Baked Rice Pudding
This Baked Rice Pudding with a brulee topping is rich with eggs, sugar, raisins, and milk. Enjoy it for a special occasion or just because it’s Tuesday!
Rice pudding is one of those childhood nursery treats that brings forth fond memories for so many people. It’s warm, it’s comforting, and it just plain feels like home.
It’s found in nearly every country of the world and can even vary greatly within countries. There are basically two types of rice pudding, boiled or baked, but they all have similarities. They include rice, of course, along with milk, spices, sweeteners, and usually eggs.
In the U.K., rice pudding is a very traditional dessert with the earliest known recipe called whitepot coming from the Tudor period. Not at all surprising since those Tudors loved their sugar!
Some other names rice pudding is known by around the world include Aaroz con leche, creamed rice, riz au lait, arroz-doce, kheer, and risalamande.
Today I’m sharing my Baked Rice Pudding with a brulee topping. It really is outstanding.
How to Make Baked Rice Pudding
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 fill 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 set 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 it 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.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Baked Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. butter softened
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tblsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Grated rind of one lemon
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/2 cup raisins
- Topping:
- 2 tblsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 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. Stir in the milk, rice and raisins, stirring again to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
- Place the baking dish in a larger pan and filled with hot water to within 1” of the top of the baking dish
- Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir well after 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
More Rice Pudding Recipes …
- Rice Pudding from Joy of Baking
- Alton Brown’s Indian Rice Pudding
- Rice Pudding on Simply Recipes
I was looking for a new comfort food dessert that didn’t have flour and found this little gem! I used craisins as I did not have raisins on hand and used jasmine rice. I increased the cooked rice by about a cup and used a combination of heavy cream and milk. Cook time was a little more for me but it turned out beautifully! I drizzled some lemon juice on top of the pudding and then did a brulee of allspice, cinnamon, and brown and cane sugar. Any excuse to use my kitchen torch is already a win in my book :) I have never eaten let alone made a rice pudding and neither had my husband but this is our new favorite dessert! Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe!
Love your brûléed topping idea. I’ll try that myself soon.
Looks great, but wondering what type of rice did you use?
I use long grain white rice.
I made this today and it was absolutely delicious just as written. This is a keeper for me.
This is fantastic. I increased the cooked rice to a little over 2 cups. It was done about 15 minutes earlier than suggested. GREAT recipe
I made this recipe, but the eggs came out fluffy on top! What did I do wrong?
hey lana, a thingie about this url appeared in my emails today
it’s eerie cause i am casting around thinking about rice pudding (must be a seasonal thing no?)
i am considering making a vat of it……. and actually freezing some individually…
oh and……we got a new duck today…who got her foot frozen a bit….. so she’s come here to recover….she’ won’t be going back
she’s now living here with my guys
stay warm
vi
Talk about COMFORT FOODS!!
Thanks for all these good recipes and your hard work…and funny ways :). I was beginning to think southerners lacked a sense of humor.
Years and years ago I made rice pudding but never pre-cooked it. It seemed to take about the same time to cook which on reading your recipe sort of surprises me. Thinking about it, I would imagine that you would lose some of the starch in the cooking water. Hmm? Also, by cooking it
it doesn’t reduce the baking time. I’ve always added the cinnamon right into the rest of the ingredients before baking. I’m think I’ll like the topping your recommend but continue to add it to the first part too. A Yankee in Lawrenceville, Ga.
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 :-)
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.
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!
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!
I LOVE rice pudding but have never had baked rice pudding before. This looks incredible. I can’t wait to make it! :)
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/
All that sugar and cinnamon on the top is making my mouth water…yum!
Ohhhh, my husband would just adore this… it’s his favorite!
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 :-)
What is the oven temperature please?
Hi Olga – the oven should be set to 350 degrees. My apologies for leaving that out of the recipe!
I love rice pudding but have never baked one. Maybe I’ll have to try it!! :) It looks delicious!
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
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!
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 :-)
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 :-)
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!
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.
Hello Vi,
I’m in the middle of making your rice pudding but am unsure for the sugar … is it “1/2 cup plus 2 tblsp. sugar,” … at the end it says two teaspoons Thank you….f
Hi Lory – You use the “1/2 cup plus 2 tblsp” in the main part of the recipe. For the topping you use an additional 2 tblsp plus the cinnamon.
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!