Rice Pudding Recipe – Immaculate Bites

What Is Rice Pudding?

Rice pudding is a classic comfort food recipe made with rice, milk, and other ingredients like sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. It can be boiled, baked, steamed, or chilled to get the exact texture and flavor perfect for dessert or breakfast. It’s also a great way to use leftover plain rice, and it’s tasty, tender, and creamy.

Recipe Ingredients

Old-fashioned rice pudding is traditionally made with whole milk, but my experimental tastebuds opted for additional coconut milk. And boy, it was phenomenal! The subtle coconut taste hits differently, and it’s incredible. So worth trying! 😉

1. Rice – Basmati rice is a healthier choice with a more neutral aroma because it is low in fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Generally, any rice will work in this recipe but will have different consistency and texture.
2. Milk – I used regular milk and half a cup of coconut milk for a smoother and creamier flavor.
3. Flavor – Aside from salt and sugar, I added vanilla extract to give the pudding a flavor boost. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom liven up this homemade rice pudding.
4. Fruits – I suggest adding the fruits at the end so they don’t get soggy. My favorite additions are raisins, pineapple, and mango chunks, but you can add any fruits you like.

How to Make Rice Pudding

Easy Peasy Steps

• Combine – Add milk, coconut milk, rice, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Photo 1-2)
• Simmer – Stir, then bring to a boil and simmer on as low a heat as you possibly can. Cover the saucepan tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 12-15 minutes until tender.
• Stir – Gently stir the rice mixture with a wooden spoon to prevent the rice from sticking and burning.
• Add Spices – Remove the saucepan from the stove. Add sugar, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. (Photos 3-4)
• Simmer Again – Return the saucepan to heat and cook until desired thickness is reached – about a couple of minutes. Make sure there is some creamy liquid in the rice because it thickens as it cools. Then throw in raisins. (Photos 5-6)
• Serve – Enjoy it warm with pineapples or mango, or chill it in the fridge until ready to eat.

Recipe Variations

1. Creamy Substitutes – If you want extra creaminess in this rice pudding recipe, you can use condensed or evaporated milk.
2. Fruity Additions – Aside from adding pineapple or mango on top, rice pudding is also delicious with banana, strawberries, and blueberries for extra taste and elegance.
3. Chocolate Indulgence – How about making it chocolicious? You can add chocolate milk or cocoa powder to achieve that creamy choco flavor.
4. Vegan Rice Pudding – Plant-based milk, such as soy, almond, and coconut milk, makes a tasty vegan version.

Tips and Tricks

1. Long white rice works right for this pudding recipe as it produces a slightly drier and chewier compared to when using short-grain white rice. Basmati rice has a delicately aromatic pudding, though.
2. You can use other thickening foods, like eggs, since it also adds richness and saves time for thickening the rice pudding.
3. Stir gently and often to keep the rice from sticking and burning.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This cinnamon rice pudding is best warm, but you can make it a couple of days in advance to save time. Reheat, adding a splash of milk, if necessary, and the flavors when ready to serve.

Serving and Storage Instructions

You can enjoy rice pudding hot or cold. You can also add more milk if needed coz rice tends to dry out. Serve it with raisins and fruits because they fit like an apple to a pie!

You can store your leftover rice pudding for a week in the fridge or three months in the freezer. Don’t forget to thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

FAQs

What to Serve With Creamy Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is usually served as breakfast but also as a dessert recipe. Chai tea latte and pumpkin spice latte are exquisite with this recipe. French toast also makes a great friend to rice pudding. Yum!!!

More Fantastic Pudding Recipes to Try

Conclusion

Who knew how much coconut milk could brighten a regular rice pudding recipe? Not to mention the added spices, too. How do you like your rice pudding, plain or loaded with fruits? Let me know in the comments! ❤️

Watch How to Make It

This blog post was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.