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Välling (Swedish oat and milk drink)
12m+ · A thin, warm drink of milk and oats, Sweden's bedtime cup for small children
Välling, a thin gruel of cereal and milk, has been the Swedish child's bedtime drink for generations, and many families still make their own for toddlers once they move on to cow's milk at around a year old. It is smooth, warm and lightly oaty, with no added sugar or honey. It contains milk and gluten (oats are often processed with wheat; use certified gluten-free oats if needed); there is no egg, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: blend the oats to a fine flour first, so the drink is silky and flows easily from a beaker.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Baby & toddler safety
- Age: from 12 months+.
- Allergens: contains milk. Offer one new allergen at a time, in the morning, so you can watch for a reaction.
- Texture and choking: purée or mash smoothly for 6–9 months, then soft, finger-sized pieces that squash between your fingers. Cut round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters lengthways, never give whole nuts, and always stay with your child while they eat.
- Under 1: no honey, no added salt or stock cubes, and no added sugar.
Every child is different. If you are unsure, especially about allergies, check with your health visitor or paediatrician.
Ingredients
- ½ oz porridge oatsabout 2 tbsp
- 3 ½ tbsp water
- ¾ cup whole milk
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whizz ½ oz porridge oats in a small blender or spice grinder for 30 seconds, until they are a fine powder.
Step 2: Whisk the oat flour into 3 ½ tbsp water in a small pan, then whisk in ¾ cup whole milk.
Step 3: Heat over a low heat, whisking, for 5–6 minutes, until it just simmers and thickens to the texture of single cream. If it thickens too much, whisk in a splash more milk.
6 minStep 4: Pour through a fine sieve into a beaker or cup. The common mistake is serving it straight from the pan: let it cool until just warm, shake or stir, and test a few drops on your wrist first.
Step 5: Välling is best made fresh each time. If you make it ahead, cool it quickly, keep it covered in the fridge for up to 1 day, and reheat until piping hot, then cool before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 185 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does välling (Swedish oat and milk drink) take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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