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Creamy, sweet and so, so easy to make. This Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding recipe is classic and comforting. Made in one pot with just a few ingredients like rice, milk, sugar and vanilla, cooked until thick, then served warm or chilled.
Ready with just 10 minutes of prep time and 35-45 minutes of cooking time it’s ultra-creamy comfort food. This Rice Pudding recipe will be a go-to dessert for years to come.
Table of Contents
- Why This Rice Pudding Wins
- Ingredients for Rice Pudding
- Best Rice for the Creamiest Pudding
- How To Make Kellie’s Rice Pudding
- What is Rice Pudding?
- Kellie’s Tips for Perfect Rice Pudding
- Cooked Rice Shortcut (15 min)
- How to Store Leftovers
- How To Serve Rice Pudding
- More Easy Pudding Recipes
- Easy Rice Pudding Recipe
This was the first time I have ever tried rice pudding and it did not disappoint! My kids loved it too. Will be making this again soon.
– Abby
Why This Rice Pudding Wins
- Ultra-creamy, stovetop simple – Cozy texture without fuss.
- Pantry-only – Milk, rice, sugar, vanilla; no specialty buys.
- Flexible rice choices – Medium-grain rice, short-grain rice for richness, long-grain rice for lighter texture.
- Make-ahead friendly – Delicious warm or chilled; sets up beautifully.
- Reheats smooth – Loosen with a splash of milk; microwave or low heat on the stove.
- Easy to riff – Cinnamon-raisin, pistachio-cardamom, coconut-lime, and more.
- Budget & kid-approved – Big comfort, small cost.
- Shortcut included – Have leftovers? See the cooked rice, 15-minute version.
A family heirloom, this Old Fashioned Rice Pudding recipe is what I remember my grandfather’s version to be like. Nobody really knows the exact measurements of everything he used so I had to guesstimate a bit. All I know is he was adamant about using Carolina rice, which I’m not sure if it’s medium grain, long grain rice, or arborio rice, so some testing had to be done since I couldn’t find “Carolina” rice.
I settled on medium grain rice because it held together well and didn’t get too mushy when cooked for a long time. The arborio remained a bit to al dente for my liking so we’ll keep that for risotto. Whatever rice you decide to use, you will still end up with the best rice pudding recipe ever.
Ingredients for Rice Pudding
- Rice – We use a medium grain white rice, although, you can also use a short grain rice or long grain rice. Long grain rice will hold together more for added texture, whereas, short grain gives a more smooth, creamy consistency. The recipe hasn’t been tested with brown rice.
- Milk – Whole milk adds richness and a much creamier pudding is achieved with the added fat content. You can substitute with low-fat milk for a lighter version but it may not be as creamy.
- Vanilla – A whole vanilla bean is used for pure, natural flavor but pure vanilla extract works well as a substitute. Even better, if you have vanilla bean paste on hand that works just as well as a real vanilla bean.
- Sugar– Rice pudding is sweetened with granulated white sugar. For a richer flavor, you can substitute half the white sugar with light brown sugar.
- Butter – Don’t skip the butter, salted butter adds creaminess and contrast. You can use unsalted butter but check for seasoning at the end and add a pinch of kosher salt, if necessary.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Best Rice for the Creamiest Pudding
For the smoothest texture, choose medium-grain rice or short-grain rice, they release more surface starch, which naturally thickens the pudding. Arborio (risotto rice) makes it extra luxurious but may need a few extra minutes of simmering. Prefer a looser, less sticky bite? Long-grain rice works, too, plan to cook 5–10 minutes longer and add a splash of milk near the end if it tightens up.
How To Make Kellie’s Rice Pudding
This creamy rice pudding recipe is easy to make and doesn’t take much time at all. Some readers have mentioned stirring an egg yolk into it at the end but we don’t do that here. I don’t like the egg flavor because it makes it taste more like a custard than a pudding.
- Make the milk mixture. Add the milk, salt, vanilla bean and sugar to a large saucepan over medium heat. Use a heavy 3-4 quart saucepan over medium-low heat. A thick base prevents scorching so you don’t have to stir nonstop.
- Start cooking. Bring the milk mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the rice. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Simmer. Cook until the pudding is about 80-90% as thick as you’d like, it will thicken as it cools. It should coat the back of a spoon, and a finger swipe should leave a clean line for 2-3 seconds.
- Remove the vanilla bean from the cooked rice and scrape out the seeds.
- Flavor the pudding. Stir in the butter, vanilla bean seeds or extract at the end of cooking.
- Chill it out. Transfer to a bowl and cover the rice mixture with plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or overnight.
- Enjoy. Serve warm or chilled.
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This is the Cadillac of vanilla and is a pantry investment but the flavor is other level amazing. It’s a great substitute for vanilla beans and extract.
What is Rice Pudding?
Rice Pudding is a dish that’s made by cooking rice with milk and can be made sweet or savory. For a dessert style rice pudding, the mixture is commonly cooked with a sweetener like sugar or honey.
Golden Raisins and cinnamon is added to a lot of rice pudding recipes but this easy recipe is made with a hint of vanilla. We do sprinkle a little cinnamon on top from time to time but it’s not cooked into the dish as many other recipes do.
Kellie’s Tips for Perfect Rice Pudding
Be sure to cook the pudding long enough, undercooking the pudding will cause it to be soupy, still tasty but not thick like pudding. A good way to check if it’s cooked long enough is to run your finger along the back of your spoon to see if you can draw a line that doesn’t seep back together, if the line remains, you have pudding!
If you have a bit of sticker shock with vanilla beans, you can certainly use vanilla extract. But I love the look of the flecks throughout the pudding and the flavor can’t be beat. Another alternative would be Vanilla Bean Paste, which I LOVE.
Got cooked rice? See my Rice Pudding with Cooked Rice shortcut for a 15-minute version.
More Rice Pudding Variations and Add-ins
- Classic Cinnamon-Raisin: Stir in ½ cup raisins during the last 10 minutes; dust with cinnamon.
- Lemon-Vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and an extra ½ teaspoon vanilla at the end.
- Pistachio-Cardamom: Fold in ¼ cup chopped pistachios and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom; garnish with more nuts.
- Coconut-Lime: Swap 1 cup milk for canned coconut milk; finish with ½ teaspoon lime zest.
- Orange-Cinnamon: Add 1 teaspoon orange zest and a pinch of cinnamon; finish with orange segments.
- Rose & Pistachio (deli-style vibe): Add ¼–½ teaspoon rose water to taste; top with pistachios and a cherry.
Cooked Rice Shortcut (15 min)
- Use: 2 cups cooked white rice (day-old is best)
- Liquid: 2 cups whole milk (or 1½ c milk and ½ c cream)
- Add: ⅓ c sugar, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp butter
- Optional: 1 beaten egg (extra creamy), ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ c raisins
Method (Quick)
- Heat milk + sugar + salt until steaming.
- Stir in rice; simmer 5–6 minutes until creamy.
- (Optional) Temper in egg; cook 1–2 minutes more.
- Off heat: stir in vanilla + butter. Loosen with 1–3 Tablespoons milk if thick.
Reheat: 30-sec microwave bursts (or low stove) with a splash of milk
How to Store Leftovers
- Storage: Refrigerate rice pudding in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in a freezer safe container up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating (Stovetop): Warm on low with 1-3 Tablespoons milk, stirring gently until loosened and smooth.
- Reheating (Microwave): Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, adding 1-3 Tablespoons milk until creamy.
How To Serve Rice Pudding
We like to serve our classic rice pudding recipe with a little freshly grated cinnamon stick and a dollop of this homemade whipped cream that takes about 2 minutes to make.
You can also sprinkle a bit of ground cinnamon on top with a dusting wand, drizzle with chocolate sauce or stir in some cinnamon sugar.
More Easy Pudding Recipes
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Easy Rice Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 8 cups whole milk
- 1 cup raw medium-grain white rice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split, or 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, add the milk, rice, salt, vanilla bean (if using, extract…don’t add it yet.) and sugar over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and continue to simmer until the rice is tender and the pudding has reduced to about 3 1/2 cups. Continue to stir constantly to prevent scorching.
- Fish out the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla bean seeds or vanilla extract.
- Transfer the pudding to a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.
- Chill for 1 hour or overnight.
- Serve warm or chilled.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Simmer 3–5 minutes longer, stirring often; the rice may need a little more time to release starch.
Off heat, whisk in 2-4 Tablespoons hot milk a little at a time until it loosens to your ideal texture.
Stir in ¼ cup milk and continue simmering gently until tender.
Press plastic wrap directly on the surface while cooling to prevent a skin.
What an awesome rice pudding recipe! I was craving some of my Dad’s rice pudding after recently buying some store bought stuff. That stuff just doesn’t cut the mustard- the ratios are all wrong and there’s not enough rice and too much gluggy milk. Blegh!
I clicked on this because it looked so rice-packed and delicious! Mine turned out great! It took a while to cook and a little longer than 15 mins to thicken up but the result was exactly what I needed.
Thanks for the awesome recipe. I’ll be thinking of you and your Pop every time I make it now
Awww, I’m so glad you loved it! This is, by far, my favorite comfort food and I’m thrilled that it’s exactly what you were looking for. Thank you for your comment!
Hi great recipe Taste absolutely wonderful the only thing is mine came out a bit too creamy not like the picture at all still tasted very good I didn’t have cinnamon sticks so I used a little cinnamon in the recipe I use 8 cups of whole milk and it just wasn’t producing enough even after about a half hour 35 minutes but still tasted wonderful I’m wondering if I should use a little less milk next time thank you so much for the wonderful recipe
Cooking nowsuper excited! Carolina rice is a brand name, grown in USA ( in case you haven’t figured that out yet). You could buy online
That’s all we use. 🙂
Balsamic rice, a small grain rice is recommended for rice pudding as it contains much more starch which thickens much better than your “Carolina Rice (so nice).
The Carolina Rice is a long grain rice….the Carolina is the brand. And I think you mean Basmati rice….not balsamic.
Great recipe..very creamy and tasty!
Thank you!
Just a GREAT recipe for some of the best comfort food ever invented.
Add some golden raisins, add boiled hot water to raisins to plump them up, drain and add raisins to pudding.
Puts this great recipe over the top.
I love raisins in my rice pudding but there are others who would totally object to the suggestion. LOL!
I’m excited to try this recipe it sounds soooo yummy! I want to cook the rice with cinnamon sticks. Should I? And if so how many? Thanks!
You could do that….maybe two or three? Just remove them before serving.
I added 1 and left it in thru the whole process. Tasted delicious
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked it!
i followed the directions completely, the flavor is there but it never set even after refrig over night.. its a flavorful milky rice..
You do need to cook it until it starts to thicken, you’ll know when it changes consistency but not all rice cooks exactly the same so if you used a different brand or variety, that could affect the cooking time significantly.
I have been craving rice pudding. So I didn’t have enough milk about 4 cups and I noticed in my pantry I had condensed sweet milk. So I followed your recipe but I didn’t add the butter or the sugar due to the condensed milk and it came out so creamy and perfect sweetness. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh wow! Thank you for sharing your substitute, I’m going to have to try that!! So glad I inspired you to try it. Have a great day!
I’ll never eat store bought rice pudding again – this is fantastic!!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it!
Excellent recipe 🙂
Thanks!
I don’t have unsalted butter cab I use salted butter but leave out the salt
Absolutely!