Video: How to Make Rice Pudding
With a little investigation, I found that there are two basic ways to make rice pudding — baking or boiling. Then there is my father’s way, which is take some cold white rice, add some cream, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix and eat. Dad has been making rice pudding this way my whole life, but dad’s method has never appealed to me that much, so boiling or baking it would have to be. The first recipe I tried called for 3/4 cup of heavy cream for a recipe that only served 2 people. Yikes! Too rich, couldn’t eat it. (Ever notice that recipes 20 years and older can be a bit heavy on the cream and butter?) A couple of adjustments later, I settled on this recipe, using the boiling method. It is especially tasty with raisins. Here’s a list of rice varieties we recommend in this pudding.
Short-grain white riceArborio riceSushi riceSticky rice
Some readers have left comments saying they had success making the recipe with these rice varieties (we’ve not tested them ourselves).
Medium-grain white riceRegular plain old white rice from the grocery storeBasmati riceAny kind of brown rice
Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point or it will curdle. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, raisins, and cinnamon. The pudding will thicken as it cools; when it is warm, it will be a bit on the runny side. Serve warm or cold.
