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Rice Pudding

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Creamy arborio rice combines with milk, vanilla, and crème fraîche (or sour cream) for a sweet, decadent rice pudding that’s truly the best you’ll ever taste.

Spoon in a stemmed glass of rice pudding.

If you’re searching for the best rice pudding recipe, look no further — this is the one! The recipe comes from my friend Lisa Kolb Ruland, the talented pastry chef behind the popular recipe blog, Unpeeled. Lisa’s recipes are simply fantastic (you must try her sugar-crusted pecan shortbread and French fruit tart if you haven’t already). What makes this rice pudding recipe special is the use of arborio rice, a short-grain rice that’s typically used in risotto. With its high starch content, arborio rice creates a creamy and rich texture without the need for eggs. But that’s not all — Lisa also folds in a generous dollop of crème fraîche (or sour cream) at the end to give the pudding an extra layer of creaminess and a subtle tangy flavor that balances out the sweetness. Finally, to gild the lily, Lisa infuses golden raisins with orange liqueur and cinnamon, and stirs them into the pudding just before serving. This adds yet another special touch to this timeless and comforting dessert.

What You’ll Need To Make Rice Pudding

ingredients for rice pudding

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil. (Watch carefully so it doesn’t overflow!) Add the rice. adding rice to boiling milk mixture.

Stir, and boil gently for one minute.simmering rice pudding

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and creamy (you’ll need to stir more frequently towards the end of the cooking time to prevent sticking).creamy rice puddingPour the rice pudding into a bowl and stir occasionally until cooled to room temperature. If you’d like to speed the cooling process, put the bowl over an ice bath or a bag of frozen vegetables.cooling rice pudding

Meanwhile, place the raisins, orange liqueur (or juice), and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover the raisins.

raisins, liqueur, cinnamon and water in small pan

Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat.

boiling raisin mixture

Steep for about 15 minutes, then drain. Set aside.

drained steeped raisins

Give the crème fraîche (or sour cream) a quick whisk to make it fluffy and a little aerated. Gently fold into the cooled rice pudding, along with the steeped raisins. Stir in the orange zest, if using.

folding steeped raisins and creme fraiche into rice pudding

At this point, the rice pudding can be served at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 days.finished rice pudding

To serve, spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. Top with a small sprinkle of cinnamon and some orange zest, if desired.

Spoon in a stemmed glass of rice pudding.

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Rice Pudding

Creamy arborio rice combines with milk, vanilla, and crème fraîche (or sour cream) for a sweet, decadent rice pudding that’s truly the best you’ll ever taste.

Servings: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

For the Rice Pudding

  • 5 cups milk (whole or 2%)
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup arborio rice

For the Steeped Raisins

  • ½ cup golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau, or orange juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for serving

For Finishing & Serving

  • ¾ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest, from 1 orange (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil. (Watch carefully so it doesn't overflow!) Add the rice. Stir, and boil gently for one minute. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and creamy (you'll need to stir more frequently towards the end of the cooking time to prevent sticking). Pour the rice pudding into a bowl and stir occasionally until cooled to room temperature. (To speed the cooling process, put the bowl over an ice bath or a bag of frozen vegetables.)
  2. Place the raisins, orange liqueur (or juice), and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Add enough water just to cover the raisins. Bring to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Steep for about 15 minutes, then drain. Set aside.
  3. Give the crème fraîche (or sour cream) a quick whisk to make it fluffy and a little aerated. Gently fold into the cooled rice pudding, along with the steeped raisins. Stir in the orange zest, if using. At this point, the rice pudding can be served at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 days.
  4. To serve, spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. Top with a small sprinkle of cinnamon and some orange zest, if desired.
  5. Make-Ahead Instructions: This rice pudding will keep, refrigerated, for up to two days. Rice pudding tastes best cool, but not cold.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 409
  • Fat: 12 g
  • Saturated fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 63 g
  • Sugar: 41 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Sodium: 200 mg
  • Cholesterol: 35 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Jen my two percent milk is starting to sour . I don’t want to waste it . Can it be used for this recipe

    • — Asra Hussain on January 8, 2024
    • Reply
    • I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!

      • — Jenn on January 10, 2024
      • Reply
  • Could I use another type of rice?

    • — Corrine on June 16, 2023
    • Reply
    • Unfortunately not. You really need to stick with arborio rice here.

      • — Jenn on June 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • Can the Rice Pudding be made in a Slow-Cooker instead of on the stove?

    • — Marilyn A Zartler on April 14, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure, Marilyn – I think that should work.

      • — Jenn on April 15, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn! I’m looking forward to making this recipe but wondering if you would recommend any substitutions for raisins? Not a fan of raisins in our household. Thanks!

    • — Lien on April 10, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Lien, Any dried fruit would work (cranberries, diced apricots, etc.) – or you can just leave them out. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 10, 2023
      • Reply
  • Will the orange flavoring still work well if I only have regular raisins on hand or should I go another way? Thanks.

    • — DeeDee on April 8, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi DeeDee, Regular raisins will work well with the orange flavor, too. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 8, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made this on Thursday and it was all gone by Friday evening!! This is the BEST rice pudding I have ever made or eaten! I didn’t have crème fraîche or sour cream, so I used plain Greek yogurt instead. It was fabulous. Best part is I used whole milk from a small local farm dairy (the kind that you have to shake to distribute the cream). Oh my word! What a difference! Thanks for sharing this one, Jenn.

    Sue

    • — Sue McCullough on April 8, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn
    What quart size pan do you recommend for this recipe?

    Thanks,
    Chris

    • — Chris on April 6, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Chris, I would say 4 quarts.

      • — Jenn on April 6, 2023
      • Reply
  • Made your Rice Pudding – AWESOME! I did use sour cream as I didn’t have creme fraiche – as well I mixed the orange zest into the sour cream and let it sit for awhile. I made the full amount, so the pudding is going to take a while to enjoy.

    • — Ingrid on April 4, 2023
    • Reply
  • I made this today for our dessert tomorrow evening. I had to taste it after it was finished (I don’t want to serve it without a taste test 😉 first)! It’s absolutely amazing! I will make this again and again. 🙂Thanks for sharing this and your source, Jenn.

    • — Nancy W. on April 3, 2023
    • Reply
  • Love this recipe will make it for Easter. Thanks for posting it

    • — Pearl M Lumpkins on April 3, 2023
    • Reply
    • Another perfect recipe!! Jenn this is so delicious! Perfect amount of sugar and spice. Do not omit orange zest. Takes it over the top! Thank you thank you!!

      • — Noreen on April 4, 2023
      • Reply
  • Milk, sugar, vanilla essence if have on hand, rice, sometimes plumped raisins via boiling water, sometimes no raisins, put in buttered dish, sprinkle small amount of nutmeg over top, put into oven to bake along side roast potatoes for family Sunday roast dinner, no stirring needed on pudding.
    Been made that way by war bride mother for us war children and this now very old war child since the late 40’s.

    • — Joycelyn on April 2, 2023
    • Reply
    • Perhaps you should make your own website and post your own recipes there. I actually find it disrespectful to post a recipe on someone else’s site, This review board is for once upon a chef. I have made many of her recipes and have never been disappointed. I know the rice pudding you are talking about as my mother also made it, but this is for a different and wonderful rice pudding. Try it….you won’t be disappointed.

      • — Lynne on April 4, 2023
      • Reply

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