The online world is a funny place, isn’t it? I have an online friend called Vi. I met Vi years ago in an online forum for people who wanted to share ideas and recipes about canning and preserving food. Vi was a regular poster in the group for a long time, posting all about her canning adventures, her cats, her ducks and other animals. Everyone in the group looked forward to her colorful, chatty posts, but a few years back she left the membership and that group never was quite the same after that. Most of the personality and energy of the group was gone after Vi left.
Fast forward a year or so to when I started using Facebook. I don’t remember exactly how, but Vi and I reconnected on Facebook. I was so happy to make that connection again and we still communicate regularly through Facebook. Ever since I started writing this blog, Vi has hounded me been requesting that I post a recipe for rice pudding. She aggravates asks me at least twice a day once a month when I’m going to make some rice pudding. So, without further ado – this one’s for you Vi!
There are basically two kinds of rice pudding – the creamy stovetop kind and the custardy baked ones. We like both equally well but I think this baked one with a brulee topping is just outstanding.
1 tsp. butter, softened
4 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup plus 2 tblsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Grated rind of one lemon
3 cups whole milk
1 ½ cups cooked rice
½ cup raisins
Topping:
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare a 2 quart casserole or baking dish by coating it generously with the softened butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind. Stir well to combine.
Add in the milk, rice and raisins, stirring again to thoroughly combine all ingredients. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Place the baking dish in a larger pan and filled with hot water to within 1” of the top of the baking dish. To make this easier to handle, I place my filled baking dish in the empty larger pan. Then sit it on the oven rack and add the water. Much easier than trying to carry the pan filled with hot water and pudding all together! Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Stir well after the first 30 minutes of baking. Continue baking until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Start checking after the first full hour of cooking and remove immediately when done. Do not overcook.
Allow the pudding to cool for about 30 minutes.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the cooled pudding. Place under the broiler (or use a torch) until the topping is melted and bubbly.
Serve hot or cold with whipped cream if desired. Makes 6-8 servings.
Enjoy!
Download a printable copy of Baked Rice Pudding.
Other Rice Pudding recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Rice Pudding from Joy of Baking
- Alton Brown’s Indian Rice Pudding
- Baked Rice Pudding from Paula Deen
- Rice Pudding on Simply Recipes
- Leftover Rice Rice Pudding from Slashfood
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I love rice pudding but hate to stand there and stir it. Now I can do this!
Yes, this is so easy. No standing over the stove. Just mix it up and pop it in the oven!
you do love me!!!
hahahahahaha
i never thought of lemon zest in it
wow
I tell you, Vi, that little bit of lemon zest really brightens up the flavor a lot. You should try it.
Rice pudding is the only way I actually like rice! This looks amazingly delicious.
Thanks, Lauren. Just had a look at your lovely blog. Keep up the good work!
Just beautiful! I’ll bet this is fantastic, glad Vi kept after you:@)
BeeBop’s glad she did, too. Honestly, he’d been asking for rice pudding nearly as long as Vi had :-)
now that topping has got to be a killer, just great Lana, have never had a version like this one…
Just something a little different, you know? Kind of a cross between egg custard, rice pudding and creme brulee :-)
This looks wonderful, I love rice pudding also. But that topping makes a big difference. Thanks.
Melynda – That topping is really what sets this recipe apart. I hope you’ll give it a try!
This looks so warm and comforting and absolutely delicious, Lana! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to give this a try sometime. You have a beautiful blog, and I’m so glad to have found it. Keep up the delicious cooking and baking! :) – Georgia
I love rice pudding but have never baked one. Maybe I’ll have to try it!! :) It looks delicious!
GASP!!!! i am sooooo making this Lana – LOVE rice pudding and wow, to bake it in the oven?! just wowie!
Debra, I hope you’ll try it and like it. It’s a little different since it has a baked custard texture rather than the creaminess of a stovetop rice pudding. But I think the brulee topping is what really makes it special :-)
Ohhhh, my husband would just adore this… it’s his favorite!
All that sugar and cinnamon on the top is making my mouth water…yum!
Very similar to what we do in Sweden during Christmas. That is the time to eat rice porridge. Great recipe. http://delishhh.com/2010/12/23/rice-porridge-risgrynsgrot-and-swedish-santa-jultomten/
I LOVE rice pudding but have never had baked rice pudding before. This looks incredible. I can’t wait to make it! :)
I love this recipe it is soooo easy but most of all delicious! It didn’t last long at my house. I used splenda instead of sugar because hubby is diabetic and it was great.
Hi Peg – So glad you enjoyed the rice pudding! Good to know that you can substitute Splenda, too. Thanks!
Ooh, I haven’t eaten this in years…my Grandma used to make this with our leftover dinner rice. Your blog makes me miss living in southwest Georgia so much–born and raised in Albany. Food is simply not the same on the west coast!
We lived in Albany for about twenty years before moving near Atlanta three years ago. Small world!
Is that really only 3 teaspoons of cinamon & sugar on top of the pudding? It looks like a lot more in the photo. Hoping to make this soon!
Debbie – I think that should have been tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Thanks for pointing it out – I’ll correct the recipe.
This looks good, I hope I have time to make it tomorrow. One question, why wait 30 minutes before adding the topping?
Hi Amy – I like to let the pudding cool some so that the brown sugar doesn’t melt immediately on contact with the surface. I want to put it under the broiler to melt instead. Of course, you can do whatever you like :-)
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