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Rice Pudding

A gentle stovetop simmer turns short- or medium-grain rice and milk into a soft, creamy pudding scented with vanilla and cinnamon.
A bowl of creamy rice pudding is dusted with cinnamon, with tender grains visible in the vanilla milk.

Rice pudding depends on patience more than complicated technique. A low simmer and frequent stirring give the grains time to soften while releasing enough starch to thicken the milk into a creamy sauce.

Keep the heat gentle

Use a heavy saucepan and keep the milk just below a boil, where small bubbles gather at the edge. Stir every few minutes and sweep the spoon across the bottom and corners, where milk solids can catch first.

Let the rice set the pace

Short- and medium-grain rice soften while releasing starch that gives the milk body. Check a grain near the end of simmering; it should be tender through the center before you finish the pudding.

Rice simmers in milk in a saucepan while a wooden spoon moves through the thickening mixture.
Rice simmers gently in milk as it begins to turn creamy.

Finish with sweetness and vanilla

Stir in the sugar once the grains are tender, then give it a few minutes to dissolve and round out the milk. Add vanilla off the heat so its aroma stays clear, and fold in raisins during the final simmer only if you want them.

Serve warm or chilled

Warm pudding is soft and flowing, while a chilled rest makes it more set and spoonable. For either temperature, a light dusting of cinnamon adds fragrance without masking the vanilla.

Tender rice grains sit in glossy vanilla cream under a light cinnamon dusting.
A spoonful shows tender grains suspended in creamy vanilla milk.

Adjust after cooling

Rice continues absorbing liquid after the pan leaves the stove, so stop cooking while the pudding looks slightly looser than you want. If it firms up too much in the refrigerator, stir in warm milk a tablespoon at a time until it turns creamy again.

Rice Pudding

6 servings
180 minutes total

Ingredients

  • •  1/2 cup short- or medium-grain white rice
  • •  5 cups whole milk, divided
  • •  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • •  1/4 tsp fine salt
  • •  1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
  • •  2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • •  1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Method

  1. Rinse the rice

    Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cool water, stirring it with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear; drain it well so excess rinse water does not thin the pudding.

    Look for: The rinse water is mostly clear and the rice is well drained.

  2. Start the milk and rice

    In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine the rice, 4 cups of the milk, salt, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring often, until small bubbles gather around the edge but the milk is not boiling.

    Look for: A few small bubbles form at the edge without a rolling boil.

  3. Simmer until creamy

    Lower the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners. Keep the milk at a quiet simmer; if it threatens to stick, lower the heat and stir continuously until it settles.

    Look for: The rice grains are plump and tender with no chalky center. The mixture is creamy and leaves a brief trail when stirred.

  4. Sweeten the pudding

    Stir in the sugar and raisins, if using, and continue cooking over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the pudding looks creamy but still flows slowly from the spoon.

    Look for: The sugar is dissolved and the raisins have begun to plump.

  5. Check the rice and texture

    Taste a grain; if it is still firm, add a small splash of the remaining milk and simmer gently, stirring, until tender. The pudding should be looser than the texture you want to serve because it thickens as it cools.

    Look for: A grain is soft throughout and the pudding moves slowly when the pan is tilted.

  6. Add vanilla

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. If the pudding is already very thick, stir in more of the remaining milk a tablespoon at a time until it is softly spoonable.

    Look for: Vanilla is evenly incorporated and the pudding settles softly in the pan.

  7. Serve warm or chill

    Spoon into a serving bowl for warm pudding and dust with a little cinnamon. For chilled pudding, transfer it to a shallow container and let it cool briefly before covering and refrigerating for at least 2 hours.

    Look for: The warm pudding is soft and creamy; chilled pudding is set but spoonable.

  8. Loosen after cooling

    Before serving chilled pudding, stir it well; the rice absorbs more milk as it cools. If it is firmer than you like, stir in warm milk a tablespoon at a time and finish with cinnamon.

    Look for: The chilled pudding is creamy again after stirring and loosening as needed.