Bruet of Almaynne in Lente – A Medieval Almond Milk Porridge with Dates

Bruet of Almaynne in Lente – Medieval Almond Milk Porridge with Dates

Originally published November 5, 2015. Updated June 7, 2026.

Bruet of Almaynne in Lente, a Lenten almond milk bruet with dates.

Talk about comfort food! Bruet of Almaynne in Lente is one of my favorite medieval “porridge” recipes from Harleian MS. 279. It is creamy, gently sweet, rich with almond milk, and brightened with chopped dates. It comes together quickly, feels soothing, and has the kind of soft, spoonable texture that makes it easy to imagine at a cold-weather feast, a Lenten table, or even a modern camp breakfast.

That said, “porridge” is a useful modern description rather than a perfect medieval one. The manuscript calls this dish a bruet, a broth or liquid preparation thickened in some way. In this case, fine thick almond milk is lightly thickened with rice flour and sweetened with sugar and dates. The original recipe specifically tells the cook to “look that it be running,” meaning the finished dish should remain loose and pourable, not thick like a set pudding.

When I first made this recipe, mine thickened as it cooled. By the time I sat down to eat it, the texture had moved from a running bruet into something closer to a loose pudding. It was still delicious, and honestly, I immediately added it to my “must serve at a feast someday” list. But for a closer interpretation, the cook should aim for a silky almond broth or thin cream-of-rice consistency rather than a firm porridge.

Original Recipe: Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430

.lxviij. Bruet of Almaynne in lente. Take fyne þikke Mylke of Almaundys; take datys, an mynce hem smal þer-on; take Sugre y-nowe, & straw þer-on, & a lytil flowre of Rys; sylt, & serue forth whyte, & loke þat it be rennyng.

Modern Translation

Take fine thick milk of almonds. Take dates and mince them small into it. Take enough sugar and strew it thereon, and a little rice flour. Sprinkle, and serve it forth white, and look that it be running.

What Is a Bruet?

The word bruet, also seen as brewet or brouet, generally refers to a broth or liquid dish that has been thickened or enriched. It does not have to be meat-based. Medieval bruets could be made from meat broth, fish broth, almond milk, wine, or other liquids, then thickened with bread, rice flour, egg, almond, or other ingredients.

This matters because Bruet of Almaynne in Lente is not exactly oatmeal, and it is not a modern rice pudding. It is a Lenten almond-milk broth thickened just enough to have body. The instruction that it remain “running” tells us that the texture should be fluid: spoonable, pourable, and soft.

If made very thick, the dish becomes a comforting almond-date pudding. If made more loosely, it becomes something closer to a warm almond cream or sweet Lenten pottage. Both are delicious, but the looser version better follows the manuscript.

Why Almond Milk During Lent?

During Lent, medieval Christians were expected to abstain from meat and, in many places and periods, from dairy and eggs as well. That meant no milk, butter, cheese, cream, or animal fats for much of the fasting season. Cooks still had to feed households, great halls, and feast tables, and they did so with remarkable creativity.

Almond milk was one of the great workhorses of medieval fasting cookery. It could replace dairy milk in soups, sauces, pottages, sweets, and delicate dishes. It was rich, white, flavorful, and flexible. For elite households, almond milk allowed cooks to maintain refinement and variety even when animal products were restricted.

This dish is a perfect example of that ingenuity. It uses almond milk for richness, rice flour for gentle thickening, dates for sweetness and texture, and sugar for additional refinement. It is fasting food, yes, but it is not bleak fasting food. This is Lent with a silver spoon tucked up its sleeve.

Rice, Dates, and Sweetness

The rice flour in this recipe does more than thicken. Rice was an imported ingredient in medieval England and appears frequently in refined cookery. Used as flour, it creates a smooth, pale, delicate texture. The recipe calls for only a little rice flour, which supports the instruction that the finished bruet should stay running.

Dates were also imported and valued. They appear often in medieval recipes where cooks wanted natural sweetness, texture, and richness. In this bruet, the dates are minced small into the almond milk, softening as they cook and lending little pockets of sweetness.

Sugar completes the dish. The original recipe simply says to use enough sugar, leaving the amount to the cook’s judgment. This makes sense. Almond milk strength, date sweetness, and intended service all affect how much sugar the dish needs.

Modern Recipe: Bruet of Almaynne in Lente

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 3 to 4 as a small side or tasting portion.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• 2 to 3 chopped dates
• Pinch of salt, optional but recommended

Method

1. Place the almond milk, rice flour, sugar, and one chopped date into a small saucepan.
2. Whisk well before heating so the rice flour disperses smoothly.
3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Continue cooking gently for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice flour is fully cooked.
5. If a very smooth texture is desired, strain the bruet before serving.
6. Serve warm, garnished with the remaining chopped dates and a little additional sugar if desired.

The finished dish should be creamy but loose. If it begins to thicken into pudding, add more almond milk or hot water to return it to a running consistency.

Kitchen Adventures Notes

I originally made this with homemade rice flour by grinding rice in a blender. Homemade rice flour works, but it retains more texture than commercial rice flour. That texture is not unpleasant, but it does change the finished dish. If I were serving this at a feast, I would either use very fine rice flour or strain the finished bruet for a smoother, silkier result.

This thickened quickly as it cooled. Fresh from the pot, it was closer to the “running” texture described in the recipe. After a short rest, it became more like a loose pudding. I loved it both ways, but if serving this historically, I would keep it warm and thin enough to flow.

This recipe is simple, quick, and very comforting. It is one of those medieval dishes that feels immediately familiar even though the ingredients and context are centuries old. Almond milk, dates, and sugar make a soft sweetness that would be welcome at breakfast, during Lent, or as a gentle dish in a feast menu.

How Was It Served?

The manuscript does not explicitly say to serve this over bread, but the instruction that it remain “running” raises an interesting possibility. A loose almond bruet could be eaten from a bowl with a spoon, but it could also be poured over bread or eaten with sops.

Another recipe from Harleian MS. 279, Lyode Soppes, gives us a useful comparison. In that recipe, milk is thickened with egg yolks, seasoned with salt and sugar, and poured over round slices of fine bread called paynemayn. It is then served forth as a pottage. That shows us that bread soaked in a rich milk-based liquid was entirely at home in this manuscript’s culinary world.

Because Bruet of Almaynne in Lente is made with almond milk instead of dairy milk, it may function as a Lenten cousin to that kind of dish. I would not claim the recipe requires bread, because it does not say so. But a thinner version poured over fine white bread, paynemayn, or later manchet would make excellent historical sense.

Paynemayn, Manchet, and Sops

Lyode Soppes specifically calls for paynemayn, a fine white bread suitable for slicing into round sops. Later English sources describe manchet as a refined white bread made from fine flour, carefully bolted. While manchet is later than Harleian MS. 279, it gives modern readers a useful comparison for the kind of soft, white, high-status bread that would soak up a delicate milk or almond-milk preparation.

If serving Bruet of Almaynne as a spoon dish, no bread is needed. If serving it as a sop, choose a fine white loaf with a close crumb. A rough, coarse bread would dominate the almond milk. A refined bread would absorb the liquid and turn the dish into something closer to a warm Lenten bread pudding or almond-milk breakfast bowl.

This is also where my earlier work with Rastons becomes useful. I used Rastons for sops because it was quick and delicious, but a simpler fine white bread such as paynemayn or manchet may be the better everyday choice. Rastons is richer and closer to pastry; manchet is more practical for soaking.

Humoral Properties

In medieval dietary theory, almond milk was often treated as a useful substitute for dairy, especially during fasting seasons. It was nourishing, gentle, and adaptable. Its cool and moist qualities made it suitable for soft, soothing dishes, particularly when balanced with warming or sweet ingredients.

Rice was valued as a gentle, binding, and stomach-settling grain. In this recipe, rice flour thickens the almond milk without making it heavy. Dates add warmth, moisture, and nourishment, while sugar contributes sweetness and refinement. The result is a dish that would have been understood as comforting and restorative rather than harsh or difficult to digest.

The “running” texture matters here too. A loose, warm bruet would be easier to consume and digest than a stiff pudding. For Lent, illness, early-day eating, or a gentle feast dish, that softness may have been part of its appeal.

Camp Breakfast or Meal-in-a-Jar Version

This recipe adapts surprisingly well to modern camp cooking. No medieval cook packed it in a mason jar for Pennsic, of course, but the ingredients are simple enough to prepare as a dry mix for a historically inspired camp breakfast.

Dry Mix for One Generous Serving

• 2 tablespoons almond flour or very fine almond meal
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
• 2 chopped dried dates
• Pinch of salt

At Camp

1. Place the dry mix in a small pot.
2. Add 1 to 1 1/4 cups hot water, stirring well.
3. Simmer gently, stirring often, until the rice flour cooks and the mixture thickens slightly.
4. Add more water if needed to keep the texture loose and running.
5. Serve warm.

The caveat: almond flour will make a more rustic dish than strained almond milk. It will have more texture and may not be as silky white as the manuscript suggests. For a feast table, I would still make or purchase almond milk and strain the finished dish if needed. For camp, however, the dry-mix version is practical, fast, vegan, Lenten-friendly, and deeply comforting.

Feast Planning Notes

• Serve warm: The bruet thickens as it cools, so keep it warm for service.
• Keep it running: Thin with almond milk or hot water if it becomes too thick.
• Strain for elegance: For a smoother feast dish, strain before serving.
• Use small portions: It is rich and sweet, so small bowls or tasting portions work well.
• Offer with bread: For a sop-style service, pour over fine white bread or serve bread alongside.
• Make it camp-friendly: The meal-in-a-jar version is excellent for quick breakfasts.

Related Medieval Breakfast, Sops, and Pottage Posts

What Did People Eat for Breakfast in the Middle Ages?
Lyode Soppes – Bread with Sweet Milk Custard
Rastons – A Medieval Pastry Disguised as Bread
On the Making of Bread
Soupes Jamberlayne – Bread Soaked in Mulled Wine
Harleian MS. 279 Recipe Index

Sources

Austin, Thomas, ed. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. London: Early English Text Society, 1888. Harleian MS. 279, “Bruet of Almaynne in lente.” https://archive.org/details/twofifteenthcent00aust

Myers, Daniel. “Bruet of Almaynne in lente.” MedievalCookery.com. http://www.medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?twofi:68

The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin. “The making of manchets after my Ladie Graies use.” London, 1594. Referenced for later English manchet comparison.

AI Assistance Disclosure: This post was originally written by the author and later updated with the assistance of ChatGPT for organization, expanded historical context, search optimization, and editorial clarity. Final content, recipe interpretation, and opinions remain the author’s own.