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Home Cosy Desserts

Heavenly Creamy Cinnamon Rice Pudding

By:Nagi
Published:19 Jun '20Updated:13 Nov '20
103 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This creamy rice pudding infused with cinnamon flavour and pops of plump sultanas is just heavenly!! It’s an effortless, straightforward recipe that’s the perfect cosy dessert for cold winter nights.

Serve it plain, straight out of the pot, or take it over the top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Creamy rice pudding in a bowl with ice cream, ready to be eaten

Creamy Rice Pudding

I am pretty sure this is the ultimate emergency cosy winter dessert.

It takes all of 5 minutes to prep.

It’s completely effortless – just pour everything into a baking dish, then pop it in the oven.

It’s extremely low risk – all sorts of outcome variables are easy to rectify and adjust.

There’s no need to fuss with compotes or other toppings – it is really really good straight out of the pot as is (unlike plain rice pudding which I find desperately needs a fruit compote or something to dress it up).

And it’s terrifically economical, calling for just a handful of ingredients!

What goes in Cinnamon Rice Pudding

Here’s what you need to make this cinnamon Rice Pudding:

What goes in rice pudding

The best rice for rice pudding – medium grain white rice or risotto rice

The rice type is really important for the desired outcome (she says wearily, after having tried 10 or so batches using various rice types – half the Northern Beaches have received samples of various versions I’ve made over the past few weeks!)

Medium grain rice – In my view, the best rice (by a long shot) is medium grain white rice, uncooked. It makes a creamy rice pudding with rice grains that are soft but not mushy (read: baby food). The rice and creamy sauce meld together beautifully, becoming one BUT without being mush. It’s certainly the benchmark for upscale restaurants.

Risotto rice (arborio rice) is just as good – but requires more liquid and takes slightly longer to cook.

Jasmine rice & short grain rice – If you want quite soft rice (softer but not mush), then short grain white rice or jasmine rice is the go.

Long grain rice – If you want firm rice grains, then use long grain white rice. In my personal opinion, it doesn’t have as nice a mouthfeel because the rice grains don’t “meld” with the sauce – there is too great a textural contrast. The thing with long grain rice is that here is no in between – it’s either firm or if overcooked it breaks down into unpleasant mush. We want the middle ground that medium grain rice can deliver!

Brown rice really isn’t to my taste – it’s just too firm for rice pudding.

Basmati rice – I haven’t tried it with basmati rice because I don’t associate the flavour with rice pudding, but I suspect it will be like long grain.

Rice needs to be uncooked – because stirring the raw rice as it cooks loosens the starch which is what thickens the milk mixture to make the sauce creamy. And this is the reason why it is illegal to stir when cooking rice for meals – because we want fluffy rice for our stir fries, we don’t want to make the cooking water creamy!

Cooked rice won’t yield the same creamy texture and also the rice texture isn’t as nice – it’s either firm or mush, you just can’t achieve the perfect soft texture you want for rice pudding.


And a quick note on the other ingredients!

  • Milk – any fat % is fine. I haven’t tried with non dairy but see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Coconut milk also works great but I’d change the flavour profile (see recipe notes for adjustments);
  • Butter – a good smear on the baking dish for flavour and stop it catching on the sides;
  • Sugar – I only use 1/3 cup which isn’t a lot given it makes about 5 cups of pudding. I’d say this rice pudding borders on “just sweet enough”, definitely not too sweet;
  • Cream – just a bit, stirred through at the end, to add a subtle richness to the mouthfeel and also makes the sauce whiter (it comes out a bit brown from the cinnamon). Sub with butter – it has a similar effect;
  • Sultanas or raisins – I find 1/2 cup is enough which  doesn’t sound like a lot but you will be surprised how much it swells!

Pot of Creamy Cinnamon Rice Pudding

How to make rice pudding – in the oven

A notorious problem with stovetop rice pudding is that it catches on the base of the pot due to the sugar. So stovetop recipes call for constant stirring, like with risottos.

Scratch that.

Just bake it. So much easier, just as creamy. Dump and bake, and stir just twice during the bake time.

How to make creamy rice pudding

3 servings of creamy rice pudding with ice cream

What to serve with Cinnamon Rice Pudding

If it’s a plain vanilla rice pudding (and you can totally do that by leaving out the cinnamon and sultanas in this recipe) then I really feel like you need a fruit compote or similar to put on top to turn it into a dessert that I can get really excited about. (Try the Strawberry Sauce in this Cheesecake).

But with just a little bit of cinnamon and sultanas, it takes the bland into OMG this is sooooo good! territory which is where I always like my food to be. 😂

Then to take it over the top, try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In my simple mind, this takes it from a quick dessert for a family meal, to guest worthy. It’s that addictive combination of warm and cold that we love with all our favourite cosy desserts, like Apple Crumble, Chocolate Pudding, Butterscotch Pudding.

Effortless cosy food. It’s got my name written all over it! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of a bowl of Creamy Cinnamon Rice Pudding with vanilla ice cream

Creamy Cinnamon Rice Pudding (really easy!)

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 1 hr
Dessert
Western
5 from 23 votes
Servings5 - 6 people
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. A cosy, creamy rice pudding with the perfect soft rice texture - but not mushy and gluey. A hint of cinmamon and handful of raisins really elevates this into a dessert that can be served just as it is, straight out of the pot, rather than fussing with making a compote or similar that you really do need for plain rice puddings. But a scoop of vanilla ice cream will really take it over the top!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter , for greasing
  • 4 cups milk (full or reduced fat, Note 1)
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup medium grain white rice, uncooked - definitely the best for rice pudding (Note 2)
  • 1/2 cup sultanas or raisins (Note 3)
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup cream , thickened/heavy (or bit of butter)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all types).
  • Grease a 10 cup+ casserole dish with butter.
  • Place milk, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, until the surface is foamy - do not boil, it will split.
  • Place rice, sultanas and cinnamon in baking dish. Pour over milk, give it a brief stir then cover with lid or foil.
  • Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes to break up the rice that starts to set on the base.
  • After 1 hour, remove from oven and add cream. Give it a good stir - it will look a bit watery straight out of the oven but it evaporates quickly. I like mine creamy so it oozes when you serve it.
  • Serve immediately, just as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want to take it over the top!

Recipe Notes:

1. Milk - haven't tried non dairy but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.
For coconut milk, use 2 cups coconut milk and 1 cup water in place of dairy milk (but skip the cinnamon, I'd stir through some lime zest at the end and top with pineapple or mango for a tropical / South East Asian style)
2. Rice - I've tried all sorts of rice types and uncooked medium grain is by far the best for rice pudding, followed by risotto rice.
Risotto rice (arborio) - needs extra liquid, add 1 cup (250ml) water into the saucepan with milk, and cook for 1 hr 20 minutes.
3. Sultanas / raisins - either is fine. I know 1/2 cup doesn't sound like much but they expand about 3 - 4 times their size. Feel free to use other dried fruit of choice.
4. Cook times / tweaking - rice might take longer if your oven runs weak or you use a different type of rice. Just cover and keep cooking, adding water as necessary (you won't need more milk), until the rice is cooked to your taste and it's creamy as pictured in the video.
If it gets too thick, then just add hot water to loosen it up.
5. Storage - will firm up as it cools. Heat in microwave and add a splash of water to loosen it up. It reheats very well if you use medium grain rice (other rices are too temperamental and will either turn to mush or stay too hard).
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 309cal (15%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 36mg (12%)Sodium: 81mg (4%)Potassium: 396mg (11%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 20g (22%)Vitamin A: 684IU (14%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 225mg (23%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: rice pudding
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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Life of Dozer

Wondering if he should clean up that dollop of rice pudding on the bench… the answer is NO! His cleaning duties are restricted to floor level only. 😂

Dozer rice pudding

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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103 Comments

  1. Naomi says

    June 28, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    Nagi, I love ALL of your recipes and they always turn out exactly like your videos… but something went wrong for me with this one. I halved the recipe, used risotto rice, added the extra water and cooked for the extra 20 mins as you suggested. By the end it had soaked up all of the liquid and the rice was very soft. It still tasted delicious (of course) but it didn’t quite have the consistency in your video. Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 29, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Naomi, it would be different to my video as I didn’t use risotto rice in my video. Risotto rice would be very soft as it’s a creamy/starchy grain not like medium grain rice. N x

      Reply
  2. Ruth says

    June 27, 2020 at 9:23 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect!

    Reply
  3. Kat says

    June 25, 2020 at 11:55 am

    Hi Nagi, will this work with dates instead of sultanas? It’s a grey drizzly day here so I’m thinking it’ll be perfect for dessert tonight!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 25, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      Yes more definitely Kat!! N x

      Reply
  4. Anne says

    June 25, 2020 at 3:58 am

    I made this. Simply divine! Creamy! Tasty! Amazing! Thank you Nagi, every recipe you share is just the best!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 25, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      That’s so lovely to hear Anne, thanks so much! N x

      Reply
  5. Judy says

    June 24, 2020 at 9:17 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was so good! Only had dried mixed fruit so used that – the occasional pop of citrus peel was delicious. Love all of your recipes – thanks Nagi.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 25, 2020 at 2:04 pm

      Yum! Sounds great Judy! N x

      Reply
  6. Jackie says

    June 24, 2020 at 7:41 am

    I’m making this as I type. I only have long grain rice. Ekk. Any thoughts on how I might have to modify?
    Thanks. Love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 24, 2020 at 2:13 pm

      Hi Jackie – You can use long grain, I just don’t like the mouthfeel of it as it’s not as soft as medium grain. N x

      Reply
  7. Karen K. says

    June 24, 2020 at 12:25 am

    Dozer is such a good helper! My Sophie also likes helping with cleanup, especially when I’m loading the dishwasher.

    Reply
  8. Lainie says

    June 23, 2020 at 2:50 am

    Love all of your recipes. How can this be made in the ninja foodi or instant pot

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 23, 2020 at 6:51 am

      I haven’t tried Lainie, would love to know if it works though! N x

      Reply
  9. Meme Motoko. says

    June 22, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    Hi Nagi I tried rice pudding. It’s really easy to make and delicious. Thanks.

    Reply
  10. adh says

    June 22, 2020 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Really great and easy rice pudding! Fiance had never tasted rice pudding before this as he had always heard negative things. He loved it as did I! Once again, Nagi for the win.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 22, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      I’m so glad you’ve converted him – that’s awesome! N x

      Reply
  11. Lydia says

    June 22, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Hi Nagi,
    I was only searching for rice pudding recipes a few weeks ago and nothing really sparked my attention….but this…I cannot wait to try.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 22, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      I hope you try it and love it Lydia!!! N x

      Reply
  12. Liz says

    June 22, 2020 at 6:43 am

    5 stars
    Father’s Day dessert went down a treat. Haven’t found a Nagi recipe that isn’t amazing. This will make another appearance, perhaps with some apple chunks thrown in. Fabulous website. My go to.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 22, 2020 at 2:22 pm

      Thanks so much Liz! N x

      Reply
  13. Penelope says

    June 21, 2020 at 3:58 pm

    Nagi, how do you do it? Husband said he thought this was the best rice pudding he had ever tasted, and loved it with the ice cream. I suspect he will love it cold as well.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 22, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      Wahoo!! I’m so glad it was a hit Penelope! N x

      Reply
  14. Kate says

    June 21, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    5 stars
    This rice pudding was so easy to make (I followed your recipe exactly as written) and truly scrumptious. My husband rated it as best rice pudding he’s ever eaten!! Unfortunately I had a few cooking mishaps so spent ages cleaning up the stove and inside of the oven door glass when the milk boiled over (don’t turn your back when it’s near boiling point!) and drips on the oven bottom when the pudding spilled out of the dish (I’ll make with a bigger than 10 cup dish next time). But this was perfect comfort food pudding on a cold night that totally worth all the cleaning.

    Reply
  15. Le says

    June 21, 2020 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi! I’ve never eaten creamed rice before (let alone made it) but I gave your recipe a go this morning and it was delicious! As I was making it mostly for my toddler, I subbed the sugar for date paste (for the fiber!) and used short grain rice (more mushy for teething). She loved it! Gobbled it right up. Will definitely be making this again soon. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 11:31 am

      Sounds perfect Le!! N x

      Reply
  16. Becky says

    June 20, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    I can’t wait to try this recipe! My son just got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and I have already been following you. I appreciate that you add your nutrition information. I was wondering what brand of medium grain rice you use? I live is the US so not sure what brand to get for that. Also do we need to rinse the rice? Thanks again for the great recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 9:39 am

      Hi Becky I use Sunrice medium grain rice – there’s no need to rinse the rice here. N x

      Reply
  17. Christy says

    June 20, 2020 at 11:48 am

    Well, I now know how to start using up the 10kg bag of medium grain rice my husband bought at the beginning of COVID lockdown 🤣

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 9:43 am

      Perfect Christy 😂

      Reply
  18. Lynda CAPORN says

    June 20, 2020 at 11:42 am

    On the topic of Dozer Home Cleaning services. If he only cleans at floor level, you need a bigger dog. I have a lovely great dane by the name of Lolly. She is available Monday and Thursdays. Let me know.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 9:47 am

      HAHA I love this 😂

      Reply
  19. Eha Carr says

    June 20, 2020 at 10:29 am

    5 stars
    Well, Nagi . . . It is cool enough here in the Highlands for a non-pudding gal to look quite seriously at your recipe 🙂 ! Have every type of rice mentioned in the pantry, so arborio it will probably be with extra butter methinks ! Might even find some ice cream which has to be ‘used up’ ! Dozer: are you a superfast photographer after ‘the plant’ or is he really earning his keep as a super-trained ‘model’ ?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Yes perfect Eha, I hope you enjoy it! And Dozer knows the limits – benches are not for him to clean 😂

      Reply
  20. Marianne Soher says

    June 20, 2020 at 9:17 am

    I love cooking. As such, I’m all over Internet searching any available cooking site I can dug up. Nagi, you’re my favorite! You have style, the homely cozy “down-to-earth” daily lifestyle I feel comfortable with. Your concern is with “feeling good” as well as practicality rather than “highfalutin” savvy many cooking fans display trying to be a “chef”. OK. I’d love to be your friend…(and BTW, this rice pudding reminds me my early childhood at grandma’s home which is a nice gift for my 87th BD that is today!)

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 21, 2020 at 9:56 am

      Thanks so much for the great feedback Marianne, I really appreciate it! N x

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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