Rice Pudding Recipe: Creamy Stovetop Method in 40 Minutes

The short answer: this rice pudding recipe simmers 1/2 cup of uncooked white rice in 4 cups of whole milk with sugar, salt and a cinnamon stick for about 35 to 45 minutes on the stove, then finishes with vanilla. It serves 4, warm or cold, and needs no eggs and no oven.

• Key numbers: 1/2 cup rice · 4 cups whole milk · 1/3 cup sugar · 1/4 teaspoon salt · 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Done test: take it off the heat when it looks like loose porridge; it thickens as it cools
• Next step: get the free recipe book starter pages (we email it to you), or save your version in the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99)

Prep time: 15 minCook time: 45 minTotal time: 1 hr 10 minServings: 4 servingsTotal includes 10 min of resting, chilling or rising.

This is the classic stovetop method, starting from uncooked rice. A shortcut using leftover cooked rice follows the main steps.

Rice pudding ingredients

Serves 4.

The batch makes about 3 cups of pudding. Rice, milk and sugar are the structure; the rest is flavor you can change.

How to make rice pudding

1. Rinse the rice briefly in a fine strainer only if it looks dusty. For the creamiest pudding, skip rinsing so the surface starch stays on.
2. Combine the rice, milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon stick in a heavy-bottomed 3- to 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring so the rice does not settle and stick.
3. Lower the heat so the milk barely bubbles at the edges. Cook uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom and corners with a heatproof spatula. Stir more often in the last 10 minutes as it thickens.
4. Check a few grains. The rice should be completely tender with no chalky center, and the pudding should look like loose porridge that still flows off the spoon.
5. Take the pan off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the vanilla, butter and raisins, if using. Let it stand 10 minutes; it will thicken noticeably.
6. Serve warm with a dusting of cinnamon, or press plastic wrap onto the surface to stop a skin from forming and chill it for a cold, firmer pudding.

Most rice pudding problems come from heat. A full boil scorches the milk on the bottom of the pan and boils over; a heavy pan and a low simmer prevent both.

Rice pudding with leftover cooked rice

Leftover rice makes this a 25-minute dessert. Simmer 2 cups of cooked white rice with 2 1/2 cups of whole milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and a cinnamon stick, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, until creamy. Finish with vanilla as above.

Only use leftover rice that was handled well. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension explains that cooked rice left at room temperature can let Bacillus cereus produce toxins that reheating does not remove, and advises refrigerating cooked rice within two hours of cooking (one hour if the room is 90°F or hotter) and eating it within about three to four days. Rice that sat out on the stove overnight should not become pudding. Our page on how long cooked rice is good for in the fridge covers cooling, storing and freezing rice in more detail.

Which rice to use

Variations

• Custard-style rice pudding with egg: whisk 1 egg yolk with 1/2 cup of the hot pudding in a bowl, stir it back into the pan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. The FDA's egg safety guidance says dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160°F; check with a food thermometer.
• Arroz con leche style: add a strip of lemon or orange peel with the cinnamon stick, and replace the sugar with about 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk stirred in at the end. More Latin American desserts are in the Mexican desserts guide.
• Coconut rice pudding: replace 1 1/2 cups of the milk with a can of coconut milk, and top with toasted coconut or mango.
• Cardamom rice pudding: add 4 lightly crushed cardamom pods with basmati rice, and finish with chopped pistachios.
• Chocolate rice pudding: stir 2 ounces of chopped dark chocolate into the hot pudding with the vanilla.
• Dairy-free: use unsweetened oat or soy milk. They scorch a little more easily, so keep the heat low.

Troubleshooting

Pudding is runny. Let it cool for 10 minutes before you judge. If it is still thin, return it to low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring.

Pudding is thick and stiff. It cooked too long or chilled overnight. Stir in warm milk a few tablespoons at a time.

Rice is still firm. The heat was too low to simmer, or the rice is long-grain. Add 1/2 cup more milk and keep cooking until tender.

Scorched bottom. Do not scrape the burnt layer into the pudding. Pour the pudding into a clean pan without scraping, then taste; a light scorch can be hidden with cinnamon, a heavy one cannot.

Skin on top. Press plastic wrap or parchment directly onto the surface while it cools.

Storage

Cool the pudding quickly in a shallow container and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. It keeps about 3 to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. It thickens as it sits, so loosen each portion with a splash of milk. Reheat in the microwave or a small pan, stirring, until warm, or eat it cold. Freezing works but makes the texture grainy, so make only what you will eat in a few days.

How it compares with other puddings

Rice pudding is the stovetop, pantry-staple member of the pudding family. Bread pudding is baked from stale bread soaked in custard, banana pudding layers vanilla pudding with bananas and wafers, and chia pudding sets overnight in the refrigerator without cooking. Choose rice pudding when you have milk and rice on hand and 40 minutes at the stove.

A low-cost dessert from the pantry

Rice pudding uses ingredients most kitchens already have: rice, milk, sugar, salt and a spice. A half cup of rice and a quart of milk turn into dessert for 4, and the leftover-rice version turns yesterday's side dish into something new instead of food waste. Planning a pantry dessert like this into the week is part of the approach in the meal planning on a budget guide.

Plan dessert into the week

If you cook extra rice on Monday, write rice pudding on the plan for Tuesday or Wednesday so the rice gets used inside its 3- to 4-day window.

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly menu and an aisle-sorted grocery list, so the milk is on the list when the rice is.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Record your rice, sugar level and favorite spice.

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