Classic Stovetop Rice Pudding
Creamy, old-fashioned rice pudding made in one pot. Short-grain rice simmers slowly in whole milk until tender and thick, then gets a finish of butter, vanilla and cinnamon.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Wait
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (6 servings of ⅔ cup)
Steps
Before you start
- Use short-grain rice such as Arborio or pudding rice. Long-grain rice stays separate and won't turn creamy.
- Don't rinse the rice. The surface starch helps thicken the pudding.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot. Milk scorches easily in a thin one.
- The pudding looks loose when it comes off the heat. It thickens a lot as it cools.
Measure and set up
- Measure all the ingredients.
- Put the butter pieces and vanilla next to the stove.
- Pick a 3-quart (2.8 L) heavy saucepan.
- It needs to be deep enough that the milk fills it by no more than half, so it won't boil over.
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Ready when: Everything is measured and within reach.
Combine and heat
- Add the rice, milk, sugar, salt and ½ tsp cinnamon to the saucepan and stir well.
- Set over medium heat.
- Stir every minute or so, scraping the bottom, until the milk is steaming and tiny bubbles form around the edge, about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Tiny bubbles break at the edge of the pot and steam rises, but the milk isn't at a rolling boil.
Tip: Don't let the milk boil hard. It can foam up and over, and it scorches on the bottom.
Simmer gently
- Reduce the heat to low so the surface barely bubbles.
- Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes.
- Stir every 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom and corners, and stir more often toward the end.
- Lower the heat if the milk bubbles more than gently.
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Ready when: The mixture is noticeably thicker, like loose porridge. Rice grains are swollen and nearly tender.
Tip: If a skin forms between stirs, just stir it back in.
Add raisins
- Stir in the raisins, if using.
- Keep simmering on low for 10 more minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that fills in slowly.
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Ready when: Rice is fully tender with no chalky center when you bite a grain. The pudding is creamy and still a bit looser than you want to serve it.
Tip: Take it off the heat while it still looks slightly loose. It will set up as it cools. If you cook it until thick in the pot, it turns stiff and gluey.
Finish with butter and vanilla
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the butter until it melts, then stir in the vanilla.
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Ready when: The butter has melted completely and the pudding looks glossy.
Tip: Adding the vanilla off the heat keeps its flavor from cooking away.
Cool and serve
- Let the pudding stand in the pot for 10 minutes, stirring once, then spoon it into a bowl or 6 small dishes.
- Cool 20 minutes total for warm pudding.
- Dust with a pinch of cinnamon.
- For cold pudding, press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
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Ready when: The pudding holds a soft mound on a spoon and is no longer runny.
Tip: Chilled pudding firms up a lot. Stir in a splash of milk before serving to loosen it.
Good to know
Tips
- Stir often and scrape the bottom and corners of the pot. That is where the milk catches and scorches.
- Keep the heat low. A bare simmer gives a creamy texture, and a hard boil makes the rice split and the milk foam up.
- Judge thickness while the pudding is hot with the spoon-trail test, and stop while it's still a little loose. Cooling does the rest.
- Taste a grain of rice before taking the pot off the heat. It should be soft all the way through.
Make ahead
"Make the pudding up to 3 days ahead. Press plastic wrap onto the surface so no skin forms, and refrigerate. Stir in a few tablespoons of milk before serving to loosen it."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container, up to 4 days. Freezer: not recommended, because the texture turns grainy. Reheat: warm in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in 1 to 2 tbsp milk per serving, until warm and creamy."
Substitutions
- short-grain white rice (Arborio or pudding rice) → medium-grain rice such as calrose. Works well, but the pudding will be a little less creamy. Do not use long-grain or converted rice.
- whole milk → 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk plus 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream. Gives a richer, more custard-like pudding.
- granulated sugar → light brown sugar, same weight. Adds a caramel flavor and a slightly darker color.
- raisins → dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots. Same amount, added at the same time.
