This creamy Rice Pudding is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and made on the stovetop. A classic recipe with a few twists!

Say hello to winter comfort food: the creamiest, most delicious Rice Pudding! If you’re looking to live your best life you’re going to make and eat this as soon as possible. Even people who *think* they don’t like rice pudding, love this recipe!

This recipe was heavily adapted from my grandma’s rice pudding recipe. I made a couple of small tweaks to make it extra creamy. This recipe is incredibly easy, made in one pot, and it can be adapted to suit your tastes.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Ease: Everything simmers on the stovetop, and aside from stirring it’s mostly hands-off time.
One-pot: No need to dirty a bunch of dishes; this rice pudding comes together in one pot.
Basic ingredients: Milk, rice, sugar, butter, and flavorings.
Texture: Super creamy with just a hint of chewiness from the rice.
Flavor: This rice pudding is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. You can also add raisins or another dried fruit.
Versatility: This rice pudding can be served warm or chilled. It can be served as-is or topped with ice cream, fruit compote, or whipped cream.

Recipe tips

Use white rice: Long grain or short grain uncooked white rice is best for this recipe.

Simmer, don’t boil: A simmer is cooking below the boiling point. There should be gentle bubbling in the pot, and your heat should be somewhere between low and medium.

Stir frequently: Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan when you stir so that the rice doesn’t stick.

Adjust consistency as desired: If you want your rice pudding on the thinner side you can thin it out with some extra milk or cream. If you like it thick you can allow it to cool and it will thicken quite a bit.

Toppings for rice pudding

You can absolutely serve this rice pudding on its own, but here are some topping ideas if you want to take it up a notch:

Cinnamon: Use a fine mesh sieve to dust the top with ground cinnamon.

Vanilla ice cream: This is my favorite way to enjoy rice pudding. I serve it warm and top it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. The combination of cold ice cream and warm pudding, plus the extra richness of vanilla ice cream takes this over the top.

Whipped cream: Homemade whipped cream or store bought whipped cream both go great on this rice pudding.

Fruit: Add fresh fruit, dried fruit, or fruit compote to the topping. Try my Blueberry Sauce or Roasted Strawberries. For the cherry topping you see pictured above: thaw frozen cherries and combine with cherry jam.

Recipe

Rice pudding in a white bowl topped with ice cream and cinnamon.

Creamy Rice Pudding

This creamy Rice Pudding is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and made on the stovetop. A classic recipe with a few twists!

4.81 from 46 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 45

Servings: (or 4 large servings)

Calories: 218kcal

Author: Allison Mattina

Ingredients

▢ 3½ cups milk, plus more, if needed
▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup uncooked white rice
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
▢ ½ cup raisins, optional
▢ 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine milk, butter, sugar, rice, salt, and cinnamon.
Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 30-40 minutes, until rice is tender. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan when you stir it. If the mixture appears to dry out during cook time you can add a few splashes of milk.
During the last few minutes of cook time, add the vanilla, raisins, and heavy cream and simmer for a couple more minutes. Serve warm or chill. The rice pudding will thicken up after chilling; you can stir in a splash of milk to thin it out again.