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Rote Grütze: German Red Berry Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

⏱ 3 h 35 min in total🔪 20 min prep🍳 15 min cooking🧊 3 h resting🍽 6 servingsEasyGermanic
Ceramic bowl of Rote Grütze: whole cherries, raspberries and strawberries in a glossy dark red syrup, with yellow vanilla sauce poured over

Rote Grütze is the red berry dessert of northern Germany and Denmark, where it's called rødgrød: whole fruit briefly cooked in its own juice, thickened with starch until glossy, and served cold with warm or cold vanilla sauce. It's a close cousin of Slavic kissel, but thicker, with the fruit in plain view.

The key is keeping the fruit whole. The firm ones (cherries, redcurrants) cook for a couple of minutes; the soft ones (raspberries, strawberries) go in with the heat off. That way you get a fruit dessert with texture, not a jam. Frozen berries work just as well, all year round.

Ingredients

Measurements
🍽 6 servings
  • 750 g mixed red fruit (pitted cherries, redcurrants, raspberries, strawberries; frozen is fine)
  • 300 ml cherry juice or red grape juice
  • 80 g sugar
  • ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 35 g cornstarch
  • 500 ml milk (for the vanilla sauce)
  • 2 egg yolks (for the vanilla sauce)
  • 40 g sugar (for the vanilla sauce)
  • 15 g cornstarch (for the vanilla sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for the vanilla sauce)

Method

  1. 1

    Split the fruit into two groups: the firm ones (cherries and redcurrants) and the soft ones (raspberries and halved strawberries). If using frozen fruit, there's no need to thaw it.

  2. 2

    Dissolve the cornstarch in 100 ml of the cold juice and set aside. Put the rest of the juice in a saucepan with the sugar and the vanilla bean split lengthwise, and bring to a boil.

  3. 3

    Add the firm fruit and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the dissolved cornstarch without stopping and let it boil for 1 minute: the liquid turns from cloudy to glossy, which is the sign the starch has thickened.

  4. 4

    Turn off the heat and gently fold in the soft fruit so it doesn't break. Remove the vanilla bean.

  5. 5

    Divide among bowls or a serving dish, let cool slightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

  6. 6

    For the sauce, heat the milk. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar and cornstarch, pour in a third of the hot milk while whisking, and return everything to the pan.

  7. 7

    Cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sauce coats the back of the spoon, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, add the vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface so no skin forms.

  8. 8

    Serve the Rote Grütze well chilled with the vanilla sauce, warm or cold. It also goes well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.