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Rice Pudding Recipe is the cozy stovetop dessert that turns last night’s leftover rice into something the whole table fights over, with creamy milk, warm cinnamon, and plump golden raisins all simmered into thirty minutes of pure comfort, and I made a batch on a cold Tuesday evening when Maddie asked what we were doing with the rice from taco night and Lizzie was already pulling spoons out of the drawer. If you love a classic creamy dessert, you will also love our Pistachio Pudding for another quick sweet treat the kids will fight over.
If you have a cup and a half of leftover white rice in the fridge and thirty minutes of stovetop time, you can have warm creamy rice pudding on the table before dessert even crosses anyone’s mind.
Rice Pudding Recipe Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 396kcal
- 🍅 Flavor Profile: Creamy, sweet, warm cinnamon and vanilla with plump golden raisins
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our Easy Chocolate Mousse
Quick Answer
Simmer 2 cups cooked white rice with whole milk and a pinch of kosher salt over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until thickened. Whisk a beaten egg with heavy cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then stir granulated sugar into the rice. Stream the egg-cream mixture into the pan while stirring constantly, add raisins, and cook another 5-8 minutes until creamy and thick. Off the heat, stir in butter and vanilla, cool 10 minutes, and serve warm. Ready in 25 minutes from leftover rice, no dry-rice soaking required.
Jump to:
- Rice Pudding Recipe Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Rice Pudding Recipe
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Rice Pudding Recipe FAQs
- Other Recommended Cozy Dessert Recipes
- Rice Pudding Recipe (with Cooked Rice)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cooked rice cuts the cook time in half. Most rice pudding recipes start with raw rice and need 40 minutes of stovetop simmering to soften the grains. Starting with leftover rice means the starch has already gelatinized, so the pudding thickens in 10 minutes instead of 40.
- Whole milk for true creaminess. 2% or skim milk produces a thin, watery pudding. Whole milk fat coats the rice grains and emulsifies with the egg-cream tempering for the silky stovetop texture you get at diner counters.
- Egg-cream tempered into the hot rice. Whisking the beaten egg with cold heavy cream BEFORE streaming it into the hot pot prevents the egg from scrambling. The cream acts as a temperature buffer, giving you a smooth custard finish without curdling.
- Two raisin varieties for layered sweetness. Golden raisins are softer and milder, regular raisins are chewier and deeper. Using both gives the pudding more texture variation per spoonful instead of one-note sweetness.
- Butter and vanilla added OFF the heat. Adding fat-soluble flavor at the end preserves the vanilla aromatics that would otherwise cook out, and the butter melts gently into the warm pudding for richness without breaking the texture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses up leftover cooked rice from last night’s dinner, turning a fridge afterthought into a warm creamy dessert in 30 minutes flat.
- One pot, pantry ingredients, zero fuss, with cinnamon, vanilla, and golden raisins building deep cozy flavor without anything fancy.
- Just like grandma made it, a classic comfort dessert that pairs beautifully with our Chocolate Poke Cake when you want a real cozy dessert spread.
Key Ingredients
- Cooked White Rice: The star, day old rice from the fridge works perfectly. Short or medium grain rice gives the creamiest texture, but long grain works too. Leftover takeout rice is a great shortcut.
- Whole Milk and Heavy Cream: The two part dairy base that makes the pudding rich without going overboard. Skim or low fat milk will work in a pinch but you lose some of the creamy body.
- Egg and Sugar: One beaten egg thickens the pudding into a custardy finish; granulated sugar balances the salt and brings out the cinnamon. Stream the egg cream mixture in slowly so it does not scramble.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Vanilla: The warm spice trio that defines the flavor. A pinch of nutmeg goes a long way; a splash of vanilla at the end ties everything together.
- Golden and Regular Raisins: Two kinds for visual contrast and a touch more sweet brightness from the golden ones. Skip them or swap for dried cranberries if you have picky eaters.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use brown rice or jasmine rice for a different texture and nuttier flavor. Brown rice gives a chewier bite, jasmine stays soft and floral.
- Swap milk for coconut milk for a tropical twist. Full fat canned coconut milk makes a richer, almost dairy free pudding with a subtle sweet coconut note.
- Try chocolate rice pudding by stirring in 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder with the sugar. Pairs beautifully with our Chocotorta Cookie Cake for a chocolate spread.
- Add citrus zest for a brighter finish; a teaspoon of orange or lemon zest at the end cuts through the richness.
- Skip the raisins if the kids are picky. The pudding stands on its own with just cinnamon and vanilla, or swap in chopped dates or dried apricots for a different chew.
- Make it boozy for the grown ups with a tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon stirred in at the end. A grown up cousin to our Easy Tiramisu dessert spread.
How to Make Rice Pudding Recipe
- Place the cooked rice along with the milk and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a gentle simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, heavy cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Stir the sugar into the rice mixture, then slowly stream in the egg and cream mixture, stirring constantly so the eggs do not scramble.
- Add both varieties of raisins and stir to combine.
- Cook 8 to 10 more minutes, stirring often, until the pudding thickens to a soft creamy spoon coating consistency.
- Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Let rest 10 minutes (it will thicken more as it cools) and serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use leftover rice that is fully cooled. Cold day old rice from the fridge holds its shape in the pudding instead of breaking down into mush. Right out of the rice cooker also works but stays softer.
- Temper the egg cream mixture. Before adding to the hot rice, stream a couple spoonfuls of warm milk into the egg bowl while whisking. This brings the eggs up to temp gently so they do not scramble when you pour the mixture into the pan.
- Stir constantly during the egg add. A whisk or wooden spoon kept moving prevents any curdling and gives you that smooth custardy finish.
- The pudding thickens as it cools. Pull it off the heat when it is just slightly looser than you want; the carryover heat plus the resting time will finish the job. Same trick we use in our Pistachio Pudding.
- Bloom the raisins first by soaking them in hot water or rum for 10 minutes while you cook. They plump up and stay soft instead of going chewy in the pudding.
- Cinnamon sticks for serving. A whole cinnamon stick poked into each bowl looks beautiful and lets each person stir in extra warmth as they eat. Saves the powdered cinnamon for the cook.
- For a thicker pudding, simmer longer. Add an extra 5 minutes of low simmer before pulling off the heat for a denser spoonable consistency. Some folks like it almost like custard.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Rice Pudding Recipe is one of those rare desserts that works warm, room temperature, or chilled. Serve it warm right out of the pan with an extra dusting of cinnamon for a cozy winter night, or chill it in the fridge and spoon into glass cups for an elegant dessert table alongside our Easy Tiramisu Recipe or our Chocolate Poke Cake for a real dessert spread.
For a holiday twist, top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce or our Apple and Blackberry Crumble topping for a layered fruit and pudding combo. Crushed pecans, toasted coconut, or a drizzle of honey on top each take the bowl in a different direction.
Leftover rice pudding keeps beautifully in the fridge for snacking the next day. The kids will eat it cold straight from the storage container with a spoon, no warming needed. Round out a dessert tray with our Layered Lemon Blueberry Trifle for a creamy pudding party.
Rice Pudding Recipe FAQs
Yes, Rice Pudding Recipe is designed exactly for leftover rice. Day old white rice from the fridge holds its shape in the pudding and gives the creamiest texture. Takeout rice works great too.
Store Rice Pudding Recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pudding will thicken as it chills; loosen with a splash of milk when reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Yes, Rice Pudding Recipe freezes well for up to 2 months in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop with a splash of milk to bring it back to its creamy texture.
If your Rice Pudding Recipe is too thin, simmer it a few minutes longer until it coats the back of a spoon. Remember it thickens significantly as it cools, so pull it off the heat just before it hits your ideal consistency.
Yes, Rice Pudding Recipe works with coconut milk, oat milk, or almond milk instead of dairy. Full fat coconut milk gives the closest texture to the original; swap a tablespoon of coconut oil for the butter at the end.
Short or medium grain white rice makes the creamiest Rice Pudding Recipe because of the higher starch content. Long grain works too, brown rice gives a chewier bite, and jasmine rice keeps a soft floral note.
Other Recommended Cozy Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Rice Pudding Recipe, leave a star rating and comment below and let us know how it turned out for your family. Tag us on social so we can see your creamy bowl in the wild, and scroll up to the related recipes above for more cozy desserts we love serving at our table.
Looking for another comforting from scratch staple? Try our Easy Homemade Wonton Soup Recipe (Chinese Takeout Style) for cold weather dinners.
Rice Pudding Recipe (with Cooked Rice)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cooked white rice
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 egg beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
- ⅓ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cooked rice along with the milk, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg, heavy cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg, set aside.
- Pour the sugar into the rice mixture and stir to combine.
- Stream in the heavy cream mixture, stirring constantly until combined.
- Add both varieties of raisins, and stir to combine. Continue to stir occasionally until thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
- When it is thickened, take the pot off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and serve.
Notes
- Any rice is great for this, we like white rice, just make sure that it is not flavored.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Double this recipe if you want to have more for later or will be serving a larger crowd.
- If you pudding is too thin you can thicken it, use my ratios above.
- If you are not a fan of raisins you can omit them or just use one or the other.
- Add more or less cinnamon and nutmeg to your flavor preference.
Nutrition
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Slice leftovers into a grain bowl alongside rice pudding, or pair the bowl with our Easy Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe.
Stack rice pudding dessert spreads with our easy Lady Finger Cookies Recipe.
This is absolutely delicious! And I use the lactose free milk and it turned out perfect. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I made this recipe with Lactose free Fat Free milk and substituted the heavy cream with coconut milk. It was delicious!
Yummy
Absolutely wonderful. I’ve made it 3 times in the last 2 weeks, all doubled recipes. I especially like that there is more of a raisin to rice ratio than most recipes, and the combination of raisins makes it special. I used almond milk and a little whipping cream so it took longer to thicken. I reduced sugar by 1/3 because the raisins add a lot of sweetness. On Christmas I ll serve it with sides of whipped cream and nutmeg so people can choose what to add.
Wonderful! My mom used to make this for us as kids. She was a product of the depression era. She would love this! It’s just like hers.
Delicious and easy recipe!
I did tweak it some and used egg nog instead of milk. Perfection! Thank you so much
I made this rice pudding today and it was delicious. But when I went to get more to eat a couple hours later it was very thick. Is that normal? Or did I do something wrong?
This is the best rice pudding I have ever made.i used almond milk egg nog. Thank you for the recipe 😊
Excellent base recipe. I had 1 1/2 cups of leftover basmati rice after an Indian meal, so I figured – why not make it an Indian rice pudding? I used all golden raisins, cardamom rather than cinnamon and nutmeg, and a handful of cashews. If I haden’t run out of rosewater in my fridge, I would have a splash of the as well. It was perfect!
I love rice pudding and I usually make a baked one with raw rice cooked in milk and it takes a while. I wanted to try a new version with cooked rice and this amazing! Since I usually have a meringue on my baked version I separated the egg and only added the yolk to the milk mixture. I used 1/4 brown sugar to add to the rice and I used 2 Tbp of white sugar to beat into the egg white for the meringue. Once the rice was ready I put it in a glass dish and topped with the meringue and broiled it just enough to look like a lightly toasted marshmallow. It was so good and so much faster than my usual recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Excellent ❤️~ my first time making rice pudding. I didn’t have any heavy cream, but substituted – with Prairie Farms Holiday Custard(it taste like melted vanilla ice cream) I also used the holiday custard and milk combo instead of straight whole milk. Excellent recipe. Can’t thank you enough.
Love this recipe. I added about 1/3 cup of condensed milk and it was delicious!
Just made this fabulous pudding. YUM. The only thing I did was used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/3 cup and added a bit more cinnamon.
It is delicious!!!! P.S. Didn’t add raisins because I didn’t have any in the house, but no difference for me.
I never leave comments but this recipe was too good to not comment. I had leftover rice from dinner. My husbands grandmother always made Rice Pudding for Thanksgiving. She never wrote it down and we cannot find it. This is the CLOSEST recipe to hers. Delicious!
WOW