This is it: the classic stovetop creamy rice pudding recipe. Simmer raw rice with milk and brown sugar, then top with cinnamon, vanilla, and raisins. It’s like a hug in a bowl.
“Rice pudding is how God intended us to eat rice,” my father proclaimed when I mentioned that I was considering making rice. Well, that’s settled, it would be rice pudding.
Video: How to make rice pudding
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ricepudding
With a little research, I found out that there are two basic ways to make rice pudding – baking or boiling.
Then there’s my dad’s way of taking some cold white rice, adding some cream, sugar and cinnamon. Mix and eat. Dad has been making rice pudding this way my whole life, but Dad’s method has never appealed to me so it would have to be boiling or baking.
The first recipe I tried called for 3/4 cup heavy cream for a recipe that only served 2 people. Oops! Too rich, couldn’t eat it. (Have you ever noticed that 20+ recipes can have some cream and butter in them?) A few tweaks later, I settled on this recipe using the cooking method. It is especially delicious with raisins.
The best rice for rice pudding
This recipe calls for short-grain white rice, but let’s assume you don’t have it on hand. In general, the shorter the grain, the higher the starch content… and the starch helps thicken this pudding, making it so creamy. You can use brown rice, but the pudding won’t be as creamy, it will take longer to cook, and you’ll probably need to add more liquid.
Here is a list of types of rice that we recommend in this pudding.
- Short grain white rice
- arborio rice
- sushi rice
- Sticky Rice
Some readers have left comments that they have successfully made the recipe using these types of rice (we have not tested them ourselves).
- Medium grain white rice
- Regular plain aged white rice from the grocery store
- basmati rice
- Any kind of brown rice
CONTINUE READING:
From the editors of Simply Recipes
ricepudding
Longer grain rice holds its shape better than shorter grain rice, which isn’t what you want for a rice pudding. You want a starchy rice. Any rice that would work well for risotto would also work well for rice pudding. For the same reason you wouldn’t normally make risotto with basmati or jasmine or brown rice, you wouldn’t normally make rice pudding with it. Calrose, a short/medium grain rice, pairs well with this recipe because it becomes soft and sticky as it cooks.
ingredients
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2 1/2 cups (600ml) whole milk
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1/3 cup (66G) uncooked short grain white rice (see recipe note)
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prize Salt
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1 big egg
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1/4 cup (50G) dark brown sugarpacked up
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon Cinammon
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1/3 cup (40G) raisins
method
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Cooking the rice in the milk:
In a medium-heavy saucepan, bring the milk, rice, and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
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Mix the egg and sugar, mix with the hot, cooked rice:
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg and brown sugar until well combined. Add 1/2 cup of the hot rice mixture, tablespoon at a time, to the egg mixture and whisk vigorously to incorporate.
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Return the egg mixture to the pan:
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rice and milk. Reduce heat to low and stir until thickened, or about 160°F (71°C).
Be careful not to let the mixture boil at this point or it will curdle. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, raisins, and cinnamon. The pudding will thicken as it cools; When it’s warm it will be a little runny.
Serve warm or cold.
Simple tip!
The rice pudding will thicken as it cools. When it’s warm, it may seem a bit loose. After cooling it will be quite thick.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 214 | calories |
| 6g | Fat |
| 33g | carbohydrates |
| 7g | protein |
