Classic Rice Pudding with Cinnamon

Rice pudding is the dessert our grandmothers made without a recipe card, and it remains the most comforting bowl in the FryDaily kitchen: tender rice suspended in a thick, vanilla-scented cream, with cinnamon warming every spoonful. It asks for a handful of pantry ingredients and one unhurried simmer, and it rewards that patience with a texture no boxed mix has ever come close to matching.

The method here is the traditional stovetop one, the same gentle approach we use for our No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups when we want dessert without turning on the oven — except this time the stove does the work while you stir and taste. Short-grain rice is the quiet hero: its starch melts into the milk as it cooks, thickening the pudding naturally, so there are no eggs to temper and no cornstarch slurry to whisk at the end.

Serve it warm on the day you make it, when it pours like a thick custard, or chill it overnight, when it sets into something sliceable and cool. Both versions are correct. A dusting of cinnamon at the table, and maybe a spoonful of jam or a handful of raisins stirred through, turns a humble bowl into the kind of dessert people ask about long after the spoons are washed.

Short-grain rice does the thickening

The variety of rice matters more in this pudding than in almost any other dish. Short-grain or medium-grain rice — Arborio is ideal, and standard medium-grain grocery rice works nearly as well — releases amylopectin starch as it simmers, and that starch is what turns plain milk into a creamy, cohesive pudding. Long-grain rice stays separate and firm, giving you sweet rice soup instead. If long-grain is all you have, the pudding still tastes lovely, but expect a looser set and stir in an extra spoonful of rice at the start to compensate.

Low heat and a heavy pot

Milk scorches with enthusiasm, and scorched milk cannot be rescued, so this pudding cooks at the gentlest simmer in the heaviest pot you own. Keep the heat low enough that only an occasional bubble breaks the surface, and stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom corners where starch settles. A heat diffuser helps on electric burners. The reward for this small vigilance is a clean, sweet milk flavor all the way through — no brown bits, no burnt smell when you lift the lid on day two.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup short-grain or Arborio rice (150 g)
• 1 1/2 cups water (360 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
• 4 cups whole milk (960 ml)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus ground cinnamon to serve
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
• 1/2 cup raisins (75 g), optional
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g), optional, for richness

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Start the rice in water. Rinse the rice briefly under cold water and drain. Combine it in a heavy medium saucepan with the water and salt, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Starting in water lets the grains soften evenly before the milk goes in, which keeps the finished pudding tender instead of chalky.
2. Add milk, sugar and cinnamon. Pour in the milk, stir in the sugar, and drop in the cinnamon stick. Raise the heat just until the mixture reaches the barest simmer — small bubbles at the edges, steam rising — then drop it back to low. Do not let it boil hard; a rolling boil can split the milk and toughen the rice.
3. Simmer slowly, stirring often. Cook uncovered at a gentle simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 4 to 5 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners of the pot. The rice will swell, the milk will reduce, and the pudding will gradually turn thick and glossy. Stir the raisins in, if using, for the last 10 minutes so they plump in the warm milk.
4. Judge the thickness correctly. The pudding is ready when it coats the back of a spoon thickly and a finger drawn across the spoon leaves a clean line. It should still look slightly looser than you want to eat it — rice pudding thickens noticeably as it cools, and an over-reduced pot sets into a solid block in the fridge.
5. Finish with vanilla and butter. Take the pot off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick, and stir in the vanilla and the butter, if using. Vanilla added off the heat stays fragrant instead of cooking away. Let the pudding stand for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, so the temperature evens out.
6. Serve warm or chilled. Spoon into bowls, dust the tops with ground cinnamon, and serve warm. For chilled pudding, press a piece of parchment or wrap directly onto the surface so a skin does not form, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and loosen with a spoonful of cold milk when serving if it has set very firm.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Rice pudding keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it thickens as it sits — stir in a splash of milk when reheating to restore the creamy texture. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave at half power, stirring halfway. It freezes acceptably for up to 2 months, though the texture turns slightly grainy; thaw overnight in the fridge and whisk well while reheating. Food safety note: cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, as cooked rice should not sit at room temperature.

Classic Rice Pudding with Cinnamon

★★★★★★★★★★ FryDaily kitchen score 4.9/5 — our own editorial rating from testing, not reader reviews.

Slow-simmered, creamy and warmly spiced — the old-fashioned pudding that never goes out of style.

Yield: 6 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep5 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Total50 minutes

Servings6 servings

Calories285 kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup short-grain or Arborio rice (150 g)
• 1 1/2 cups water (360 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
• 4 cups whole milk (960 ml)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus ground cinnamon to serve
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
• 1/2 cup raisins (75 g), optional
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g), optional, for richness

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Start the rice in water. Rinse the rice briefly under cold water and drain. Combine it in a heavy medium saucepan with the water and salt, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Starting in water lets the grains soften evenly before the milk goes in, which keeps the finished pudding tender instead of chalky.
2. Add milk, sugar and cinnamon. Pour in the milk, stir in the sugar, and drop in the cinnamon stick. Raise the heat just until the mixture reaches the barest simmer — small bubbles at the edges, steam rising — then drop it back to low. Do not let it boil hard; a rolling boil can split the milk and toughen the rice.
3. Simmer slowly, stirring often. Cook uncovered at a gentle simmer for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 4 to 5 minutes and scraping the bottom and corners of the pot. The rice will swell, the milk will reduce, and the pudding will gradually turn thick and glossy. Stir the raisins in, if using, for the last 10 minutes so they plump in the warm milk.
4. Judge the thickness correctly. The pudding is ready when it coats the back of a spoon thickly and a finger drawn across the spoon leaves a clean line. It should still look slightly looser than you want to eat it — rice pudding thickens noticeably as it cools, and an over-reduced pot sets into a solid block in the fridge.
5. Finish with vanilla and butter. Take the pot off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick, and stir in the vanilla and the butter, if using. Vanilla added off the heat stays fragrant instead of cooking away. Let the pudding stand for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, so the temperature evens out.
6. Serve warm or chilled. Spoon into bowls, dust the tops with ground cinnamon, and serve warm. For chilled pudding, press a piece of parchment or wrap directly onto the surface so a skin does not form, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and loosen with a spoonful of cold milk when serving if it has set very firm.

Calories: 285 kcalProtein: 8 gCarbohydrates: 48 gFat: 7 gSaturated fat: 4 gSodium: 180 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 30 g

Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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