Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding is so creamy with the perfect texture and sweetness. Only a handful of ingredients and a little patience are needed to make this old time favorite dessert.
This Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding tastes just like the KozyShack Rice Pudding I like to buy at the grocery store, only better since it is made from all natural ingredients. This is a stove-top version with just the right amount of sweetness. Only 1/2 cup of sugar is added and most of the sweetness comes from the milk cooking down.
It takes a minimum of 50 minutes to get the thickness and texture right. You’ll know it’s done when it’s about the consistency of yogurt. It will thicken up more as it cools, but you stir in a little more milk just before serving to loosen it up some.
No need to go out and buy a bag of short grain or medium grain rice. This Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding cooks prefectly with long grain rice.
Only 5 ingredients needed to make this amazing dessert: milk, sugar, salt, long grain rice, and vanilla extract.
The key to this rice pudding is a very high ratio of milk (a full 6 cups) to rice (just 1/2 cup). You may think when you start that there’s no way it will thicken up enough but it magically does.
This Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding has just the right amount of vanilla fllavor and you can sprinkle some cinnamon on top for extra flavor if you wish or add raisins if that’s your jam.
More Old-Fashioned Desserts
- Old-Fashioned Potato Candy
- Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake
- Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnuts
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Meringue Pie
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 6 cups whole milk, divided
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup long grain white rice, I use a heaping half cup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon, optional
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine 5 1/2 cups milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Stir in rice and reduce heat to low. Be sure to adjust the heat so that it is at a gentle simmer.
- Stirring occasionally, cook for 50 to 60 minutes. Mixture should thicken up to consistency of yogurt.
- Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Let cool and then refrigerate. The last 1/2 cup milk is stirred in just before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
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Recipe Source: Cook’s Country Magazine
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Made this with skim milk for my Mom. She LOVED it. I also used 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond bc she likes almond. Highly recommend!
I love rice pudding
Came out delicious! I used half and half instead of whole milk and added a tbsp of butter before adding the vanilla. Took around 60 mins and the rice was perfectly soft.
Thanks for the recipe!
I sure did make it. Only one gripe: recipe calls for stirring “50-60” minutes but I actually stirred it for about 2.5 hours. My grandma helped for half of that time and she has arthritis and her heart medication doesn’t allow her to consume Advil and how her wrists ache. Poor Suzanne.
Is the rice tender in this recipe?
Absolutely the best Rice pudding I ever tasted.
That’s sound and smells great . Just like old days back home . I used to do it that way but I never use the salt or vanilla
Sounds just like my mom’s. I will let you know how it turns out.
I use 1/2 gallon cold whole milk. Throw the rice in 1st with dash salt, then gradually heat cold milk with rice until steaming and simmering, stirring every 2-3 minutes once simmering. Add the sugar and vanilla at very end. Set a chair or stool by the stove and take a seat, watch and stir and adjust heat as needed. Make sure rice isn’t old. I use medium grain. Refrigerate overnight. Rice will not be hard. Been making rice pudding for years.. People who don’t like rice, love it.
Very good recipe. I added a little butter at the end, and used some brown sugar and white sugar. It was amazing.
I love this! Can it be made in the Instant Pot?
Hello,
You don’t cover the rice do you?
I am a caregiver for an old blind man ,and I have made this several times for him.He asks for it a lot.He said it was just like his mom use to make it.He cry’s and said it is the best ever.
That is so sweet!
I have made this 4 times now in the past week! I follow the recipe exactly as it’s written and it turns out every time. The 1st time I doubled it I decided to do 2 batches in 2 different pans instead of using a larger pan. This is a new favorite in my family & I can’t thank you enough!
Loved this. Tasty and easy. Mine did not get super thick, but it was still delicious.
It was delicious I had some milk ready to expire and I used a whole gallon. My family and friends enjoyed it!
Very easy to follow, and super tasty
Made my first batch last week and it was great! It boiled over the pot – a bit of a mess. I measured what was left and added milk and continued cooking. The end result was good. Today I am making a double batch and I am not turning my head away from the stove! I am assuming the boil down will take more than 50 mins.
Thanks for this great recipe!
I was so disappointed the rice never got soft enough and I simmered it for over 2 hours
Did you bring the milk to a full boil and it must be on a good simmer and stirred?
If you’re reading this, could you please reply whether or not you soaked your rice, and if so, how would you describe the texture of the rice when completed and cooled?
Can I use 2% milk?
Add butter to 2% milk to make it whole ☺️
So easy to make and so delicious!
Cool with rice covered or uncovered?
After adding rice do you cover the pan when cooking for the next hour?
I did the uncovered, in a double boiler, as my mother used to & even after simmering for over an hour & thickening quite nicely, the rice was not completely soft! I repeated this today, with a tweak: I mixed 1/2 cup of rice with 1/2 of water, brought the mixture to just boiling, covered & immediately removed from heat. I then left the rice/water mixture sit covered for 20 minutes. I then proceeded with the recipe, lowering the milk to 5 cups. Then end result was then very soft and creamy.
Easy to make! Brilliant recipe!