This is one of the things we simply can’t visit my Oma without having, and it’s no wonder. This no-bake dessert, known as Rote Grütze in German is the most delicious berry sago pudding (and can also be a yummy brekkie!). 

It’s soooo easy to make and only takes 20-30 minutes from start to finish. Oh, and you only need one pot, so there’s minimal washing up! What’s not to get excited about?

Variations

Another great thing about this recipe is versatility. You can serve it warm or cold. You can use frozen berries or fresh berries. You can experiment with flavours like cinnamon, vanilla and lemon. You can use water, or you can use a berry juice. You can use more or less sugar. You can use just one type of berries, or you can use mixed berries. You can make it with sago or without (but then add less water, or stir ⅓ cup cornstarch into water before adding to the pot).

At my Oma’s house we’ll normally have it with a dash of heavy cream or a heaping of vanilla pudding (as well as a big grin on our faces). It can also be served with whipped cream, custard or vanilla ice cream; or yogurt, oatmeal or milk for a breakfast version.

My Oma normally makes her killer Rote Grütze with mixed berries. Here it’s mulberry season, and we had so many mulberries, so I experimented with that. It turned out amazingly, and I’m sure you could use any type of berry that you happen to have on hand.

How to Make Rote Grütze

Literally all you have to do is throw everything in a pot over medium heat, and stir frequently until the sago is translucent. As mentioned above, the ingredients are really adaptable, but here’s what I used: fresh mulberries, red wine, salt, sago, brown sugar, cinnamon and water.

The only thing to watch out for in this recipe is stirring the mixture fairly frequently, to avoid the sago sticking to the bottom of the pot.

After about 20-30 minutes the sago should be translucent. You can take the pot off the heat now and allow the berries to cool for about 10 minutes. Once it has cooled a bit you can transfer it to a large bowl. You might need to use a scraper for the sides of the pot. Once cool enough, simply wrap with cling film and store it in the fridge. Or dig in if you’re so inclined!

It’s simply delicious served traditionally with heavy cream or vanilla pudding, or with vanilla ice cream, custard or whipped cream. You can even have it for brekkie with yoghurt, milk or oatmeal. The options are endless!

Making Rote Grütze is a way of preserving the berries, so they’ll last a lot longer in the fridge than they would’ve otherwise. Well, I mean if it actually stuck around that long without being eaten!

Print Recipe

Mixed Berry and Sago Pudding (Rote Grütze)

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Dessert or Breakfast – German

Serves: Approx. 10

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes – Total Time: 30 minutes

This is definitely one of my favourite desserts (or breakfasts). It's quick, easy and versatile (see all the options above)...and it's just plain delicious.

Ingredients

• 1.5 litres fresh or frozen berries (6 cups) *
• Juice and zest of one good lemon
• ¼ cup red wine
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup sago**
• 3T brown sugar
• ½ stick cinnamon***
• 1 cup water (or berry juice)
• To serve
• As a pudding: Vanilla pudding, Custard, Whipped Cream, Heavy Cream or Ice Cream.
• As a breakfast: Oatmeal, Milk or Yoghurt.

Instructions

1

Simply combine everything in a pot over medium heat.

2

Cook for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until the sago is translucent. Stir frequently, making sure that the sago does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat if necessary.

3

Let the stewed berries cool in the pot for about ten minutes before transferring them to a large bowl.

4

Once cool, cover with cling film and store in the fridge where it will keep well for about a week.

5

Serve warm or cold with custard (or vanilla pudding, in true German style), ice cream or cream. You can also turn it into a delicious breakfast by enjoying it with yogurt, oatmeal or milk.

Notes

*Can be a combination of berries or just one specific type. I used mulberries, but other berries that will also do the job great are strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Frozen or fresh both work perfectly. ** If you don’t like sago, or don’t have any, you can simply reduce the water quantity, or stir ⅓ cup of cornstarch into the water before adding to the pot. ***Use more or less depending on your personal taste. You can also use ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, but I prefer to use a stick here.