autumn berries to whip up a flavorful snack easily.

After the summer our freezers here in the North are packed full of berries to be enjoyed during the hard dark winter to gain the vitamins and antioxidants that they are filled with. When I enjoy this traditional Finnish vispipuuro recipe for whipped lingonberry porridge in our cozy kitchen in the darkness of the winter my mind goes to the amazing wilderness, I can smell the powerful scent of the forest and feel the lovely summer breeze.

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Tips for making the whipped lingonberry semolina porridge

• Get all the ingredients and tools ready on the counter beforehand to get the kitchen flow in making the whipped porridge.
• You can do the quick version and cool the porridge in the sink filled with cold water to enjoy it after cooking or use the recipe for meal prep to prepare the porridge to the fridge the day before and let it cool down in the fridge without any effort and enjoy it through the week.
• Use half and half: half wheat semolina and half full grain spelt semolina to have the benefits and fibers of the full grain and the fluffy texture that the regular semolina gives. 
• You can use both frozen and fresh lingonberries which ones you happen to have. We have our freezer now full of berries so frozen ones are my go-to.

Ingredients you need for vispipuuro recipe

• Water
• Lingonberries, frozen or fresh, see the substitutions under the header “How to substitute lingonberries in whipped lingonberry porridge“
• Caster sugar, you can substitute with other sugar
• Salt
• Wheat semolina
• Full-grain spelt semolina, can be substituted with wheat semolina, or full-grain wheat semolina. Notice that if you use only full-grain semolina, the result will be less fluffy.

Make also these using semolina

Tools you might need

• Stainless steel pot ( 1,5 – 2 L)
• Measuring cups
• Immersion blender with both cutter and whisk head
• Whisk
• Spatula 
• High container with a lid

How to make

Step one: Measure the ingredients for vispipuuro recipe

Measure in a stainless steel pot the lingonberries, water, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, measure the semolina and full-grain spelt semolina and choose the cutter end for your hand mixer.

Step two: Puree the berries

Take the pot from the heat and carefully mix the berries, water, and sugar. Immerse well the cutter head of the hand mixer so as not to splash around the hot mixture. Mix until smooth. 

If you want to sieve the mixture to make the semolina porridge ultra smooth this is the moment to do so: pour the mixture through a sieve into a heat-resistant container, rinse the pot, and pour the mixture back in. Be careful with pouring the hot liquid!

Step three: Add the semolina

Return to the stove and bring to a boil. By the time the mixture boils again take the whisk and start whisking slowly. When you have a constant swirl pour slowly the semolinas in. When stirring constantly while pouring the semolina it will not be stuck on the bottom of the pot. Switch to medium-low heat and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Remove from the heat and let it cool

Step four: Whisking

Fast option

If you prefer to enjoy the whipped porridge right away you can speed up the cooling process with a few tricks. 

Pour the porridge into a high container that supports heat and immerse that in the sink with cold water.  Beware not to let water from the sink run in the container. When the container is already cool it will cool down faster than the hot steel pot that was just on the stove. Change the whisk head to your immersion blender and whisk vigorously until the porridge is fluffy and changes the color to a slightly lighter shade of pink.

Before serving, whisk vigorously with the whisk head of the immersion blender until the porridge is fluffy and changes color to a slightly lighter shade of pink to obtain the perfect texture.

Serving the Finnish red porridge with lingonberries

Serve the whipped porridge traditionally with a bit of cold milk of your preference on the side of the plate with the porridge.

Storage

Store in the fridge in a container with the lid for up to five days. You can whisk it before first serving and it will keep the consistency throughout the week. If you feel that the structure collapses you can whisk it again.

How to tweak this recipe

• If you want to upgrade the portion to the more luxurious dessert try with cream or vanilla custard.
• Add some fresh berries on top with a sprinkle of sugar.
• For a healthier option choose sweeter berries and decrease or skip the sugar completely.

FAQ

What is whipped porridge?

Whipped porridge is a traditional midday snack or dessert porridge in Nordic Countries. It has a lovely pink color due to the red berries. The vispipuuro has a mousse-like consistency, it is light and fluffy when done right. Whipped porridge is made with semolina and acid berries – traditionally with whole lingonberries or red currants. You can make it with lingonberry juice or other berry or fruit juice as well, but to gain more of the healthy benefits of the berry skins I recommend using whole ones instead. Juices are often already sweetened and they do not contain all the different healthy parts of the berries.

What is semolina?

Semolina is a grain product. In the milling process, the most nourishing core parts of the wheat grain are separated from the grain and made into semolina. That’s why semolina is considered very beneficial for your health. Semolina is coarser than normal flour and usually has a bit yellowish color. Do not mix up with polenta that has a bit similar look, but is made with corn. 

Can I make whipped porridge without gluten?

Semolina contains gluten. Some have tried successfully using rice flour instead of semolina to avoid gluten, but I do not have personal experience with that one. If you have tried, let me know in the comments, I would love to know more!

What to serve with the whipped lingonberry porridge?

Typically the whipped lingonberry porridge is served with milk, some people add a bit of sugar too. The most common is to have it with cow’s milk and you can stir it in or take a spoonful of porridge and milk to enjoy them separately. If you prefer oat milk or other plant-based milk, they will work well too!

What to do if the whipped porridge does not foam up?

• The quality and style of semolina give different results. If you use only full-grain semolina the porridge will naturally be less fluffy due to the quantity of fibers that the full-grain semolina has. To gain more healthy aspects of this portion I have recommended in the recipe to use half semolina and half full grain semolina to get the fibers and benefits of the full grains and still get the fluffier result thanks to the usual semolina.
• Before whisking make sure you have cooked the porridge enough. If the consistency is very watery it most likely will not foam up. Increase the cooking time to get a better consistency.  
• The porridge needs to be cooled down before it can be whipped. You can pour cold water into the sink and immerse the pot halfway to cool the mixture down. Beware not to let the water from the sink run in the pot! To speed up the process you can pour the porridge into a high container that supports heat and immerse that in. When the container is already cool it will cool down faster than the hot steel pot that was just on the stove. If you still struggle with consistency, place the jar into the fridge and wait until the next day it is completely cooled and whisk it well.

You can play around with the other berries to make your favorite combination. Try strawberry, raspberry, and blueberry or why not make a leap to the fruit world and use apples, or be adventurous and use rhubarb! Adjust the sweetener depending on the sweetness of your chosen ingredient.

What other combinations you have tried?

Have you made already whipped porridge? Let me know in the comments your favorite combinations! Tag me on Instagram with @blue.tea.tile or let me know in the comments, I would love to know more!

Something else Nordic to whip up next?