It was first manufactured in the United States in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota and debuted at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.

The rice-based Cream of Rice also forms part of the product line, and is often a recommended early food for infants and toddlers and for people who cannot tolerate wheat or gluten.

After the Panic of 1893, the Diamond Milling Company in Grand Forks was faced with low prices and reduced demand for flour.

Another employee suggested the name "Cream of Wheat" which was hand-lettered on the boxes along with a stock illustration of a black chef holding a saucepan which Mapes, a former printer, had on hand.

The Cream of Rice Company, a Delaware corporation based in Chicago, was incorporated by T. C. Fredrich, O. C. Wilson, and Howard D. Stewart in October 1915.

[8] Frank O. Balch, the company's secretary and treasurer, filed a trademark application for the "Cream of Rice" logo in December 1915.

[9] The company reported strong sales initially and market penetration of over half of retail stores in Chicago by February 1916.

[12][13] An attempt by Kraft to acquire Grocery Store Products in 1970 was called off due to objections by the Federal Trade Commission.

These are prepared by simply mixing their contents with hot water and allowing the result to set in a bowl for approximately two minutes.

[24] The original boxes of Cream of Wheat were handmade and lettered, and were emblazoned with the image of an African American chef produced by Emery Mapes, one of Diamond Milling Company's owners.

[25] Leading up to 2020, there had been public pressure aimed at various companies to change branding with perceived racist origins, such as Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's.

[28] Famous illustrators such as N. C. Wyeth, J. C. Leyendecker, and Henry Hutt all created ads for the Cream of Wheat brand.