Rice Pudding
on Mar 07, 2023, Updated May 28, 2024
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This is the easiest Rice Pudding recipe and will forever feel like home to me. This creamy rice pudding, or as we call it “mliako s oriz,” is a staple in 🇧🇬 Bulgaria. I vividly remember being served rice pudding as a post-nap snack in kindergarten 🎒. Isn’t it funny how we can remember something so vividly from such a young age? The smallest gestures often make for the fondest memories, and it’s a feeling that I will forever hold close to my heart. I know that most countries around the world have their own version of 🍚 rice with milk, so let me know where you’re from and what you call this delicious treat in your language. This version is my dad’s and it’s creamiest homemade rice pudding ever!
Why You’ll Love Rice Pudding
This Rice Pudding is comfort food in a 🥣 bowl. It comes together really quickly and uses the simplest of ingredients we all usually have on hand. The result is a creamy bowl that makes a great snack or dessert. The kids will love the pudding texture and sweet vanilla flavors. You can also have fun with additional ingredients, such as cinnamon, 🍋 lemon zest or dried fruit. However you make it, this dish is like a big hug!
How to Prepare
💧 Start by rinsing the rice really well.
🔥 Now, add water to a pot over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil. Then add in the rinsed rice and reduce the heat to low.
♨️ Put a lid on the pot, leaving an opening on the side, and then let it boil until the water has fully evaporated.
🍚 Once the rice is 90% cooked and the water has fully absorbed into the rice, remove it from the heat.
🥛 Next, in a separate pot, add the milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Let it come to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.
🥄 Add in the cooked rice and stir the whole time, until the mixture thickens. This can take up to 10 minutes on medium heat.
😋 Then carefully taste the rice and when it’s fully cooked and thickened, you can take it off the heat.
🥄 Last but not least, stir in the pure vanilla bean paste or extract.
🥣 Pour the pudding into ramekins (glasses or bowls) and enjoy warm or let it cool completely, cover it, and transfer it to the refrigerator.
Nonna’s Tip 🍚
The rice should be 90% cooked before you add it into the milk. It should be al-dente and have a little bite to it so it finishes cooking with the milk.
Variations and Substitutions for Rice Pudding
- You can use any short-grain 🍚 rice, Italian-style rice, or arborio rice for this Rice Pudding.
- For a dairy-free alternative, you can certainly try coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk instead.
- Feel free to add in raisins, lemon zest, or anything you enjoy to your rice pudding. In Bulgaria, we like it plain.
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Best Served With
- Serve Rice Pudding with a variety of fresh 🫐 fruit for a light snack or simple dessert.
- Sprinkle the Rice Pudding with nuts and toasted 🥥 coconut.
- For some additional sweetness, you can serve Rice Pudding with a drizzle of 🍯 honey or even chocolate sauce.
- Serve the Rice Pudding with a selection of 🍪 cookies for a little crunchy contrast to the creamy pudding. Try my Honey Cookies or Italian Amaretti Cookies.
Common Questions
The rice should be 90% cooked before you add it into the milk. It should be al-dente and have a little bite to it so it finishes cooking with the milk.
Yes, you can certainly use a rice cooker if you have one.
You can store the pudding in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot on the stove or in the microwave.
Yes, you can freeze rice pudding by adding the pudding into freeze-safe bags, leaving about an inch of space at the top to allow for expansion. Freeze flat for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave using the defrost setting.
Rinsing the rice removes excess starch, preventing it from becoming too sticky and will help you achieve the right creamy texture.
You can use about 1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) of ground cinnamon as a substitute for the cinnamon stick.
Yes, you can customize your rice pudding with additional flavorings such as nutmeg, cardamom, lemon zest or almond extract. You could also add in some raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruits.
While 1 cup of flour weighs 130g in my kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 145g in your kitchen and there are a few reasons for that. It depends on what brand of ingredients you’re using, what brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons you’re using, and how you are measuring your food into cups: scooping and leveling verses spooning the ingredients into the cup measure.
Rice Pudding
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Italian style rice
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup sugar
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, I used vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Rinse the rice really well. To a pot, add the water and let it come to a boil. Add in the rinsed rice and reduce the heat to low.
- Put a lid on the pot, leaving an opening on the side, and let it boil until the water has fully evaporated.
- Once the rice is 90% cooked and the water has fully absorbed into the rice, remove it from the heat.
- In a separate pot, add the milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Let it come to a simmer and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Add in the cooked rice and stir the whole time, until the mixture thickens. This can take up to 10 minutes on medium heat. You don't want the milk to burn so keep stirring and reduce the heat to medium-low if you need to.
- Carefully taste the rice and when it's fully cooked and thick, you can take it off the heat. Make sure to blow on it so you don't burn your mouth when you taste it.
- Last but not least, stir in the pure vanilla bean paste or extract. Pour the pudding into ramekins (glasses or bowls) and enjoy warm or let it cool completely, cover it, and transfer into the fridge. If you like rice pudding warm or cold it's totally up to preference. I personally like both! Enjoy.
Notes
- You can use any short-grain 🍚 rice, Italian-style rice, or arborio rice for this Rice Pudding.
- For a dairy-free alternative, you can certainly try coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk instead.
- Feel free to add in raisins, lemon zest, or anything you enjoy to your rice pudding. In Bulgaria, we like it plain.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
i wanted to make some rice pudding before iftar i realized how bad i’m at following basic instructions i might have done rice the old fashion way and put it with water and let it cook 90% but i made the rest of it the rice is not fluffy but it sure smells delicious can’t wait to eat it at iftar 😉
I hope it tastes delicious! Hope it made for a good fasting break.
Love this recipe! It tastes exactly how my gma used to make & I never imagined how easy it would be!!! We’ve made it a couple times now & I just wanted to say thank you!
You’re so welcome, Lyndsay, I’m so glad it reminds you of family. That means the world to me. 😍🥰❤️
Thank You so much.
This is fun!
I’m so glad, Diana! Thank you for the rating! 😍
Perfect taste and texture. Delicious
So glad you enjoyed the pudding, Camille. Thank you for the rating! ❤️😊
I made this as instructed with Arborio rice. For some reason, it came out more rice than pudding. It lost its creaminess somewhere along the way. It’s tasty, but not what I was expecting. I think I will warm up individual portions with some added milk, to loosen it up and hopefully give it some creaminess. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi Naomi, I used a different type of rice for this recipe (arborio works too) but yes, you can always add more milk to adjust the consistency.
Do you use Arborio rice ?
I don’t. I use short grain but any short grain will work 🙂
Absolutely perfect and exactly what I remember my grandmother made when I was young. Thank you
So happy this recipe reminded you of her
I have never made rice pudding but am looking for a recipe. My grandmother use to make it all the time and I loved it. I’m just curious why you cook the rice separate first before adding to the milk. Why not cook in the milk starting out?
Hi Lisa,
You definitely can but I feel like milk can burn easily and the rice sticks to the bottom. You will require more as the rice is still hard before it evaporates. Please try it my way and see.
Thanks u so much and just get done cook it and can’t wait see how it turn out for my household
SO excited 🙂
Yum!!!!
It took me a bit longer to make this but I think it was because I didn’t have the heat high enough when I combined the rice and milk. Also, I used jasmine rice because that’s all I had and it turned out great, what a treat!
Hi Irina! So glad you loved it 🙂
Oh my Lord!!!!
This pudding is absolutely HEAVENLY!!!!
Just INCREDIBLE!!
You killed it!!
I have eaten a lot of rice pudding in my life, but none come even close to this!!
Keep it up and thank you!!
Fantastic as always !!
Thanks Taz!!! So sweet
I used to know a guy named taz in Reno. Great guy married to a friend