Luby’s Grits are grits that are wonderfully sweet and cooked with milk instead of water. The combination of sweetened grit cereal with a creamy texture was a surprising find.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The genius of Luby’s grits lies in the careful balance of ingredients and technique. Whole milk provides the fat and proteins necessary for creating the signature creamy texture while allowing the corn flavor to develop fully. The gentle simmering process and constant stirring ensure even cooking without lumps. At the same time, the addition of sugar transforms these from a simple side dish into a comforting treat that bridges the gap between breakfast and dessert.
Ingredients for creamy grits
Here’s what you need:
- 5-minute grits – Choose quick-cooking over instant for the best texture and authentic corn flavor
- Whole milk – Essential for creating the signature creamy consistency and rich taste
- Sugar – Adds the subtle sweetness that makes Luby’s grits so distinctive
- Salt – Enhances the natural corn flavor and balances the sweetness
- Butter – Provides richness and helps achieve the perfect smooth finish
Understanding Different Types of Grits
Choosing the right type of grits makes all the difference in your final result:
- Quick-Cooking Grits (5-Minute) – Perfect for this recipe, these are processed to cook faster while maintaining good texture and flavor.
- Instant Grits – Pre-cooked and dried, these cook very quickly but often lack the depth of flavor and proper texture needed for this recipe.
- Stone-Ground Grits – These retain the corn germ, providing robust flavor and a slightly chunky texture. They take longer to cook but offer the most authentic taste.
How to Make Lubys Grits
In a medium saucepan, pour in the milk and heat over medium heat until it simmers.
Add grits, salt, and sugar, whisk in, and simmer for about five minutes.
Stir continually while the grits swell and finish cooking.
When the grits have finished cooking in about five minutes stir in butter.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage – Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, noting that grits will thicken considerably
- Reheating Method – Reheat gently on stovetop over low heat, whisking in additional milk to restore creamy consistency
- Freezing – Not recommended as the texture changes significantly when frozen and thawed
Delicious Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Panera Pasteries – Cobblestone Muffins
- How to Make Krispy Kreme Donuts
- How to Make Fluffy Omelettes
- Chocolate Mega Muffin
- Cracker Barrel Cheesy Hashbrown Recipe
- Oven Baked Eggs
- Best Country Gravy
- How to Cook Oatmeal
- Chicken and Waffles Recipe
- Granola
Most Popular Luby’s Copycat Recipes
Be sure to check out my easy breakfast recipes and famous restaurant copycat recipes.
Luby’s Creamy Grits Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cups grits – 5 minute, not instant grits
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, heat the milk until it simmers.
- Whisk in the grits, sugar, and salt. Simmer for approximately five minutes, stirring continually until the grits swell and are cooked.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Grits with white pepper gravy and six sunny side up eggs placed on top of them on a plate. Using your fork to break the yokes of the eggs into the grits and gravy and stirring them all together makes for a meal in itself. Ate this concoction since I was a very young kid. Never stopped loving it.
I love grits! I’m from Georgia, we always ate them with either butter and sugar or with cheese and pepper. Either way is delicious. My family has always made them this way and I hope to continue this with my kids, even though my husband doesn’t like them. (He’s never got to try good southern style grits.) I’ll be making him try them soon ????
I grew up in Texas, and we often ate (eat) grits at breakfast (like cream of wheat or oatmeal, or with salt/pepper and butter or topped with cream or sausage gravy! And always cooked with milk) or with dinner (savory prep). I discovered a new way to prep just by experimentation. I LOVE polenta! Well, you can make a makeshift polenta with grits (or cornmeal, for that matter, but grits works best!). and you can put hot grits in a loaf pan, refrigerate overnight, turn out and slice. dip in seasoned flour and fry in some olive oil, butter or (absolute Southern or Southwestern best!) bacon grease! Serve in place of hashed browns. And if you are throwing out your bacon grease, you are throwing out the best part of the bacon! You can season SOOOOO many things with it, and it is hands down the best for frying anything southern, from fried okra to frog legs. And of course, fried grits!
Grits made with milk is the best! Sometimes I add sugar and butter; sometimes I add cheese, salt and pepper. I always cook rice in milk instead of water, it tasts so much better. You can throw in an egg, butter, sugar and cinnamon and raisins for a quick rice pudding.
After they are cooked and served, I make a pocket in the center and add a poach egg or two.
The yolk flowing through them makes just plain delicious.
I dislike cream of wheat .But ❤️Grits!
I like them with salt and pepper and real butter.????
I am not from the south. I was first introduced to them this way and really enjoyed them. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to enjoy your favorite foods. It’s all about you and what you like and your taste .
I completely agree with you 😉
I love my grits with LOTS of brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is the most flavorful.
grits done in the deep south add water salt and pepper to pan when boiling add grits while sturing put lid on and take off heat let stand 5-10 min. this is southeren no suger or milk this is not cream of wheat
Weirdly , my father liked them with (canned) tomatoes……..I’m from Chicago, and we always ate our grits savory. I wouldn’t use sugar (don’t even like it in oatmeal or other hot cereals), but I will definitely try them cooked with milk.
My husband is from Tennessee and we both love grits, but totally different ways me butter and salt, him butter pepper and sugar.
Grits cooked in sugar and milk?????!!!! those are Yankee grits, not Southern.
Thank you for sharing your opinion. I know you are just commenting on how the grits are made, and not how Luby’s chooses to make their grits.
Being Southerner myself, I have found that many recipes evolve over the years down here and many times for the better. The Mid-Western influence (Yankees don’t count) and the Arcadian influence has made the new generation of Southern Chef’s turn the old school dishes even better with their experimentations. I for one, would never go back, food is soooo much better now than when Mama n’ them were doing the cooking, for the most part. I decline to enter the grits argument.
Who cares where the recipe is from as long as it tastes great.
IT’S A SOUTHERN THING
Grits are grits however which way you eat them. Every culture method is different and shame of you to suggest otherwise.
Thou shalt not put sugar in thine grits.
GRITS!!! Girls Raised In The South……We LOVE our grits with Salt, Pepper and plenty of BUTTER!!! Anytime of day!
please do not put pepper on grits unless you mix tomatoes in with them. i use water, butter and canned milk when i cook grits…this makes them even more creamy and good than whole milk.
I personally like pepper on grits, salt, butter, and pepper works for me.
these grits are fixed the way my mother always did grits for us kids…she and daddy ate them with salt & pepper…they are one of my comfort foods when i don’t feel well…:)