If you’re looking for a rice pudding recipe that is sweet and creamy, and just like you remember from years past, look no further!
This old-fashioned rice pudding recipe is cooked on the stove, with simple ingredients like milk, rice, and cinnamon.
A warm, filling, and creamy pudding with rice makes a wonderful holiday dessert or a tasty finish to any home-cooked meal.
Homemade Rice Pudding was always a Christmas Eve dessert for me. There’s something so comforting about a warm bowl of soft, sweet rice pudding on a cold evening. It’s nostalgic, hearty, filling, and just warms you up, body and soul!
I sometimes make rice pudding in my instant pot, which is a great option if you want the pot to do all the work for you.
But it’s also really simple to make a pot of deliciously sweet and cinnamon-spiced pudding on the stove. It only takes about 25 minutes!
If you need more ideas for holiday desserts, check out my Pumpkin Pecan Pie – It’s two pies in one! A Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball is always a big hit at parties too.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) rice see note 1
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk divided
- ⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup golden raisins optional
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) unsalted butter
Instructions
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In a saucepan, combine water with rice and salt, and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Cook for 15 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.
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Remove the lid, add 1.5 cups of milk and sugar, and stir together. Turn the heat up to medium and cook and stir for 10 more minutes or until the mixture is creamy and no longer watery.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining milk with egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add the mixture to the rice pudding along with the raisins, keep stirring, and cook for 2 more minutes.
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Remove from heat, and serve warm.
Notes:
- Choice of rice: arborio rice will give you the creamiest result, short and medium grain rice is also great for rice pudding and gives a creamy texture. This recipe also works with basmati or long grain rice.
- You can add a little bit of nutmeg along with the cinnamon if you like. About 1/8th of a teaspoon.
- Keep Stirring! Once you add the milk to the rice, you’ll want to be sure that you stay nearby so that you can stir the mixture regularly. If left alone, you risk burning the rice pudding.
- Raisins are optional, but delicious! You can leave them out of the recipe if you like. You can also use regular raisins instead of golden raisins, or try this recipe with dried cranberries or other dried fruit for a different spin.
- To Serve: Add a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon to make each serving extra special. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is also a nice contrast to the warm pudding. Chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, or caramel also make wonderful toppings
- To Store: Keep pudding in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be served cold, or reheated.
To reheat, you can either use the microwave or heat the pudding on the stove. Add a splash of milk to make it extra creamy again.