Norwegian Cream: Only 3 Ingredients
With only three ingredients required, Norwegian Cream is barely a recipe at all. Despite its simplicity though, the flavours are complex and delicious. It’s ideal for parties and potlucks as hands-on time is minimal and you can prepare it a few hours in advance. Pair it with juicy fresh fruit and you have the perfect dessert.
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An old family friend used to make this yoghurt and cream mix on a regular basis for dessert when I was young. Since leaving my youth behind, I’ve made it many a time. And it always gets an enthusiastic reception.
Dive Right In
- Why Make Norwegian Cream?
- Norwegian Cream
- Ingredients
- How To Make Norwegian Cream
- How to Serve Norwegian Cream
- Other Creamy Dessert Recipes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
Why Make Norwegian Cream?
Norwegian Cream is one of my favourite puddings to make in the heat of summer as it requires no cooking and little effort. It’s a simple, yet impressive dessert that stands out in both flavour and presentation.
Here are a few more reasons why you’ll want to try it.
- Crowd-Pleaser – Norwegian cream is a delightful mix of creamy and tangy with caramel notes thrown in for good measure. These flavours appeal to a wide range of palates which makes the recipe a crowd-pleaser for almost any occasion.
- Deliciously Unique – The pairing of natural yoghurt with whipped double cream creates a rich and creamy texture, while the melted brown sugar forms a delightful caramel layer on top. This combination is unusual and thus offers a unique and irresistible indulgence.
- Make-Ahead – This recipe is a great make-ahead dessert. Prepare it in the morning on the day you need it and it’s ready to whip out of the fridge at a moment’s notice.
- Quick And Simple – With only three ingredients: natural yoghurt, whipped double cream and brown sugar, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. It requires minimal time and effort, making it the perfect dessert for busy people.
- Versatile – Norwegian cream stands up well all on its own. However, it also pairs wonderfully with fresh, juicy fruit or poached fruit. This makes it a versatile dessert you can serve with either seasonal or favourite fruits.
Norwegian Cream
I’m a big fan of mixing yoghurt and whipped cream together. The yoghurt lightens the richness of the cream and gives it a tangy edge. And the cream enriches the yoghurt. Norwegian cream takes this mix and adds a layer of brown sugar on top which turns it into the most delightful dessert.
The sugar slowly melts creating a caramelised layer which dissolves into the yoghurt and cream mix in the most alluring way.
I don’t know where the name Norwegian cream came from, but I suspect it’s a simplification of a Norwegian dessert called Rommegrot or Flotegrot. Both of these are called Norwegian cream pudding in English and as far as I can tell, there’s not much difference between them. The cream for these are cooked and thickened with flour, then served with a sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.
This version is a lot simpler and really delicious.
Ingredients
It’s hard to believe you can make an exceptional dessert like Norwegian cream with only three ingredients. Try it and be surprised.
Brown Sugar
Dark brown sugar is best for Norwegian Cream. With its delicious burnt caramel notes, it gives a delectable richness to the dessert. Muscovado or Barbados sugar are the queens of unrefined sugars and for this dessert it’s worth pushing the boat out.
Light brown sugar gives a lighter and softer tone. But it’s fine to use it instead, if that’s what you have available.
It’s also okay to use coconut sugar. However it’s not as sweet and again, doesn’t have such a rich flavour profile.
Cream
For richness and to balance out the tanginess of the yoghurt, you need double cream (heavy cream) for this recipe.
Yoghurt
Natural yoghurt is the one to use for Norwegian Cream. You don’t need any additional flavours marring the mix. It’s surprisingly flavoursome already.
For a thicker consistency, use Greek yoghurt or even labnah. In the images you can see here, I found a tub of Greek yoghurt in the fridge rather than the natural one I was expecting. So that’s what I used.
How To Make Norwegian Cream
Although this recipe is a super quick and easy one to prepare, it’s not one you can make at the last minute. Once assembled, Norwegian cream needs to stand for at least an hour before serving.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Whip Cream
Ensure your cream is fridge cold. Warm cream is much harder to whip and sometimes refuses to budge.
In a large bowl, whip the cream until you get firm peaks, but be careful not to over whip. I went a bit too far in the image you can see here. It happens to the best of us.
I use electric beaters (affiliated link) for this, but you can use a hand whisk instead. It just takes longer and you need a strong arm.
Step 2. Add Yoghurt
Gently stir the yoghurt into the cream until it’s thoroughly incorporated.
Scrape the mixture into an attractive serving bowl. Glass is quite fun as you can see the sugar dissolving down the sides.
If the mixture is really thick, level the top with the back of a spoon. Otherwise tap the bowl sharply on the work surface a couple of times to level it. Don’t worry about it being super neat, it’s going to get covered in sugar.
Step 3. Layer On Sugar
Break up any large or hardish lumps with your fingers and sprinkle the sugar, as evenly as possible, over the top of the cream.
Place the bowl in the fridge for an hour, by which time the sugar should have melted.
You may still have a few little lumps of sugar remaining at this point. You can either enjoy them as they are or leave the cream for a further hour for the lumps to dissolve. As you can see, I was too impatient to wait for the lumps to disappear completely.
Serve cold from the fridge or bring it up to room temperature first. Either way it’s hard to resist.
Top Tips
Make in the morning of the day you’re going to serve it, then the sugar will have thoroughly dissolved and you’ll have a no fuss dessert to pull out of the fridge at the last minute.
If you don’t have room in the fridge, you can leave the bowl in a cool place instead. It’s what I usually do.
Any leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days.
How To Serve Norwegian Cream
Norwegian cream stands alone as a delicious dessert in its own right. However, serve it with juicy fresh fruit, poached fruit or even fruit compôte and you have a dessert fit for any occasion.
Berries and ripe stone fruit work particularly well with this cream and yoghurt mix. My favourites are raspberries, strawberries or juicy ripe peaches. It’s also good served alongside a fruit salad.
I sometimes add a layer of sweet sliced strawberries at the bottom of the bowl. This is particularly useful if you’re providing dessert for a potluck or similar and need to transport it.
But I also love it with a tart fruit compôte such as blackcurrants, as seen in the image above. The sweet, sour and creamy elements just go so well. I particularly like the way the fruit swirls into the cream.
If you need to feed a crowd, just double, triple or even quadruple the quantities.
You can also serve Norwegian cream as individual desserts. Just divide the cream mixture between small dishes, crumble the sugar over the tops and leave it to dissolve.
Other Creamy Dessert Recipes You Might Like
- Baked lemon curd cheesecakes
- Blood orange posset
- Chocolate chip mousse
- Coconut cream pie
- Scottish cranachan
- Vegetarian strawberry blancmange
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this recipe for Norwegian cream, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making cream desserts?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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Choclette x
Norwegian Cream. PIN IT.
Norwegian Cream: Only 3 Ingredients
Equipment
- electric beaters (affiliate link) optional
Ingredients
- 300 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 300 g natural yoghurt can use Greek yoghurt instead, but it will be thicker and slightly more calorific
- 50 g dark muscovado sugar can use dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip the cream until you get firm peaks, but be careful not to over whip. I use electric beaters for this, but you can use a hand whisk. It just takes longer.300 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- Stir the yoghurt into the cream until it’s thoroughly incorporated.300 g natural yoghurt
- Scrape the mixture into an attractive serving bowl and level the top.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the mix and place in the fridge for an hour, by which time the sugar should have melted. If not, pop it back in the fridge for a further thirty minutes or more. The longer you leave it, the more the sugar will dissolve.50 g dark muscovado sugar
- Serve with fresh berries, other fresh fruit or a fruit salad. It’s especially good with raspberries, strawberries or juicy ripe peaches.
I have found Coombe Castle Devon Double Cream in a jar in Canada, which is very thick. Do I still whip it to firm peaks?
Hi Christine. If it’s firm enough to stand on it’s own it’s probably all right as it is, but whipping gives a lighter consistency and makes the whole thing go further. I’ve never tried whipping very thick cream though, so I don’t know how it behaves.
This is absolutely delicious! We’ve had it with sliced strawberries and cut fresh pineapple. One of my new favorites!
After all these years, I’m still surprised that such a simple combination turns out such an excellent pudding. And it goes brilliantly with fruit, though I’ve never tried it with pineapple. Will have to try.
Looks so good! The top isn’t fired like a creme brulee? The sugar gets that dark on top by dissolving?
It’s really good, very simple, but effective. The sugar is already dark but yes, it dissolves most delightfully.
I’ve been making this for years from a Waitrose recipe – no idea it was called Norwegian cream. Served with baked peaches or nectarines – delicious. A summer staple for the best of weekends.
Btw, SaveOn Foods or Safeway in Canada sells double cream or clotted cream in little glass jars. It’s good but too thick for this recipe – no idea what the fat content could be. It works fine for me with regular whipping cream. The hard thing for me is getting decent natural yoghurt.
Oh, how interesting. I’ve never seen the recipe anywhere. It’s super simple, but so good. Thanks for the info on where to get double cream in Canada, but sorry to hear you have difficulties with yoghurt. Seems that even the simple things in life aren’t that simple.
Use whatever you can find. Place some cheese cloth, suspended, over a deep bowl. I use an elastic band to secure it in place. Pile the yoghurt on top of the cheese cloth and place in fridge. The liquid will drain out and give you a decent yoghurt. The longer you leave it the more water drains. This is also my favourite method when making Tzatziki.
Thanks, a good tip. This is what I do too to make labneh. Only keep the whey from the yoghurt, it’s useful for all sorts of things.
I just came across this recipe while getting my nails done & I have to say …..
I’m going to the grocery store after my nails are done to get the ingredients & then going home to make
it as soon as I walk in the door !
I can’t wait to try this!!
Thank you for posting your recipe for us to try!!
Esther
Love it that you spotted the recipe whilst getting your nails done. Funnily enough, I made some yesterday with a layer of blackcurrant compote beneath it. Every time I eat Norwegian cream, I’m surprised at just how good it is for such a simple recipe.
Hi, I really want to try this but I’m in Canada and we don’t have double cream here, just whipping cream which is a lower fat content (36% vs 48% in double cream). Is this able to be substituted or do you have any other options?
Thank you!!!
Hi Lisa. I had no idea double cream wasn’t a thing in Canada. Looks like it isn’t in the US either. If you use whipping cream, it won’t have quite the same texture, but I don’t see why it couldn’t work. I would suggest doing a direct swap and making a small amount first to test it. If you use less yoghurt and more cream, you won’t get the flavour from the yoghurt. Let me know how it goes.
Kroger Grocery Stores carry HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM much thicker then whipping cream. Give it a try.
Good tip, thank you. I have to say, I thought heavy cream was the same as double cream.
Absolutely lovely! Can’t stop eating it. Keep appearing at the fridge door with a spoon in my hand!!
Mary :))
Haha, I might be guilty of that myself. So glad you like my Norwegian cream Mary.
this sounds super delicious! I love a creamy yoghurty bit of sweetness.
cheers
sherry
You wouldn’t think yoghurt, cream and sugar could be so special, but it really is.
I’ve never heard of this dessert, but it looks good. Hope to try it soon.
No, I suspect it’s just a family thing – both the recipe and the name. But it’s so easy to make and so good, definitely worth a try.
This looks really luscious and appeals to the lazy cook in me. Definitely going to try it.
You won’t regret it. And yes, Norwegian cream is the perfect dessert for the lazy cook.