A bowl of rich, creamy Rice Pudding is like a big hug from your Grandma on a cold and dreary day. It’s a classic comfort dessert that is not overly sweet, with hints of cinnamon and studded with plump raisins, and can be enjoyed warm or cold. Chances are, everything you need to make it right now is already in your pantry. It’s so easy!

Helpful Tips & Variations

• Rice. Uncooked medium-grain white rice will deliver the best results. Don’t rinse! Rinsing the rice removes a lot of the starch, which is needed to make the pudding creamy. (See my notes about other types of rice below.)
• Can I Make Rice Pudding with Cooked Rice? The short answer: sure. Long answer: it’s just not the same. The ideal taste and texture of rice pudding comes from constantly stirring raw rice as it cooks, which releases the starch. That’s what thickens the milk mixture and makes it so wonderfully creamy.
• Milk. Any type of milk will work, but the higher fat content, the creamier (and better!) the pudding will be. I always use whole milk. I’ve heard of positive results from using almond milk or coconut milk, but haven’t tried either of those myself.
• Granulated Sugar. Yep, you need sugar. Remember, this is a dessert. The good news for anyone trying to cut back is that this pudding is pretty forgiving in that department. You can start with a certain amount, then taste and add more toward the end of cooking if you want it sweeter. After you make it once, you could even play around with a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar the next time.
• Egg. I make this pudding with tempered egg, which adds richness and creaminess. I include notes in the recipe card to make it without, if preferred.
• Add-ins. The best rice pudding, in my humble opinion, includes cinnamon and raisins. But you can easily customize this dessert with other spices (like nutmeg) and dried fruit, or simply omit both.

Best Type of Rice for Rice Pudding

The type of rice used to make rice pudding is pretty important. It is the star of the show, after all. And not all grains produce the same results.

• Medium grain rice. In my experience, uncooked medium grain rice is the best rice to use. It produces a creamy pudding with soft grains that don’t turn to mush.
• Arborio rice (used for risotto). This is my second choice, which produces the same results as the medium grain, BUT it requires more liquid and takes longer to cook.
• Long grain white rice. This is fine. Since I use it so often in other dishes, I always have a ton of it on hand, therefore it has made its way into my rice pudding before. But it doesn’t really provide that plump textural feel that medium grain does, and if you cook it too long it gets mushy.
• Jasmine rice (short grain rice). Short grain white rice or jasmine rice will give you a very soft (almost mushy, but not quite) end result.
• Basmati rice. While basmati rice works, the nutty flavor isn’t something I enjoy in this dessert pudding.
• Brown rice. Brown rice is a hard no for me. It’s simply too firm for this pudding and doesn’t deliver that classic taste.

How To Make Rice Pudding Step By Step

Gather your ingredients.

Combine 5 cups of whole milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently so the sugar doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan (watching carefully, as the liquid can quickly rise to the top of the pan.)

Once milk is boiling, add 1/2 cup uncooked medium grain white rice and reduce heat to medium/medium-low, adjusting to maintain a gentle simmer (it should still be bubbling.) Cook, stirring every 1-2 minutes while scraping the base and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick and rice is tender, about 22 minutes. (NOTE: the ratio of milk to rice in the beginning will seem ridiculously high, but it will reduce and thicken, I promise!)

Temper the egg: in a large measuring cup, whisk together 1 large egg and 1/2 cup of the hot rice, then add that back into the pot; stir to combine.

Add in 1/3 cup raisins and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; cook for another 3-5 minutes or so, stirring constantly, until raisins plump and pudding is thickened. (Note: the raisins add necessary sweetness. If you omit them, you’ll probably need to add more sugar.)

Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.

If pudding seems too thick, you can add in 1/4-1/2 cup extra milk, only if needed to loosen and achieve desired consistency.

Pour mixture into small bowls and serve warm with a little drizzle of milk and sprinkle of cinnamon. (The rice pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. Thin out with more milk if desired.)

Storing Leftovers

• How long is rice pudding good for? Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container or individual custard cups in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 5 days. I recommend placing some plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding, to avoid a skin forming.
• To reheat rice pudding: Reheat over low heat and add more milk to thin out as needed, since the pudding will continue to thicken as it chills.
• Can you freeze rice pudding? You can, but I don’t recommend it. Once thawed, the pudding separates and becomes grainy and not very creamy. It’s best eaten fresh or chilled and/or reheated.

More Pudding Recipes:

• Tapioca Pudding
• Banana Pudding
• Chocolate Pudding
• Butterscotch Pudding

I hope you love this easy delicious recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!

My Rice Pudding recipe was originally published 1/7/21. It was retested and republished to be better than ever 2/12/26.