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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
Jump to:
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.
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
Love This Recipe?
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Thanks for the Pro tip with the nutmeg. Next time I make this I will add it. I am so happy this worked out so well. Thank you for sharing I am grateful you took the time to let us know – this type of feedback inspires us.
I made this tonight after batch cooking rice. I had some left over after freezing the rest of the rice in cubes. I love that this recipe uses cooked rice. I highly recommend using ground nutmeg. It’s the best rice pudding I’ve ever had! My husband and I polished off the entire batch after supper! lol
Amazing I am so happy you took the time to share that!!!
Delicious and my go to recipe for leftover rice. Thank you!
That makes me so happy!!! Thank you for sharing.
First time ever making rice pudding . My husband had a second serving. Thank you for the easy recipe.
Love to hear this. Thank you!!!
Yum!!! Takes time but it was well worth it.
Thank you for the feedback. We appreciate every opportunity to get better. We will review this and make adjustments.
The pudding is a bit too sweet. Cut back the sugar and dried fruit by 20% and increase the cinnamon and nutmeg by the same.
He definitely recommend using heavy cream.
Can you use 1/2 & 1/2 in place of heavy cream?
Better than I ever expected and easy! A keeper!
This quick recipe tastes anything but quick. Great depth of flavour and so easy to prepare just before dinner for a satisfying and healthy dessert. I used oat milk instead of whole milk and cream, and the flavour was amazing.
Thanks for another great recipe!!!
Lina
Delicious of leftover
white rice from a Chinese takeout without the raisins or cream as I didn’t have any, with extra nutmeg as I love the flavor