Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (2024)

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  • White Rice

This recipe for classic, creamy stovetop rice pudding is like a hug in a bowl.

By

Elise Bauer

Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (1)

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated March 12, 2024

109 Ratings

Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (2)

"Rice pudding is how God intended us to eat rice," my father announced when I mentioned I was thinking about making some. Well that settled it, rice pudding it would be.

With a little investigation, I found that there are two basic ways to make rice pudding—baking or boiling.

Then there is my father's way, which is take some cold white rice, add 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 that much, so boiling or baking it would have to be.

Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (3)

Rice Pudding From Scratch, My Way

The first recipe I tried called for 3/4 cup of heavy cream for a recipe that only served 2 people. Yikes! Too rich, couldn't eat it. (Ever notice that recipes 20 years and older can be a bit heavy on the cream and butter?) A couple of adjustments later, I settled on this recipe, using the boiling method. It is especially tasty with raisins.

Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (4)

The Best Rice for Rice Pudding

This recipe calls for short-grain white rice, but let's say you don't have that on hand. In general, the shorter the grain, the higher the starch content...and it's starch that helps thicken this pudding and make it so creamy. You can use brown rice, but the pudding won't be as creamy, it will take longer to cook, and you will likely need to add more liquid.

Here's a list of rice varieties we recommend in this pudding.

  • Short-grain white rice
  • Arborio rice
  • Sushi rice
  • Sticky rice

Some readers have left comments saying they had success making the recipe with these rice varieties (we've not tested them ourselves).

  • Medium-grain white rice
  • Regular plain old white rice from the grocery store
  • Basmati rice
  • Any kind of brown rice
Types of RiceREAD MORE:

How Our Readers Make This Recipe Their Own

  • Vanessa: "I omitted the cinnamon and raisins and used ripe persimmon and orange blossom water. I also topped it with toasted pistachios!"
  • Judy B.: "Made this today and soaked raisins in dark rum, omitted the vanilla added a little cardamom."
  • Ange S.: "I did half milk and half coconut cream, coconut sugar and because I love chai I added some cardamon pods and star anise. It was DIVINE!"
  • Nicole: "Instead of raisins I added fresh blueberries. My husband says it is the best dessert I have ever made!"
  • Roger B.: "I used white sugar and put in a banana in place of the raisins. Makes a great banana pudding."

Comforting Pudding Recipes

  • Vanilla Custard
  • Butterscotch Pudding
  • Tapioca Pudding
  • Bread Pudding
  • No-Cook Banana Pudding

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Creamy Rice Pudding

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time40 mins

Servings3to 4 servings

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 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, works well with this recipe because it gets soft and sticky when cooked.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (600ml) whole milk

  • 1/3 cup (66g) uncooked short grain white rice (see Recipe Note)

  • Pinch salt

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 cup (50g) dark brown sugar, packed

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/3 cup (40g) raisins

Method

  1. Cook the rice in the milk:

    In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, rice, and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (5)

  2. Mix the egg and sugar, temper with the hot cooked rice:

    In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, a tablespoon at a time, vigorously whisking to incorporate.

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (6)

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (7)

  3. Add the egg mixture back to the pan:

    Add egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk. Reduce the heat to low and stir until thickened, or about 160°F (71°C).

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (8)

    Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point or it will curdle. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, raisins, and cinnamon. The pudding will thicken as it cools; when it is warm, it will be a bit on the runny side.

    Serve warm or cold.

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Leave us a rating and review!

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (9)

    Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (10)

    Simple Tip!

    The rice pudding will thicken as it cools. When it's warm, it may seem a bit loose. Once chilled, it will be quite thick.

  • White Rice
  • Gluten-Free Desserts
  • Comfort Food
  • Kid-Friendly
  • Gluten-Free
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
214Calories
6g Fat
33g Carbs
7g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3to 4
Amount per serving
Calories214
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g8%
Saturated Fat 3g16%
Cholesterol 62mg21%
Sodium 122mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 33g12%
Dietary Fiber 1g2%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 200mg15%
Iron 1mg4%
Potassium 320mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Sweet Comfort Is This Easy Stovetop Rice Pudding (2024)

FAQs

Should you rinse pudding rice before cooking? ›

In culinary circles, washing is advocated for some dishes when a separated grain is sought after. Yet for other dishes such as risottos, paella and rice puddings (where you need a sticky, creamy effect), washing is avoided.

Are you supposed to eat rice pudding hot or cold? ›

How do you serve rice pudding? Served hot, the mixture will be in its loosest state: closer to loose yogurt. But if you let it cool in the fridge, the mixture will firm up and the starches will thicken the texture slightly. To serve rice pudding cold, it's important to whisk or stir the pudding after refrigeration.

Why didn't my rice pudding set? ›

If your rice pudding has ended up too thin, it is likely that it didn't cook it long enough at the end to thicken the custard. If it needs rescuing, pour it into a saucepan, heat, then stir in a bit of cornstarch mixed with cold water, a bit at a time, until the pudding thickens as needed.

What kind of rice is best for rice pudding? ›

Rice - I've tried all sorts of rice types and uncooked medium grain is by far the best for rice pudding, followed by risotto rice. Risotto rice (arborio) - needs extra liquid, add 1 cup (250ml) water into the saucepan with milk, and cook for 1 hr 20 minutes.

Is rice pudding good for you? ›

While this is a dessert, it does offer some nutritional benefits, including almost 10 grams of protein and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for bone-building calcium per cup.

Should you refrigerate rice pudding? ›

Allow the leftover rice pudding to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until piping hot on the stove or in the microwave.

Is rice pudding good for the elderly? ›

Rice pudding is a gentle, creamy dessert with a comforting texture that's easy on the palate and the stomach — a perfect go-to dessert that seniors will love. Use Schenck Foods' basmati rice, some vanilla extract, and a pinch of cinnamon to create a classic version of this beloved dish.

Why can't you reheat rice pudding? ›

Rice is more problematic than some other leftover foods as it may contain bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which survive some cooking processes . This bacterium is often the cause of food poisoning from reheated or cooked rice.

Can you eat rice pudding straight from the tin? ›

A delicious dessert for the whole family, you can serve it hot or cold and you can enjoy it as a tasty snack on it's own.

Why is my rice pudding mushy? ›

You might be scratching your head as to why we would be removing the very thing that gives this dish its creamy texture, but if too much starch is mixed in, it might lead to the dish becoming overly mushy and surpass that perfect creamy texture.

How to thicken up rice pudding? ›

Rice pudding thickens as it cools, but if you prefer it even thicker, whisk in a beaten egg as you heat the rice pudding mixture; continue cooking until the pudding thickens. To thicken rice pudding when it's already cooked and cooled, fold in some whipped cream.

Why is my store bought rice pudding watery? ›

Pudding is usually runny because it has been stored in the refrigerator for too long or in an open space.

Should I rinse rice for rice pudding? ›

While we've mentioned before that this dessert gets its perfectly creamy texture from the starch that is released when the grains are cooking, we do suggest a rinse for this recipe in order to wash off excess debris and added starch.

Which is the greatest rice pudding in the world? ›

Answer: 1. the greatest rice pudding in the world is kheer.

Are you supposed to rinse rice before cooking it? ›

“But in all seriousness, it's important to wash rice because it removes any excess starch so that when you cook it the grains remain separate.” For creamy dishes like rice porridge, risotto, or rice pudding that benefit starch's sticky nature, you can skip the thorough rinse.

Do you need to wash Uncle Ben's rice? ›

A spokesperson for Uncle Ben`s Rice informs us that the company does not use talc or confectioners` sugar in any form in the processing of its rice products. Also, if you wash Uncle Ben`s Rice before cooking or drain the water off after cooking, you will remove the nutrients that have been added to to it.

Why does my rice pudding get watery? ›

Pudding that has been stored for too long will not feel fresh anymore and start to runny. Therefore, do not let the pudding stay in the refrigerator for days so that it does not runny.

Why does my rice pudding get hard? ›

It also ensures that the rice in the pudding will not get crunchy (retrograde) when refrigerated." Retrogradation, they explain, is the process in which cooked rice becomes hard again under refrigeration. It happens to rice that is high in the starch called amylose, such as U.S. long-grain rice.

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