Homemade Rice Pudding
Creamy rice pudding with a homemade creme anglaise sauce and sweetened whipped cream
I have been on the hunt for the perfect homemade rice pudding recipe. Every Christmas Eve, I make a pot of homemade rice pudding for my family. It all started when my brother, Ryan, served a two-year mission to Denmark. He came home and shared some of their treasured Christmas traditions.
One of them is that they hide one almond in a big bowl of rice pudding. As they eat their homemade rice pudding, they hope to find the almond in their bowl because a special present is a prize. When he arrived home, we began that tradition and loved it.
This Homemade Rice Pudding recipe is hands down the best rice pudding on the planet! It is perfectly rich and creamy and the ultimate comfort food.
For the creamiest rice pudding, slowly cook Arborio rice with whole milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. A handcrafted creme anglaise sauce is folded into the cooked rice pudding and topped with fresh whipped cream. A creme anglaise sauce is a homemade velvety smooth custard. It's insanely good!
I found this recipe in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook and they are known for their rice pudding.
How to make Homemade Creamy Rice Pudding:
- Start by making a homemade creme anglaise (custard) sauce. This is made with heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, and egg yolks. The key is to use a heavy-bottom saucepan. Heat the cream, milk, and sugar until it almost reaches a boiling point (bubbles should start to form around the surface of the pot). Add the egg yolks to a bowl and carefully spoon hot cream mixture into the bowl, one teaspoon at a time. This tempers the egg yolks by heating them little by little so they don't turn into scrambled eggs!
- Cook arborio rice with whole milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until the rice is soft and the mixture is thick, about 35-40 minutes. Stir the mixture often as it becomes thicker.
- Fold in creme anglaise sauce into cooled rice pudding. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form and fold into the rice pudding, reserving some of the whipped cream for the topping. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm or cold.
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Homemade Rice Pudding
Ingredients
Creme Anglaise Sauce:
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Whole Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 large Egg Yolks
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla or 1 Vanilla Bean (scraped)
Rice Pudding:
- 4 ½ cups Whole Milk
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Arborio Rice
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
To make Creme Anglaise Sauce:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cream, milk, and sugar over medium-high heat. Heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and bubbles begin to form along the sides of the pot. Remove from heat before it comes to a boil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Add a small amount of hot cream mixture, one teaspoon at a time to egg mixture, whisking after each addition. This helps bring it to temperature without scrambling the eggs. Once ¼ cup of the hot cream has been added to the yolks, pour the entire mixture into the pot and return to medium heat. Keep stirring until it thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour the creme anglaise through a strainer and refrigerate until chilled.
To make Rice Pudding:
- Combine the milk, sugar, rice, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to low and let it gently simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until the rice is soft and the mixture is thick. As it begins to thicken, stir often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a bowl and let cool and set up in the refrigerator.
To make Whipped Cream:
- In a bowl, whip heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form.
To assemble Rice Pudding:
- Fold chilled creme anglaise into the rice pudding. Fold ½ of the whipped cream into the rice pudding, reserving some for garnish. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Dahlia Bakery Cookbook
Happy Cooking, my friends!
Jenna
Holy mother of pearl!! This rice pudding is everything!! A million times better than store bought. Thank you for this yumminess 🙂
Karen
Could the rice mixture be made in the instant pot?
Lisa M
I made it! I had earlier questioned the amount of milk used to make the rice and it turned out fine! (plus I could have always poured some hot milk out once the rice was cooked - IF NEEDED) This is absolutely delicious. Will be making again for sure. The balance of the anglaise, the rice and the home made whipped cream was delicious.
Lisa M
I'm making this right now to test out for a Christmas Eve treat. When making the rice 3/4 cup with 4.5 c of whole milk, is it supposed to be pretty "milky/runny" as opposed to thick like risotto? I absolutely love your recipes and love rice pudding so I have no doubt this is going to be yummy! Happiest Holidays to you!!
Maddy
So excited to try this, already sounds heavenly!!
Gina
This is by far THE BEST rice pudding recipe out there. Trust me i have made at least 7 different variations of rive puddings some that include eggs, some that don't and some that have you make the creme anglaise sauce and othersbjust have you add cream after you make the rice but this one is perfect! Thank you for sharing
Dawn
Is it possible to make the cremanglase the day before and the rice pudding and whipped cream and just mix it totally the day you want to serve it
Shane
I made this last night and took some in my lunch today. This is the best rice pudding I ever had. Thanks for the recipe.
Julie
I adore rice pudding! It’s my ultimate comfort food and this recipe did not disappoint. The Aborio rice and cream anglaise yielded a rich creamy texture. I omitted the cinnamon and instead garnished with freshly grated nutmeg. I will be making this again! I love your recipes and look forward to every post. Thank you so much for sharing your passion.
Carol F.
My kids and extended family are all about rice pudding. This creme sauce sounds delicious!!!! Can't wait to try.
cris hamilton
Rice Pudding is my all-time favorite. I will make this right away! I can tell right off the bat that I'll be doubling the anglaise sauce so have extra. Yum!! Can't wait to dig in..