Creamy Rice Pudding
This Creamy Rice Pudding is a classic dessert my family always asks for. I cook it gently on the stove, and in about 30 minutes it’s ready to chill in the fridge until serving time. It is perfect for an after-dinner treat or even a sweet midday bite.
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 ½ cups whole milk
- Heaping 1/3 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup medium-grain rice
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
- Slice the vanilla bean in half longways and scrape out all of the seeds using a knife. Place the seeds and hollowed out vanilla bean pods in a medium-size saucepot.
- Add the milk, sugar, salt, and rice to the pot with the vanilla and bring to a rolling simmer over medium heat while constantly stirring.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir every 2-3 minutes for 20-25 minutes until the rice is soft and the mixture is relatively thick, like a thin risotto.
- Remove the vanilla pods and stir in the egg yolk and cinnamon until completely mixed in.
- Transfer the rice to a casserole dish and spread out. Chill for 30-40 minutes or until cold.
- Serve with raisins.
Notes
Make sure to cook it low and slow, that gives the milk time to combine with the starch from the rice and naturally thicken. That’s the key to getting your rice pudding extra creamy and full of flavor. And if you want to take it a step further, swap out 1/4 cup of the milk for heavy cream. Highly recommended!
Swap in vanilla extract: If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I add it right after the cinnamon to get the best flavor.
When to add fruit or nuts: You can mix in dried fruit or nuts with the cinnamon or wait and add them just before serving.
Quick chill tip: To cool it quickly, I spread the pudding in a 13x9 casserole dish or on a sheet tray. It chills nicely in about 30 minutes.
No need to rinse the rice: You don’t need to rinse the rice for this recipe. The starch helps create that creamy texture.
A touch of butter: This is optional, but I like stirring in a tablespoon of unsalted butter. It gives the pudding a little extra richness.
Make-ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep it in the refrigerator before serving.
How to store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This rice pudding does not freeze well.
Nutrition
Calories: 343kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 10gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 461mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 411IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 252mgIron: 2mg