Stovetop 🍚🍨 Rice Pudding is simmered to creamy perfection and infused with notes of cinnamon and vanilla before being finished with condensed milk. It’s luxuriously soft with a custard-like texture and is a great addition to brunch, served with a holiday meal, or anytime you’re craving this old-fashioned homemade treat! Ready in 1 hour.
Easy Rice Pudding Recipe
- I have fond memories of my grandma’s classic rice pudding recipe. Creamy perfection but she seemed to labor over it for hours, which most of us don’t have time for.
- So I recreated the taste of old-fashioned rice pudding but for our fast-paced lives and my version is ready in under 1 hour. It’s naturally gluten-free.
- There are only 6 basic ingredients in this easy homemade rice pudding recipe and eggs are not included! And if you were to add them, you’d need to temper the egg mixture first, and then hope you don’t accidentally end up with a bubbling pot of scrambled eggs. So I skipped all that.
- Interestingly enough, there’s also no added sugar because using sweetened condensed milk gives the perfect level of sweetness without being overly sweet. And it lends a rich, custard-like texture.
- Fun fact: The classic Mexican version for arroz con leche uses sweetened condensed milk (and evaporated milk). It’s interesting that the overall recipes are similar and has a special place for so many!
Ingredients in Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe
Rice: Select short grain rice for this recipe and I particularly like arborio rice, although bomba rice is another option. Arborio rice is a more sticky rice and is also used in risotto. Its high starch content gives dishes a signature creamy texture and an al dente bite. Medium-grain rice or long grain rice like basmati rice tends to cook up with grains separated, so it’s good in rice side dishes like Spanish rice. Do not use brown rice.
Milk: Use whole milk for optimal results. I personally don’t think you need to use half-and-half, and actually heavy cream would be too thick, but whole milk is just perfect. I’ve never used a non-dairy milk such as coconut milk, but I imagine a coconut milk tweak would be lovely.
Flavorings: I use a cinnamon stick or use ground cinnamon. Vanilla extract is essential. A pinch of salt helps balance the flavors.
Sweetened condensed milk: It allows for not needing to add any sugar to the recipe, and it also thickens the rice pudding and creates a custard like texture. As my recipe is written, there are no substitutions because you’d then need to add sugar or brown sugar.
Optional: Raisins such as regular raisins or golden raisins, or a bit of butter, both stirred in at the end are lovely and create the best rice pudding.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Can I Use Cooked Rice?
You can, however it’s never quite as soft and creamy because that’s just the nature of using cold (old) rice. You’ll only need to use about half the amount of whole milk since cooked rice won’t absorb nearly as much as dry uncooked rice will. Start with 1 1/2 cups cooked rice and 1 1/2 cups whole milk.
At the end, start with half the can of condensed milk and go from there. You’ll need to eyeball things since cooked rice will vary in how much moisture it does or doesn’t absorb.
How To Make Rice Pudding with Condensed Milk
- In a medium saucepan add the white rice, whole milk, cinnamon, salt, bring to a gentle boil over medium heat on the stove.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the milk is absorbed. If the mixture thickens before the rice is fully soft, gradually add a bit of milk and continue cooking.
- When the rice is fully tender, stir in the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, optional raisins and/or butter, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg on the top of the rice pudding and serve warm, at room temperature, or cool it in the fridge and serve this comforting dessert chilled.
- Leftover rice pudding can be stored for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Potentially you may very gently warm up leftovers in the microwave.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Rice Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked arborio rice, recommended for best results; see Notes below for more info
- 2½ cups whole milk, plus 1/2 cup or as necessary
- 1 cinnamon stick, (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, (one can)
- ½ cup raisins, optional (regular raisins or golden raisins)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional for extra richness
- ground cinnamon or nutmeg, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a medium saucepan, add the rice, 2 1/2 cups milk, cinnamon, salt, and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, for about 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and most of the milk is absorbed. Tip – If the mixture thickens before the rice has fully softened, gradually add the remaining ½ cup milk in increments and as necessary, and continue cooking until the rice is soft,
- When the rice has fully cooked and is tender, if you used a cinnamon stick, remove it now. Tip – Make sure the rice is tender before moving on and adding sweetened condensed milk in the next step, or it may thicken too fast and leave the rice undercooked.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, optional raisins and/or butter, and stir to combine.
- Continue simmering for 5 to 10 minutes, or until as thick and creamy as desired. (it'll continue to thicken as it simmers); stir nearly constantly. Adding more butter is possible here too if desired.
- Serve warm; or cover and chill it in the refrigerator and serve chilled.
- If desired, optionally dust with a sprinkling of cinnamon and/or nutmeg before serving, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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other favorite old-fashioned desserts
love the rice pudding
Thanks so much Richard! Glad you loved it and thanks for the 5 star review!