Old-Fashioned Stovetop Creamy Rice Pudding
Make the creamiest, old-fashioned rice pudding right on your stovetop. This easy recipe uses simple ingredients to create a nostalgic, comforting dessert perfect served warm or chilled.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Total Time: 65 min
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup short-grain white rice (Arborio works well for creaminess)
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra for topping)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
- Combine the rinsed rice, whole milk, and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring every few minutes, for 45 to 60 minutes. The rice should swell, and the mixture should thicken considerably to a creamy consistency. If it becomes too thick before the rice is tender, add a splash more milk.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Serve the rice pudding warm, or transfer it to a bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill completely before serving cold.
Notes
- For an extra rich texture, substitute 1/2 cup of the milk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream.
- If you prefer raisins, add 1/2 cup of golden raisins when you add the milk in Step 2.
- This is the ultimate comfort dessert; do not rush the simmering process, as slow cooking builds the best creamy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 25
