Creamy Baked Rice Pudding (Printable)

Smooth baked rice infused with cinnamon and raisins, slow-cooked to a luxuriously thick consistency.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 2/3 cup short-grain white rice

→ Dairy

02 - 4 cups whole milk
03 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sweeteners

05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Fruit

06 - 1/2 cup raisins

→ Spices & Flavorings

07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Optional Topping

10 - Ground nutmeg for garnish

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear, then drain thoroughly.
03 - Combine milk, cream, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is steaming but not boiling.
04 - Stir in rinsed rice and raisins. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.
05 - Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, stirring to evenly distribute rice and raisins.
06 - Cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 55 minutes, stirring gently halfway through.
07 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until thickened and rice is tender.
08 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with ground nutmeg if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dessert that feels like a warm hug without being overly complicated.
  • You can make it ahead and serve it either warm or chilled depending on your mood.
  • The cinnamon and raisins do all the heavy lifting on flavor, so the technique stays wonderfully straightforward.
02 -
  • Stirring halfway through is not optional—it prevents a dense rice layer from settling at the bottom and ensures even cooking throughout.
  • The pudding continues to thicken slightly as it cools, so if it seems a touch loose when you remove it from the oven, that's actually perfect.
  • Don't be tempted to increase the oven temperature to speed things up; the whole beauty of this dish comes from its slow, gentle transformation.
03 -
  • Using the lowest possible oven temperature prevents the pudding from curdling or developing an unappealing skin on top.
  • The quality of your dairy matters more here than in most recipes—good milk and real butter make an obvious difference in the final creaminess.
  • If you only have long-grain rice, it will still work, though the pudding will be slightly less thick and the individual grains more visible rather than blending into the cream.
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