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.
Can I half the recipe?
Could I use the rice cooker? What about basmati rice? I’m craving creamed rice and dont want to go to the supermarket haha
This is a recipe you make exactly as written and as anticipated it turns out as absolute perfection. The best rice pudding ever! Thank you for this brilliant recipe!
Can this be done in large quantity?
This says 4 servings but not serving size. I am looking for a recipes that to yield about a gallon when done…
Can I use already cooked rice.
No you can not
What if you do use cooked rice already started the recipe what’s going to happen
Can’t wait to try this. I’ve never made rice pudding, but my mother made it often. She cooked it in a double boiler for several hours. I don’t think she put sugar or vanilla in it. We ate it warm with butter, dark brown sugar and a little cream on it. So good!
Can I use Almond Milk or Coconut Milk? Thank you!
I am obsessed with this recipe, I’ve made it at least a dozen times! I like it with scant 1/2 cup sugar. Secret is, just keep stirring! And use the best vanilla you can find! My daughter in law brought me home some Tahitian vanilla—absolute perfection! And a few scrapes of fresh nutmeg! Thanks for this recipe!
I’m in the middle of the recipe right now it’s been on a gentle simmer for an hour and still completely liquid .Full disclosure I ran out of regular milk and had to use a cup and a half of almond milk so I’m thinking that’s the problem guess I’ll keep stirring….
Hi! Thanks for the recipe!
Do you think this recipe can be made with parboiled long rice? Will it just take longer?
Hello from New Zealand! This sounds great – could I use arborio rice? I have no long-grain rice left and a trip to the supermarket in lockdown doesn’t sound like much fun 🙁
Absolutely, Arborio is IMO pretty much the best rice for rice pudding, you might find you need a touch more milk than with long-grain, but then this version uses a bit more milk than my usual recipe in any case (I add cream at the end too). You can play around with flavours so much with a good rice pudding as well – for a change use honey to replace some of the sugar, or add a couple of cardamom pods.
Greetings from Cyprus.
I made this with long grain rice and whole milk. It came out lovely and creamy, very impressed.
My mum used to make it with short rice, sprinkled with grated nutmeg which left a horrible (to me) skin which I avoided! Much nicer with cinnamon.
Thank you for this recipe, I must subscribe and try more, 🙂
Can you double this recipe? I made it once and it didn’t even make it to the refrigerator, LOL. So was wondering if anybody knew how to double the recipe.
I just did a double recipe and I just double everything,It came great.
Yes, I just double all the ingredients and it came out perfect. It was the same cooking time
Hi Julia
Yes
Aborio is probably one of the best rices for this or short grain rice is also great
I just made some and stirred though some homemade Black Doris jam
Hope your surviving lockdown
Fellow Kiwi from Christchurch x
I wish I could give this ten stars! It is absolutely delicious rice pudding and well worth the time it takes to make. I halved the recipe, used Basmati rice, and added sugar to taste. I cooked it covered, (like several people in the comments suggested) and when the rice was very tender I uncovered it for the last few minutes to cook off some of the liquid. My only regret is that I didn’t make the full recipe. Thank you! 🙂
This is a keeper!!! Husband wanted some Rice Pudding like his Mom made… I showed him recipes and pictures asking “does this look like it?”
Got to this recipe and he said “yeah… I guess”.
It does take a LONG time to cook down… but it is worth it!! He loves this!!
Will cook again!!!
This is the deli style rice pudding I have been looking for! I’ve tried so many versions to get this consistency, and sooo easy! The rice is done to perfection. For the 1/2 cup of milk, I substituted 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Another layer of creaminess, how bad can that be!
Really simple recipe but It took around an hour and a half ish to cook, and was wayyyy too sweet. I read other comments that suggested 1/3 cup of sugar instead of 1/2, but it was still too sweet :/ Disappointing because it took so long to cook and I was really looking forward to it. I would recommend using 1/4 cup of even less of sugar. I also only used 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla because I didn’t want a super strong vanilla flavor 🙂
I’ve been looking for ages for a rice pudding recipe that actually worked out. This one is perfect. I used store brand long grain rice, and added 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla instead of 2. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. I’m very happy with the results! Thank you!
1st time making this rice pudding and I read through the comments 1st…
I reduced, sugar to 1/3, salt to 1/4 tsp & vanilla to 1 tsp.
I added cinnamon sticks and cloves and a bit of red food coloring (we normally add candied cherries and golden raisins to our west Indian rice pudding/sweet rice)
This recipe worked great for long grain white rice (no name brand at food basics) & 5-1/2 cups whole milk…..covered on low simmer – electric stove – for about 40 mins and for the last 15 mins covered….I like my rice a bit softer – less grain….and I didn’t need to add extra milk at the end.
I found that removing from the stove and leaving covered for a few minutes that it still had a good consistency.
Best rice pudding recipe I have ever made and I have tried many. I cut the sugar to 1/3 cup, added some ground cardamom and raisins…total yum!! Was rich and creamy without even needing the extra 1/2 cup of milk.
Made this today. It was so easy to make. I didn’t care for the addition of the vanilla so next time I will leave that out.
Can’t wait to try this bad boy recipe🤪 just took off the stove added the vanilla consistency looks good! Cooling now can’t wait keep ya posted oh yeah kept the lid on! 🤗💃🏻💃🏻
I just made this rice pudding and chose this recipe because I only had ling grain rice.
I cooked the rice for 50 minutes covered. Yes it looked soupy. I covered it to make sure the rice was thoroughly cooked. I stirred it every 15 minutes. After the 50 minutes I uncovered the pit and simmered the pudding 15-20 minutes and stirred it ever two minutes or so. It thickened up and after turning of the unit and letting it sit a good 45 minutes it cooled down and is a nice thick tasty rice pudding! Very easy recipe!
No need to cover. If recipe followed as written it comes out perfectly as stated and pictured. Can’t rush these type of dishes. Patience is key. If anyone needs dairyfree- look up that type of recipe. That work has already been tested in different forums. Loved this classic rice pudding. Creamy and soft. If it appears too creamy try the baked styles. They are much drier. Will definitely make this again! As is!!!!!
It tasted great but a bit too sweet for my liking but that could be because I added raising too. I did add a few cardamom seeds for a hint of extra flavour and aroma
Just like Mom’s
Made it with coconut milk and it was so wonderful!
Ohhh…coconut milk would be amazing with this and some sliced mangoes
Excited to hear you made it with a nut milk… I have plenty of that, so I’ll be cooking this for dessert tonight!
Can i use Oat milk?
I.love love love rice pudding but wondering if it would be the same
Thank you sooooo much
This was Amazing! I really didn’t think it would thicken up like it said it would with the ratio of milk to rice, but like you said it magically does. I doubled the recipe and I’m so glad I did. I think this is the best rice pudding I have made, well worth the hour standing in front of the stove. I used the time to also make monkey bread for the kids, and worked out perfectly. Just as I was removing the rice pudding from the heat I finished rolling up all the biscuits.