If you love homemade Rice Pudding then you’ll love this easy stovetop rice pudding recipe – it’s a great way to use up leftover cooked rice!
Okay ladies (and gents, too) today I am sharing with you the most frugal dessert recipe you will ever find. This homemade rice pudding is as easy as it is delicious. We do our budget monthly, and it seems like almost every month by the last week I am completely out of money and we are eating out of the pantry. When this happens, sometimes on the weekend or date night or whatever, I will try to make a treat to liven up the party!
Easy Rice Pudding
I love this recipe because I can almost guarantee that I will always have everything I need on hand, and the whole family loves it – even our pickiest kids! If you need a quick and easy rice pudding recipe, look no further, I guarantee you can’t beat this one!
If you like this recipe you might also like our easy Chocolate Rice Pudding, or our four ingredient Saltine Toffee. In the summer, our Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream cannot be beat. Or you can find all our yummy dessert recipes here!
Rice Pudding Recipe
To tell you the truth, I like this recipe way better than store bought or restaurant varieties! Let’s jump right in by answering some of your most frequently asked questions!
How to Make Rice Pudding
Making rice pudding from home is so easy! All you need is fifteen minutes and a few ingredients! Oh, and did I mention only one pan?!
Top Left – If you aren’t using leftover rice, cook your rice and add it to a medium sized pot.
Top Right – Add in your milk, sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon and stir to combine.
Bottom Left – Bring to a soft boil and stir constantly (to prevent burning). Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until mixture is thickened.
Bottom Right – Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with more cinnamon, if desired.
It’s that easy!
Can you make this recipe with cooked rice?
I have been shocked how many people have asked me if you can make rice pudding with cooked rice, and the answer is an absolute YES! Using cooked rice eliminates waste by utilizing leftovers and eliminates valuable time you would spend slaving over a hot stove!
We typically make this with rice leftover from a previous dinner that week, like our slow cooker Tikka Masala or our Homemade Fried Rice.
Which kind of rice is best?
I typically use regular long grain white rice because that is what I usually have on hand. That being said I have also used basmati, jasmine, arborio, and sushi rice and they all work super well! The only kind I use that I don’t prefer for this recipe is brown rice or wild rice.
Do you eat rice pudding warm or cold?
It is honestly delicious served warm or cold! Right after we make it, we eat some warm. Then, the next day, we eat the leftovers straight from the fridge!
If you try this recipe and like it, we would love for you to leave us a positive rating and review! They mean so much to us!
Easy Rice Pudding With Cooked Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 2 cups milk
- 3 TBS butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Dump all of your ingredients into a sauce pan and mix together over medium low heat.
- Bring to a soft boil and stir constantly (to prevent burning). Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until mixture is thickened. Let rice pudding cool a bit before serving.
Notes
Can you make rice pudding with cooked rice?
I have been shocked how many people have asked me if you can make rice pudding with cooked rice, and the answer is an absolute YES! Using cooked rice eliminates waste by utilizing leftovers and eliminates valuable time you would spend slaving over a hot stove! We typically make this with rice leftover from a previous dinner that week, like our slow cooker Tikka Masala or our Homemade Fried Rice.Which kind of rice is best for rice pudding?
I typically use regular long grain white rice because that is what I usually have on hand. That being said I have also used basmati, jasmine, arborio, and sushi rice and they all work super well! The only kind I use that I don't prefer for this recipe is brown rice or wild rice.Do you eat rice pudding warm or cold?
It is honestly delicious served warm or cold! Right after we make it, we eat some warm. Then, the next day, we eat the leftovers straight from the fridge!Nutrition
I just finished making your incredibly simple version of rice pudding and I gotta say…. “It’s delicious!” I’m eagerly looking forward to having more than the little spoon I sampled. Thank you for sharing!
So glad I gave this recipe a try! It is so easy and delish! I just happened to have some leftover rice in fridge when I saw this recipe.
Only thing different is that I added about 3 small slices of lemon peel during cooking process for the brightness (Portuguese style), then removed them when done. I topped each serving with a little more sugar & cinnamon. It was perfection at its easiest!
My son came in right after I made it and asked about it, He took a bite to try, said it was really good and proceeded to finished it.
Today, two days later, he mentioned how good it was. I promised to make more tomorrow.
I know I will be making this pudding regularly. I wish I had found this recipe years ago. It would have saved a lot of rice.
I made this Rice Pudding and it’s the best so far.
I used the recommended amount of White sugar but also added the same amount of brown sugar.
It was delicious!
Good thing I made a double batch so that my husband could have some too!
Ive looked at other rice recipes in the past, but never made it. Too involved, lol,
Now, this recipe is super easy, and is so tasty too. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hey ladies! So, I’m getting ready to make this delicious sounding rice pudding because money is so super tight right now and my sweet tooth is nagging me lol! But I’m just curious about one thing, please: in my instance I essentially NEVER have leftover rice—now, if we were talking about leftover pasta from making spaghetti, shoot, I’d have PLENTY of leftover, haha! But with that said, do you think I could use non-name brand ‘minute rice’ that is straight from a box and uncooked?
Yes, you can use minute rice but not strait from the box uncooked. Just cook it according to package directions, set it in the fridge for a few hours to cool and then make your pudding, it is so worth it! Also, totally feel you on the pasta, haha.
This is good! It is so easy and actually fun to make. Thank you!
I’m so glad! Thanks Samantha!
Tracy Cornelius I tried the rice pudding recipe and it was very good
So glad you liked it!
Don’t change anything in this recipe. Absolutely delicious – hot or cold. I swear I ate it all. By myself. Made again for my family and they loved it. Thank you for a quick, delicious dessert. I think the butter made all the difference.
Thank you so much Rae! You totally just made our day.
Made this for the first time with some leftover rice. I added dried cranberries. It was fantastic. I really never even bought rice pudding or order it when eating out. I did not dislike it or love it. I just wanted to find something to do with my left over rice. I am so happy I came across this recipe. Now I love rice pudding but not just any rice pudding just this recipe. Next time I am going to try adding some type of nut.
We love hearing this! Thanks Jennifer, so glad you liked it.
I’ve made this rice pudding several times and it always comes out perfect. I do sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on top after spooning into serving bowls.
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks for letting us know Nancy, it means a lot!
anything else other than butter or can i skip the butter
can i use soy milk
can i use guar gum instead of corn starch
if so, how much
thanks,
Dave
Can I use Almond milk
Yes you can. It may change the flavor slightly but should work. If you need to thicken a little more use a slurry.
I tried to make this and mine tasted wonderful! I buy it from the market as I love rice pudding but, mine did not thicken as it was supposed to. I am eating it but the rice seems overwhelming because it the milk liquid did not thicken. Help! I messed up some where. TY
Did you cook for the full 15-20 minutes? It will also thicken a little more as it cools. However, if next time the same thing happens, at the very end add 2 TBSP of cornstarch with 2 TBSP of milk and then add that into your pudding. That should solve it!
Thank you. I did think of adding corn starch but was not sure. I will definitely try that if it does happen. I did cook it for the full 20 min. maybe a little longer.
So easy. We have a rice cooker and have rice at.least once a week. We love Jasmine rice and I find it to be the perfect rice to make rice pudding. I add nutmeg along with cinnamon. We aren’t a desert family but this rice.pudding is always an awesome snack.
Yay! I’m so glad you love it!
Just wanted to say I made this and it was amazing! One of the simplest and best recipes I’ve seen.
I made it with 2% milk and left over basmati rice and it worked just fine. I had to boil it and let it sit just a little bit longer than stated but it was well worth it. I buy rice pudding from the store all the time and I’m so pleased that I can make my own that turns out just as delicious. Thank you for this recipe!
I make minute rice add in the other ingredients and stir till thick. It’s delicious!
If the rice is already cooked, does cooking it again make it mushy??
Nope! It will be perfect, rice pudding soft consistency!
perfect
I followed the directions perfectly except I made the rice first didn’t have leftover rice. It was simple just put all the ingredients in and stir. One of the best I ever tried. So easy I will continue to make it all the time. Thank You.
So glad you liked it June! Thank you for commenting to let us know! :)
Delicious? I normally don’t like rice pudding, but this is really good. My mom made some rice that she didn’t cook quite right. She wanted to throw it away. I just can’t waste food like that so I decided to give this recipe a try. I’m very happy that I did. It’s also super easy to make. Thank you.
Yes! Best way to use leftover rice!