Homemade Creamy Rice Pudding
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Every once in a while we make ourselves a treat. Every day we eat a bowl of oatmeal porridge in the morning, at least the boys do. But sometimes you have to switch things up, and that’s where this homemade creamy rice pudding recipe comes in!
It takes a while before you can enjoy this rice pudding with milk, compared to our regular oatmeal porridge, but it is so worth it! The boys love this sweet, creamy rice pudding for breakfast or lunch, but it is also great as a dessert! Sprinkle with cinnamon or chocolate chips to elevate this delicious bowl of creamy rice pudding.
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Ingredients for Creamy Rice Pudding
With some very basic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, when you cook from scratch, you can easily make this delicious stovetop rice pudding whenever you like.
Best Rice for the Creamiest Rice Pudding
- Use short-grain white rice for the best result. My go-to rice types are pudding rice or Arborio rice. Both of these rice types have a high starch content which comes in handy with this easy rice pudding recipe. It will enhance the creamy, rich texture you want to have.
- If you don’t have Arborio or pudding rice on hand, you can also use long-grain rice like Jasmine rice or Basmati rice. Note that your rice pudding will be much less creamy if you use rice types like this. The starch content is a lot lower, which will result in a less creamier pudding.
Which Milk Should You Use?
- We use whole fresh milk. Every Saturday, we drive to our local farmer to get a week’s supply of fresh raw milk. Fresh milk isn’t skimmed or homogenized, so it retains all its natural creaminess, which enhances the flavor of this rice pudding.
- If you don’t have any access to or don’t want to drink raw milk, you can also use regular whole milk from the grocery store.
- Lactose intolerant? You can also use ‘nut milk’ like almond milk or make rice pudding with coconut milk as a dairy-free rice pudding option.
How to Sweeten This Creamy Rice Pudding?
You can use a whole bunch of sweeteners. In this recipe, I use 2 tablespoons of regular granulated sugar but you can also substitute this with:
- 1 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tbsp of honey
- 3 or 4 dates
- Soaked for 10 minutes in 1/2 cup of boiling water and then blended.
- 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar, cane sugar, or caster sugar (white).
- Use less sugar if you want to make a low-sugar rice pudding.
All Kinds of Flavors for this Rice Pudding
You can add a whole lot of different flavors to this rice pudding recipe.
- Old-fashioned rice pudding topped with vanilla extract or vanilla beans.
- Spice things up with rice pudding with cinnamon as a topping.
- Make a chocolaty version with chocolate chips or cocoa powder.
- Add in dried fruit like raisins, figs, or dates.
- Make a summer rice pudding with coconut milk and fresh fruit like mango or pineapple.
- Freshen this dessert with some citrus zest or juice.
The Creamiest Rice Pudding with a Twist
For the creamiest rice pudding, you can add an egg. Pour one cup of warm rice pudding over a beaten egg and whisk vigorously. Add the egg mixture back to the pan and simmer until thickened. Be careful not to boil the pudding otherwise, the egg will curdle.
If you love creamy desserts, check out my homemade custard recipe.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Supplies You’ll Need
This post may contain one or more affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission when you buy a product via the provided link at no cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclaimer here.
- 1 small pot
- 1 wooden spoon or spatula
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 stovetop
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add the rice, vanilla beans, sugar, milk, and salt to a small pot.
Put the pot on the stovetop on low heat and put it to a simmer. Let the milk simmer for about 20 minutes until the pudding is creamy and the rice soft.
Scoop the rice pudding into small bowls. Add a bit of milk and your chosen topping before you serve the rice pudding.
Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Homemade Rice Pudding
- Prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot by stirring regularly.
- If the rice pudding is too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk.
- Is this creamy rice pudding too thin? Cook it a bit longer.
- Keep in mind that rice pudding thickens significantly as it cools. If it looks too runny while still hot, it may be just right once cooled.
- Cook the rice pudding for about 20 minutes. Does your pudding look creamy and the rice soft? Taste a grain of rice, if it is as soft as you’d like, the creamy rice pudding is done.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy rice pudding as a sweet breakfast or dessert. Top it off with some fresh fruit, toasted nuts, caramelized fruit, chocolate chips, a drizzle of honey, or anything else you like.
You can serve this dish warm or cold. Depending on the seasons, I make this dish warm or cold. In winter, I love to serve it warm with some spices like cinnamon, ‘plain’ with vanilla, or tasty with chocolate.
In the summer, I serve it cold with fresh fruit and coconut milk.
Looking for more breakfast ideas? Try my homemade granola.
Storage and Reheating
Got leftovers? Lucky you! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the pudding in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stove with some milk the next day.
Homemade Creamy Rice Pudding
Equipment
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pudding rice or arborio rice
- 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1 Vanilla pod or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 4 cups Milk or 1 liter
Instructions
- Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the beans.
- Add 1 cup of rice, the vanilla beans and the pod, 2 tbsp of sugar, 4 cups of milk, and ⅛ tsp of salt to a small pot.
- Put the pot on the stovetop on low heat and put it to a simmer.
- Let the milk simmer for about 20 minutes until the pudding is creamy and the rice soft.
- Take out the vanilla pods.
- Transfer the rice pudding out of the pot and into small bowls.
- Add a bit of milk and your chosen topping before you serve the rice pudding.
Notes
- Avoid the rice to stick to the bottom of the pot by stirring regularly.
- If the rice pudding is too thick, add a few tablespoons of milk.
- Is this creamy rice pudding too thin? Cook it a bit longer.
- Do mind, if the rice pudding cools down it will thicken a lot so it may look like your rice pudding is too runny when still piping hot, but it might be perfect when cooled down.
- Cook the rice pudding for about 20 minutes. Does your pudding look creamy and the rice soft? Taste a grain of rice, if it is as soft as you’d like, the creamy rice pudding is done.
To Conclude
My family loves it when we take our time to make this delicious old-fashioned rice pudding recipe. The possibilities of this dish are endless, adjust it to your taste and enjoy a bowl of homemade creamy rice pudding for yourself!
This post may contain one or more affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission when you buy a product via the provided link at no cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclaimer here.
