Creamy Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

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This creamy, comforting and Old Fashioned Rice Pudding recipe is easy to make on the stovetop. It’s a cozy, quick-fix snack or dessert that’s perfect for chilly afternoons!

Creamy Homemade Rice Pudding

If you’ve never tried rice pudding, you really should. Rice pudding is so nice served warm. It’s full of cozy flavors from the cinnamon and brown sugar! When the weather warms up, rice pudding can be served cold to become a sweet and refreshing summer treat.

I personally love the texture that the rice gives to this pudding! Letting it simmer slowly allows it to puff up and be more dessert-like. The combination of texture and flavor is delightful.

I gave some to the twins as a treat. Ashton has the sweet tooth and Brooks actually prefers fries over sweets pretty much every time. Brooks is like his daddy. But when Ashton took a bite, he immediately said “Mmmmmmm,” and repeated it with every single bite! I was right there with him.

It was so cute to see his reaction! And it confirmed what I knew all along – this rice pudding is fantastic!

Pudding Ingredients

Nothing fancy is needed to make this classic dessert!

• Egg: Not all rice pudding recipes call for an egg, but I 100% recommend it. It adds a richness that is so worth it. Plus, it helps to thicken the pudding without having to cook it a ton. Ultimately, that gives the pudding a creamier texture.
• White or Light Brown Sugar: Both are delicious, but the brown sugar adds some really nice flavor, so I prefer using that.
• Vanilla Extract
• Ground Cinnamon
• Whole Milk
• Heavy Whipping Cream: I always use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. You could use all whole milk, but this pudding is meant to be creamy, and the cream really adds that lovely richness.
• Short Grain White Rice
• Salt

How to Make Rice Pudding

There’s virtually no prep time for this recipe – you just have to combine your ingredients and cook! The pudding comes together on the stove in about 30 minutes.

1. Combine Egg, Sugar, Vanilla & Cinnamon: Whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat Remaining Ingredients: Add the milk, cream, rice and salt to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add Rice to Egg Mixture & Whisk: Slowly add about half a cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, whisking quickly to temper the egg mixture.
5. Finish Combining Until Thickened: Add the egg mixture to the saucepan with the remaining rice mixture. Stir everything together and continue heating on low heat for about another 5-10 minutes, or until thickened. Don’t boil. It will thicken quickly. Keep in mind that the mixture will continue to thicken as it cools, so you don’t want it to be too thick before you take it off the heat. A touch soupy still is ok.
6. Serve: Remove your pudding from the heat and serve it warm.

Tips for the Best Rice Pudding

• Use Short Grain Rice: You want to use a short grain rice, like Arborio rice. It’s more starchy than long grain rice, so it helps to thicken the pudding nicely and gives it a better texture.
• Slowly Add Rice Mixture to Egg Mixture: When adding half a cup of the rice into the bowl with your egg mixture, do it slowly and whisk constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
• Don’t Let it Boil: Once you’re finished combining your mixtures, don’t let the pudding come to a boil. If you do, it’ll curdle. You just want to keep it over low heat until it starts to thicken. Remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Add Raisins: Rice pudding and raisins go together like bread and butter. To make this dish even more classic and flavorful, add some in!

Can You Make Rice Pudding Ahead?

Though it’s definitely best fresh, you can cook your rice in advance if you’d like to save even more time on this recipe. Let it cool, store it in the fridge a day or two ahead of time, and bring it back to a simmer on the stove before continuing with the recipe as usual.

How to Store Leftovers

Keep leftover rice pudding in an airtight container. Once cooled completely, store it in the fridge. Rice pudding stays fresh for 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. If you store it in the freezer, thaw it in the fridge overnight before eating or reheating.

Some people like cold rice pudding, but you can easily warm up your leftovers on the stove if desired. Do so over low heat and stir continuously. Add a little bit of milk at a time to thin out the pudding until it’s reached your desired consistency.

Watch How To Make Rice Pudding

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Other Classic Desserts to Try

• When it comes to cheesecake, simplicity is often the tastiest way to go. This is definitely the case for my Classic Cheesecake Recipe! It’s so silky and creamy, and the flavor is right on the money.
• These Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting put all store-bought cupcakes to shame. The cupcakes are soft & fluffy and the chocolatey homemade frosting is irresistible!
• Since we’ve covered arroz con leche with this rice pudding recipe, you have to try my classic Tres Leches Cake next!