The Best Creamy Rice Pudding

Creamy rice pudding is pure comfort in a bowl, sweet, cuddly, and so satisfying! This old-fashioned recipe uses simple pantry ingredients like white rice, milk, sugar, and plump golden raisins to create the creamiest, most nostalgic dessert you’ll ever taste.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This dessert is warm, creamy, and comforting. Made with simple ingredients like rice, milk, sugar, and vanilla, it slowly simmers into a rich, silky treat. Enjoy it warm or chilled, with cinnamon or raisins for an extra touch of sweetness.

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Ingredient List

For the Rice Base:

• 1½ cups cold water
• ¾ cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups milk (divided: 1½ cups + ½ cup)
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Creamy Finish:

• 1 large egg, beaten
• ⅔ cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Friendly Notes:

• Rice: I use regular long-grain white rice, but medium-grain works beautifully too!
• Milk: Whole milk gives the creamiest results, but 2% works in a pinch.
• Raisins: Not a raisin fan? Skip them or use dried cranberries, chopped dates, or even chocolate chips!

Why These Ingredients Work

Let me break down the magic behind this simple ingredient list:

White Rice – This is your base! As it cooks, the rice releases starch that naturally thickens the pudding and creates that signature creamy texture. White rice works best because it gets tender and absorbs the milk beautifully.

Milk (Used in Two Stages) – We add milk twice for a reason! The first addition creates the creamy base, while the second addition (mixed with the egg) makes it extra luscious and gives it that custard-like richness.

Sugar – Just enough sweetness to make it feel like dessert without being cloying. You can adjust this to your taste!

Salt – Don’t skip this! A pinch of salt enhances all the flavors and keeps the sweetness balanced.

Egg – This is what transforms rice pudding from good to AMAZING. The egg adds richness and creates that silky, custard-like texture that coats every grain of rice.

Golden Raisins – These sweet little gems plump up as they cook and add natural sweetness and chewy texture. They’re like little flavor bombs throughout!

Butter & Vanilla – The finishing touches! Butter adds richness and a velvety mouthfeel, while vanilla brings warmth and that classic comfort-food aroma.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You don’t need any fancy equipment for this recipe — just a few kitchen basics:

• Medium saucepan with lid – For cooking the rice
• Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan – For making the pudding (prevents scorching!)
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula – For stirring
• Whisk – For beating the egg and incorporating it smoothly
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small bowl – For beating the egg

How To Make Creamy Rice Pudding

Step 1: Cook the Rice

Pour 1½ cups of cold water into a saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the ¾ cup of rice, give it a quick stir, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and let it simmer gently until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the water — this takes about 20 minutes. Don’t peek too often or you’ll release the steam! You’ll know it’s ready when the rice is fluffy and there’s no water left in the bottom of the pan.

Step 2: Create the Creamy Base

Transfer your cooked rice to a clean, large saucepan. Add 1½ cups of milk, the sugar, and salt. Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. This is where the magic happens! As you stir, the rice will release its starch and the mixture will gradually become thick and creamy.

Step 3: Add the Egg Mixture

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup of milk with the beaten egg until smooth. Now here’s the important part: slowly pour this egg mixture into the hot rice pudding while stirring constantly. Add the golden raisins at the same time. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the egg from scrambling.

Step 4: Finish with Butter and Vanilla

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the tablespoon of butter and the vanilla extract until the butter is completely melted and everything is beautifully combined.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

You can serve this immediately while it’s warm and comforting, or transfer it to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (press it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

You Must Know

Stir, stir, stir! This isn’t a walk-away recipe. Frequent stirring is essential to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to achieve that creamy consistency. If you walk away for too long, you might end up with scorched spots on the bottom.

Temper your egg properly. When adding the egg mixture to the hot pudding, make sure you’re stirring constantly. If you just dump it in without stirring, the egg will scramble and you’ll have lumpy pudding. Slow and steady wins the race here!

Personal Secret: I always use golden raisins instead of regular dark raisins because they’re slightly sweeter and don’t darken the pudding. Plus, they plump up beautifully and almost melt into the creamy base!

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Use a heavy-bottomed pan to prevent hot spots and scorching. Thin pans heat unevenly and can ruin your pudding!
• Don’t rush the rice cooking step. If your rice isn’t fully cooked and tender before you add the milk, it won’t absorb properly and you’ll have crunchy bits in your pudding.
• Room temperature egg works best. Take your egg out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start cooking. It incorporates more smoothly into the hot mixture.
• For extra creamy pudding, use half whole milk and half heavy cream. It’s ridiculously decadent!
• Common mistake to avoid: Adding all the milk at once. The two-stage milk addition is key to achieving the perfect texture.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Get creative with your rice pudding! Here are some of my favorite twists:

• Cinnamon Spice: Add ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg with the sugar. Sprinkle extra cinnamon on top before serving!
• Chocolate Lover’s Dream: Stir in ¼ cup of cocoa powder with the sugar, and swap the raisins for mini chocolate chips.
• Tropical Paradise: Replace the raisins with dried pineapple and toasted coconut flakes. Add a splash of coconut extract instead of vanilla.
• Citrus Burst: Add the zest of one orange or lemon when you add the vanilla. It brightens up the whole dish!
• Nutty Delight: Toast some sliced almonds or chopped pecans and sprinkle them on top before serving.
• Maple Pecan: Replace the white sugar with maple syrup and add toasted pecans instead of raisins.

Make-Ahead Options

Rice pudding is actually PERFECT for meal prep! Here’s how to plan ahead:

• Make it the night before: The pudding actually tastes even better the next day after the flavors have melded together in the fridge. Just make sure to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• Storage time: Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing rice pudding because the texture can become grainy when thawed. It’s best enjoyed fresh or chilled!
• Reheating: Add a splash of milk and reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring frequently.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

• The pudding will thicken as it cools. If it looks a bit loose when you first finish cooking, don’t worry! As it cools, it will set up beautifully. If it becomes too thick after refrigeration, just stir in a tablespoon or two of milk to loosen it up.
• Skin formation is normal. If a skin forms on top while cooling, you can either stir it back in or remove it — totally up to you! To prevent it, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
• Leftover cooked rice works too! If you have leftover rice, you can skip Step 1. Just use about 2 cups of cooked rice and start directly with Step 2. This is a fantastic way to use up takeout rice!

Serving Suggestions

Rice pudding is wonderful on its own, but here are some ways to make it extra special:

• Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Drizzle with caramel sauce or honey for extra sweetness
• Fresh berries add a bright, tart contrast to the creamy sweetness
• A scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into an over-the-top dessert
• Toasted nuts add crunch and richness
• Serve it for breakfast! Yes, really! It’s not too sweet and makes a comforting morning treat.

How to Store Your Creamy Rice Pudding

Refrigerator Storage: Transfer the pudding to an airtight container or cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap. It will keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Room Temperature: Don’t leave rice pudding at room temperature for more than 2 hours — it contains dairy and eggs, so it needs to be refrigerated to stay safe!

Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing rice pudding as the texture changes and can become grainy and watery when thawed.

Reheating Instructions: To reheat chilled pudding, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk per serving and heat gently in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. You can also reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring constantly and adding milk as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Allergy Information

Contains:

• Dairy (milk and butter)
• Eggs

Dairy-Free Option: Use your favorite non-dairy milk (coconut milk makes it extra creamy!) and replace the butter with coconut oil or dairy-free butter.

Egg-Free Option: You can omit the egg, though the pudding won’t be quite as rich and custard-like. To compensate, use an extra ½ cup of milk and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold milk during Step 3.

Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free as long as you ensure all your ingredients are certified gluten-free!

Nut-Free: This recipe contains no nuts, but if you’re adding toppings, be mindful of cross-contamination.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?

You can, but the texture and cooking time will be different! Brown rice takes longer to cook (about 40-45 minutes in the first step) and won’t release as much starch, so your pudding won’t be quite as creamy. If you want to try it, I’d add an extra ½ cup of milk to compensate.

My pudding turned out too thick, how do I fix it?

No problem! Just stir in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Rice pudding naturally thickens as it cools, so this is super common. I always keep extra milk on hand for this reason!

Can I make this without raisins?

Absolutely! I totally understand that raisins aren’t everyone’s favorite. You can leave them out entirely, or substitute with dried cranberries, chopped dates, dried cherries, or even fresh fruit like sliced bananas or berries stirred in at the end.

Why did my egg scramble in the pudding?

This happens when the egg mixture is added to the hot pudding too quickly or without constant stirring. The key is to pour the egg mixture in slowly while stirring continuously. Think of it like tempering — you’re gradually raising the temperature of the egg so it doesn’t cook too fast. If it does happen, you can strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any scrambled bits.

Is rice pudding better served warm or cold?

Honestly, this is totally personal preference! I love it both ways. Warm rice pudding is ultimate comfort food — cozy and soothing. Cold rice pudding is refreshing and the flavors seem more concentrated. Try it both ways and see which one you prefer!

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how your rice pudding turned out and what variations you tried!