Rice Pudding
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
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.
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.
“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!”
What You’ll Need To Make Rice Pudding
- Milk: Forms the creamy base for the rice pudding, providing richness and flavor. Either whole or 2% milk will work; I do not recommend fat-free milk.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the pudding, balancing out the natural flavors of the rice and dairy.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm and aromatic flavor to enhance the taste of the pudding.
- Arborio Rice: Provides the characteristic creamy texture of rice pudding when cooked. Ideal for rice pudding due to its high starch content.
- Golden Raisins: Infuse the pudding with bursts of sweetness and chewy texture.
- Orange Liqueur or Orange Juice: Adds a citrusy brightness to the raisins, enhancing their flavor.
- Cinnamon: Offers warm notes, complementing the sweetness of the raisins and adding depth of flavor. Also, a little sprinkled on top of the pudding provides a pretty finishing touch.
- Crème Fraîche or Sour Cream: Adds a creamy and tangy element to balance the sweetness of the pudding.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
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.
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. If you’d like to speed the cooling process, put the bowl over an ice bath or a bag of frozen vegetables.
Meanwhile, 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.
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.
To serve, spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. Top with a small sprinkle of cinnamon and some orange zest, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the rice pudding will keep nicely, refrigerated, for up to two days. When ready to serve, remove it from the fridge a little ahead of time as it tastes best cool, but not cold.
I don’t recommend freezing rice pudding. The rice could become slightly grainy, and the pudding may lose some of its creamy consistency.
It’s not recommended—other types of rice may not release starch in the same way arborio rice does, resulting in a less creamy texture and mouthfeel.
Sure! Feel free to swap the raisins for other dried fruit such as currants or diced apricots, stir in some chopped nuts, or top the rice pudding with a sprinkle of cocoa powder instead of cinnamon.
You May Also Like
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.
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
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- To serve, spoon the rice pudding into serving bowls. Top with a small sprinkle of cinnamon and some orange zest, if desired.
- 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 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Could I use another type of rice?
Unfortunately not. You really need to stick with arborio rice here.
Can the Rice Pudding be made in a Slow-Cooker instead of on the stove?
Sure, Marilyn – I think that should work.
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!
Hi Lien, Any dried fruit would work (cranberries, diced apricots, etc.) – or you can just leave them out. Enjoy!
Will the orange flavoring still work well if I only have regular raisins on hand or should I go another way? Thanks.
Hi DeeDee, Regular raisins will work well with the orange flavor, too. Enjoy!
Made this as a dessert for Mother’s Day dinner, and it was a huge hit! Thank you for the great recipe.
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
Hi Jenn
What quart size pan do you recommend for this recipe?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi Chris, I would say 4 quarts.
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.
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.
Love this recipe will make it for Easter. Thanks for posting it
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!!
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.
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.