Name: Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: serves 2 people (main dish)
Cuisine: Slovenska
Ingredients: 1000 ml (4 cups) full-fat milk; 200 g (1 cup) Arborio rice; 1 tbsp (15g) butter; 2 tbsp (30g) sugar; 1 cinnamon stick (like Kotányi); 1/2 tsp vanilla paste; 1 tsp Salted Caramel My Coffee Spice Kotányi (optional)

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

Since we became parents almost 2 months ago, we started reminiscing about our childhood and the foods we ate when we were kids. We loved meatballs in tomato sauce, chicken stew with dumplings, Keiserschmarrn, and, of course, this old fashioned creamy rice pudding. We ate it for breakfast or our parents served it as a sweet dinner on weekends. We wanted to recreate the same flavor and texture so we started experimenting with the recipe. The goal was to create rice pudding that is extra creamy, made with full-fat milk, and it needs to be served hot in a bowl. We are so happy with the result and excited to share this recipe with you guys. Hopefully, our son will love it one day too.

Best Old Fashioned Rice Pudding Recipe

incredibly simple and quick recipe for creamy Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
kids and adults love it
serve for a sweet breakfast, brunch, dessert, or dinner
add your favorite toppings, like caramel, chocolate, nuts, or other
easy and delicious recipe, perfect for any day of the year
feel free to store it in the fridge for up to three days

What ingredients to use for Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

Rice - use Arborio rice for this recipe. It has more starch than other types of rice, which means it will absorb more liquid. That will result in a creamy texture, will still preserving that delicious rice texture and shape. Don't wash the rice under running water before using it.

Milk - full-fat cow milk is the way to go for this recipe. If you want, you can substitute 1/4 of the milk with half and half or heavy cream. This will make the rice pudding even richer and creamier. Or you can substitute 1/4 of the milk with water to make it lighter.

Sugar - we like to use white sugar, to get that beautiful white-colored rice pudding. Feel free to use brown sugar or coconut sugar, but know that the color of the pudding will change. You can omit the sugar if you are trying to eat a sugar-free diet.

Butter - use unsalted butter to make this rice pudding even creamier and silkier.

Cinnamon stick - we like to use a whole cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon to preserve that beautiful white rice pudding, while still getting that delicious cinnamon flavor.

Vanilla - use an empty vanilla pod for a more subtle vanilla flavor, or use vanilla paste for a more intense vanilla flavor.

Salt - a pinch of salt makes all the difference in flavor.

How to make Old Fashioned Rice Pudding even better

It's so easy to make Rice Pudding at home. You simply combine all the ingredients and cook for about 25 - 30 minutes on the stovetop. It's so delicious and you can make it even better by adding a topping of your choice. Here are some of our favorite:

Salted Caramel - our current favorite topping is homemade salted caramel with a touch of Salted Caramel Kotányi.

Dulce de leche - add a tablespoon of dulce de leche (check this recipe to learn how you make it at home) for a delicious combo.

Chocolate - chocolate lovers, you will love chocolatey rice pudding. Add about two tablespoons of shredded or finely chopped dark chocolate (60% or 70% cacao) to the warm rice pudding, stir and sprinkle with some fleur de sal. So fancy, yet so simple too.

Fruit - honestly, we aren't the biggest rice pudding and fruit fans, however, stirring in a tablespoon of your favorite marmalade or jam is always a good idea. We love blueberry or blackberry flavor, it's so good. If you love cold rice pudding, then you can easily add fresh fruits, like banana, mango, or berries too.

Nutella - optionally add a tablespoon of Nutella to the rice pudding. This combo is made for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Nuts - if you want more texture and crunchiness, add a few chopped nuts. Our favorite are chopped pistachios, chopped hazelnuts, or coconut chips.

How to store Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

It's best to eat this Old Fashioned Rice Pudding immediately. If you prefer eating you rice pudding cold, then, by all means, serve it cold. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan and if necessary, add additional milk and stir until the riz au lait or rice pudding is creamy again.

Try these delicious sweet breakfast recipes too

Thanks to Kotanyi Slovenija for all the amazing spices that we adore and make our dishes richer. All the opinions are ours, and we only share our honest opinion and recommendation for great products that we actually use.

METHOD

cook the rice pudding

In a pot, combine milk, rice, butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon stick, vanilla paste, and a pinch of salt. Stir and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes, or until the rice pudding is cooked and creamy, stirring occasionally.

Tip

Place the spatula over the pot while the rice is cooking, to prevent the milk from boiling over.
serve

Remove the cooked rice pudding from the stove, remove the cinnamon stick. Divide between two bowls (or four smaller bowls if you're serving it for dessert). Add your favorite topping, like a tablespoon of salted caramel, and serve immediately.