This creamy rice pudding recipe is my husband’s all-time favorite dessert!

This in this recipe, white rice (you can use leftover rice!) simmers in sweetened milk to make a comforting dessert the whole family will love.

plated Homemade Rice Pudding

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While there are many versions of rice pudding around the world, this classic rice pudding recipe is somewhat similar to tapioca—it’s a sweet, creamy dessert made with rice, milk, and eggs.

This Is The Best Rice Pudding Because

  • It’s so comforting and delicious, this is my family recipe.
  • It uses basic ingredients you likely have on hand, and it’s really easy to make.
  • You can use raw rice or leftover rice in this recipe.
  • It can be served warmed or chilled (we prefer warmed) and reheats well.
milk, egg , rice, vanilla, raisins, sugar , butter , salt to make Creamy Rice Pudding with labels

Ingredients in Rice Pudding

  • Rice – You can use any variety of white rice in this recipe, raw or cooked. I most often use long-grain rice, but arborio rice works well, too.
  • Milk – Whole milk is rich and creamy but again, any type of milk can be used. For non-dairy milk, try oat milk or coconut milk.
  • Sugar – Adds sweetness, of course.
  • Egg – This adds richness to the custard.
  • Spices – To add flavor to this rice pudding recipe, use vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. For more depth, try adding cardamom, allspice, or cloves. Another option is to use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.

Add-ins – Dress up this dessert with raisins, currants, dried cranberries, nuts, toasted coconut, or any type of nuts or seeds.

ingredients in pot to make Creamy Rice Pudding
adding raisins to pot to make Creamy Rice Pudding
Creamy Rice Pudding in the pot

How to Make Rice Pudding

  1. Simmer cooked rice with milk, sugar, & salt in a saucepan until thick & creamy.
  2. Whisk the egg and milk in a bowl (recipe below), then slowly stir in some of the hot rice mixture. (This is called tempering and keeps the egg from scrambling in the pudding).
  3. Add the tempered egg back saucepan with raisins and stir in butter and vanilla.
  4. Serve warm.
bowls of Creamy Rice Pudding

Leftovers

How to Store: Keep leftover rice pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding milk if needed.

How to Freeze: If you happen to have leftovers (this is never a thing in my house), you can freeze rice pudding for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm on the stove or in the microwave.

More Classic Dessert Recipes

Did you try this Creamy Rice Pudding recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!

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top view of Creamy Rice Pudding in bowls
4.95 from 203 votes
Author Holly Nilsson

Rice Pudding

Author Holly Nilsson
Servings 4 servings
Creamy Rice Pudding is one of life's simple pleasures! So rich, creamy, and delicious, it is a dreamy dessert your family will love!
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Servings 4 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
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Equipment

Ingredients  

  • 1 ½ cups cooked white rice see notes for raw rice
  • 2 cups whole milk divided
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅔ cup golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions 

  • In a nonstick saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups of cooked rice, 1 ½ cups milk, sugar, and salt.
  • Bring to a low boil over medium heat, and cook uncovered, stirring frequently for 15-20 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the egg with the remaining ½ cup of milk. Gradually add about 1 cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg while stirring. Add the egg mixture to the saucepan, stir in the raisins, and cook for 2 minutes more.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in butter, vanilla, cinnamon, ad nutmeg.
  • Serve warm and garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.

Video

Notes

This recipe can be doubled.
To use uncooked rice,  combine ½ cup of long-grain white rice with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 18 minutes or until most of the rice is absorbed.
Serve rice pudding chilled or warm.
4.95 from 203 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 304 | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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4.95 from 203 votes (127 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  3. I made this today and it is exactly what I was looking for. At first I thought the milk would not thicken up but after 15 minutes it was very thick. I forgot the butter and vanilla, but it was still really good with cinnamon on top. I will definitely make this pudding again. The only change for me would be slightly less raisins, but that’s a matter of personal taste. The rice I used was extra long grain basmati rice.5 stars

    Reply

  4. SUCH a forgiving and delicious recipe! Perfect as it is, but have made it countless times when I’ve run out of ingredients (eg no butter or egg, half the milk…) and it’s still so tasty. My partner loves it too!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the tips Pippa! So glad you and your partner have loved this as much as my family does!

      Reply

  5. Question…I doubled the recipe exactly followed directions to a T. The pudding is really watery. Will it thicken as it cools? I tasted the milk mixture and it tastes really yummy.

    Reply

    1. It will thicken a bit upon cooling. I double this often and haven’t had any problems with consistency. I would suggest allowing it to simmer uncovered for a little bit longer to thicken.

      Reply

  7. So far this is my favorite rice pudding recipe. It is sooooo good, sweet (but not to sweet), creamy, just delicious! I loved the idea to put whipped cream on top. Also this recipe is good hot and cold. This is my third time making it. I’ve had none of the problems that other people speak of. I am in love. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  8. A very tasty simple recipe but it never came close to becoming creamy. I tempered the eggs and followed the recipe to a t but still the egg went curdly. Ive tried it twice thinking i didnt temper the egg milk enough but same results.2 stars

    Reply

  13. I realized what mistake I made and the person who had rice pudding soup also made… The recipe says one and a half cups of rice cooked, which leads a person to believe you just need one and a half cups of cooked rice. Now I’m guessing you meant take one and a half cups of rice to cook it and use that amount in the recipe… You may want to fix that. I now also have a giant vat of rice soup

    Reply

    1. You are correct, the rice should be one and a half cups of cooked rice (approx ½ cup raw). If your rice is soupy, just let it simmer longer uncovered. It takes about 15-20 min to thicken up.

      Reply

      1. Count me among the rice soup crowd. :)

        But wow, is this such a creamy, fluffy delicious recipe! Made a big batch for myself just now, and soup or no, a big bowl went right down my gullet.

        Thanks for the great recipe!5 stars

  14. I just finished making this recipe and I am absolutely in love!!! I’ve tried out a couple other recipes for rice pudding but none compare to this one. It’s so creamy and just the perfect consistency. And so easy to make5 stars

    Reply

  16. Holly!!! I am almost 51 years old and have been searching for a rice pudding recipe “just like Grandma used to make”. THE SEARCH IS OVER!! Thank you SO much for this recipe! I’ve made it once and I’m making a double batch tonight. I can’t thank you enough!!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Did you use long grain white rice? You can certainly increase the cook time if needed, it should reach the consistency as seen in the video below the recipe.

      Reply

  18. Quick question for you: the ingredients says to use 1 egg, but in the video you use 2 eggs. Which is correct?

    Reply

  20. Looks amazing, I’m thinking of making this for my 10 month old twins. Any ideas of how to make it more baby friendly? can I substitute sugar for maybe a few dates?

    Reply