This 4-ingredient oven baked farina dessert is the sort of simple, comforting dish that feels right at home on a Midwestern farmhouse table. It starts with dry, uncooked farina cereal tossed straight into a glass casserole dish, just like the old church-supper puddings where nobody bothered with extra pots if they didn’t have to. A little sugar, milk, and butter turn that humble cereal into a creamy, lightly sweet baked pudding that puffs and sets in the oven. It’s the kind of no-fuss dessert you can stir together in minutes, then pull out bubbling and golden while everyone is clearing the dinner plates—and if your husband is anything like mine, he’ll be back for seconds and thirds before the pan has a chance to cool.
Serve this warm, spooned straight from the glass casserole dish into small bowls. It’s lovely on its own, but a drizzle of cream or a splash of cold milk over the top makes it extra cozy. You can dust each serving with a little cinnamon or nutmeg if you like, or add a few berries on the side when they’re in season. This dessert pairs nicely with a cup of coffee after Sunday dinner or a mug of hot tea on a chilly evening, and it works just as well as a sweet breakfast treat alongside some scrambled eggs or crisp bacon.
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Farina DessertServings: 6
Ingredients
1 cup dry uncooked farina cereal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus a little extra for greasing the dish)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 2-quart glass casserole dish with a little butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides so the dessert doesn’t stick.
Pour the dry, uncooked farina cereal directly into the bottom of the greased glass casserole dish and spread it into an even layer. This should look like a thin blanket of dry cereal across the bottom—no need for a mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the dry farina in the dish. Use the back of a spoon or your hand to gently even it out so there are no big mounds of sugar in one spot.
In a separate saucepan or microwave-safe container, gently warm the milk until it is just hot to the touch but not boiling. This helps the farina start softening in the oven and bake up creamy instead of grainy.
Stir the melted butter into the warm milk. Give it a quick whisk or stir so the butter is well distributed through the milk.
Slowly pour the warm milk-and-butter mixture over the dry farina and sugar in the casserole dish. As you pour, use a spoon to nudge the farina around a bit so everything is moistened and there are no dry patches floating on top.
Let the dish sit on the counter for about 5 minutes so the farina can start soaking up some of the warm milk. You’ll see it thicken just a bit around the edges—that’s what you want.
Place the casserole dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the dessert is set around the edges, lightly puffed, and just barely wobbly in the center when you jiggle the dish. The top should look creamy with a few golden spots around the sides.
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest on a heat-safe surface for at least 10–15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools, turning into a spoonable, custard-like pudding.
Spoon the warm baked farina into bowls and serve. If you like, you can add a small pat of butter or a splash of milk on top of each serving just before it hits the table.
Variations & Tips
For a little extra flavor without adding more ingredients, you can use lightly salted butter instead of unsalted and skip any added pinch of salt; the slight saltiness makes the sweetness pop. If you don’t mind going beyond four ingredients, a teaspoon of vanilla extract stirred into the warm milk is lovely, as is a light dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg over the top before baking. You can also swap some of the whole milk for half-and-half for a richer, more custard-like dessert, or use 2% milk for a lighter version (just know it may not be quite as creamy). If the top browns too quickly before the center is set, lay a piece of foil loosely over the dish for the last 10 minutes of baking. Leftovers should be cooled completely, covered, and refrigerated within 2 hours; reheat gently in the oven or microwave with a splash of milk to loosen the texture. Always handle the hot glass casserole dish carefully—use thick oven mitts and place it on a trivet or towel, not a cold or wet surface, to avoid sudden temperature shock that could crack the glass. Because this dessert uses a lot of dairy, don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours; when in doubt, refrigerate and reheat as needed.
