Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe (1)

Total Time
30 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(803)
Notes
Read community notes

Rice pudding prepared in an electric pressure cooker is both speedy and simple — the kind of thing you can whip up in minutes in between other kitchen tasks. This version calls for short-grain rice, which turns plump and pleasingly sticky as it cooks in a combination of milk and heavy cream. Adding a vanilla bean lends deeply aromatic notes, but if you don’t have one, just stir 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the pudding along with the egg yolks. Or skip the vanilla and add a teaspoon of whole cardamom podsto the pot to round out the spicy flavor of the cinnamon. Whipped cream might be overkill on a pudding this rich, but only in the very best way.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • ¾cup arborio or other short-grain rice
  • cups whole milk
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1(2-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1(4-inch) strip orange or lemon zest, peeled with a vegetable peeler (optional)
  • ½vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped with the tip of a paring knife, or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Large pinch of fine sea salt
  • ½cup heavy cream
  • 2egg yolks
  • ½cup raisins (optional)
  • Ground cinnamon or cardamom, for serving (optional)
  • Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

326 calories; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 86 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    In the pressure cooker pot, stir together the rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon stick, orange zest (if using), vanilla bean and seeds, and salt.

  2. Step

    2

    Lock the lid into place and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure.

  3. Step

    3

    Open the lid and discard the cinnamon stick, orange zest and vanilla bean.

  4. Step

    4

    In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and yolks. Whisk into the rice and continue to stir until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. (It will still look soupy at this point.) The residual heat of the rice will cook the yolks, and chilling will thicken the pudding. Stir in the raisins, if using.

  5. Step

    5

    Spoon the pudding into serving bowls, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or cardamom and whipped cream, if you’d like.

Ratings

4

out of 5

803

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

CFXK

Melissa must be slipping. Rarely does she miss an opportunity to suggest the addition of bourbon to a recipe that takes to it well. How about bourbon soaked raisins here? Or as a sub for some of that vanilla extract?

NOLA_JimM

A variation is to add small-diced candied orange or lemon slices or candied ginger to cook along with the rice. The higher cooking temperature mellows out what might ordinarily be too dominate a flavor. My favorite is to use 2 to 3 Trader Joe's candied orange slices then serve warm with a pinch of ground cardamom and finely chopped pistachios. Can also completely replace milk with TJ's coconut cream or coconut milk. Adjusting the liquid +/- can make for a best served +warm or -cold.

Veronica

The benefit of the Instant Pot is not speed— it is not speedy—it’s being able to walk away from the kitchen and do other things while supper cooks: take a shower, a nap, tackle a big job like catching up on the laundry, or watch a movie with your child. The beauty of the Instant Pot is being able to do two things at once.

Cathy

Trying to ask this without sounding snarky. If you have to chill for two hours to get the desired result, why use the pressure cooker pot? I'm thinking you could arrive at chilled rice pudding more quickly with this method, but that's the only advantage which isn't an advantage if you like your pudding warm - yum!

Prakash Nadkarni

@Cathy: You're right: warm rice pudding works quite well. At warm temperatures, the essential oils in the pudding's spices volatilize, increasing fragrance. That's why spiced breads/cakes, e..g, Swedish cardamom buns, or most liqueurs, taste better when served after very brief microwaving.

Diane Miller

I didn't have a cinnamon stick, but the orange zest smelled so good that I doused the raisins in Cointreau, which bumped the flavor in that direction. It was good warm, and later it was good cold.

Mel

Would this work with a regular pot on the stove, cooking the ingredients in step #1 the amount of time you would normally cook rice? It looks delicious but I don't have an Instant Pot.

Jesper Kornerup

This is often eaten in Scandinavia around Christmas time, either as a main course (warm without whipped cream), or chilled as here. Make a fun party with it, by adding coarsely chopped almonds, and one whole. The person finding the whole almond wins a price. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risalamande

Sarah Beth

Has anyone tried this with dairy-free milk?

CFXK

Not snarky at all. While the pressure cooker can be a wonderful tool, it is not uncommon for the "speedy and simple" recipes espoused by Instant Pot evangelists to elide shortcomings, pressurizing times and other things that make the time difference between cooking in the Instant Pot and cooking on the stove in a sauce pan, pot or dutch oven not as great as it may seem. Knowing about these things helps people make good choices about the best tool to use.

PuffinMama

Good and easy - used oat milk, 2 T brown sugar, more cinnamon

Heather

Delicious and so easy! My only change was to reduce the sugar to 1/4 cup, and it was still plenty sweet. The orange zest gives the pudding such a lovely flavor, and I love being able to do other things while the instant pot does its work.

caseymann413

This was delicious with short-grain jasmine rice. I added bourbon-soaked raisins and they were a great addition. Because the pudding called for two egg yolks and I don't like to waste, I made little lemon meringues with the leftover whites (see Mark Bittman's Vanilla Meringues for a two-egg white recipe). The meringues were a simple add-on to the deserts I'll be bringing to my friend's Diwali celebration tomorrow.

Eve and Kate

We did 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of can sugar and skipped the heavy cream. Added additional 1/2 c milk with the egg yolks. Plenty rich! And also 1/4 t cardamom. Delicious :)

Sarah B

It's one strip of zest, as in one large piece that can easily be fished out of the pudding when done.

Kate Martin

Orange zest should not be optional! Really gives this a greater level of deliciousness. Agree that it is even greater cold the next day. Used cardamom - followed recipe exactly except for sugar - used scant 1/3 which was sweet enough. Can’t figure out how some got curdled milk or undercooked rice.

bob

It was meh... if you like rice soup go for it. definitely not the rice pudding of my childhood

NDN

I did not like this type of rice, not used here, not in this dish. Too much toothiness, or wrong mouth feel…very large baubles for rice pudding. Next time I’ll use regular old rice, I’ll increase the milk accordingly, and I’ll use a little more sugar. But I do sincerely appreciate this as a base recipe. So easy to just—-set it and forget it—and end up with dessert!

Ray

The benefit of the Instant pot is you never again burn the rice on the stovetop. It's automatic.

Hazel

My mother made rice pudding with raisins often but always included whole eggs from the beginning. She poured the mixture into individual ramekins and the eggs formed a delicious custard on the top. I would never add egg yolks without cooking them.

JH

I have no complaints about this recipe. I used the suggested substitution of vanilla extract for vanilla beans, and even accidentally threw the cream in with the milk before starting the instant pot; still turned out extra yummy! Will definitely make again.

For2

Has anyone tried to whip the egg whites and then fold them into the rice pudding? Seems like a good way to use the whole egg.

SFY

I made this while home sick - wanting some easy comfort food. It was super easy and exactly the thing I was looking for. I chopped dates in place of the raisins, used a strip of lemon zest instead of orange and the tablespoon of vanilla instead of the bean. For those who are more interested in warm rice pudding, I can confirm that this was delicious both warm & cold. I'd love to figure out how to do this with brown rice - I'm sure it's possible by increasing the liquid and the cook time.

Megan

Thicker than anticipated but so good!

Lisa vS

I make this a lot because its so delicious and easy. A variation is to use the orange peel for flavoring, and mash a ripe banana with a bit of the cream and a cap full of dark rum. After stirring in the egg yolk/cream mix until pudding is thickened, stir in the mashed banana.

TT

Egg yolk substitute: 1T cornstarch, 2T water

Suzanne

It's best eaten warm--as soon as it's ready

CDP

This was very good and easy. The cinnamon and orange were subtle and just the right touch. I’ll try it with lemon rind (suggested in one of the comments) and ?? a cardamom pod or two next time.Regarding the recipe, could you please provide the weights for the ingredients in addition to, or instead of, the volume? Thank you.

Suzanne

It's a delicious rice pudding, but I liked it best right after it was done cooking. I loved it warm. I used 1/4 cup sugar but I am going to use just 3 Tablespoons next time. It was a little sweet for me.

K

Followed exact instructions with instant pot, burned to bottom. What’s the fix?

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Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you cook rice in milk instead of water in instant pot? ›

Can Milk Be Used in the Instant Pot? Milk can curdle if you try to cook it under pressure, so it's important that you follow the recipe directions closely. In this case, you cook the rice with water only, and then you can stir in the rest of the ingredients when it's done cooking.

Should you rinse rice for rice pudding? ›

To Rinse or Not to Rinse Rice

While we've mentioned before that this dessert gets its perfectly creamy texture from the starch that is released when the grains are cooking, we do suggest a rinse for this recipe in order to wash off excess debris and added starch.

How to make Jamie Oliver's rice pudding? ›

Method. Put the rice, milk, 200ml of water, half the maple syrup or honey and the vanilla into a large pan. Give it a good stir, then place the pan on a very low heat. Cook gently for around 45 minutes, or until thick and creamy, stirring regularly.

What makes rice pudding thicken? ›

Rice pudding is simply rice cooked in sweetened milk. As the rice cooks, it releases starch, which thickens the milk and suspends the tender grains of rice, contributing to its creaminess.

What happens to milk in Instant Pot? ›

If there's one food group you should avoid in the Instant Pot, it's dairy. The high heat and pressure can cause milk and cheese to curdle, separate or clump together.

Can an Instant Pot cook rice like a rice cooker? ›

Combine the rice and water in a 6-quart Instant Pot. Secure the lid and Pressure Cook on High for 3 minutes. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. When the float valve drops, remove the lid.

Which type of rice is best for rice pudding? ›

Although this dish is most commonly made using long grain White Rice (some would even use Thai Jasmine Rice, many would argue that, to achieve a balance between consistency and flavor, aromatic Basmati Rice should be used as it contains starch.

Why is my rice pudding rice still hard? ›

Is it over or under cooked? If the rice is very hard and chewy in the middle (under cooked) just add enough water to create a little steam (about 1/4 cup/ less}. Put the lid on and cook the rice on very low heat for another 5 minutes. It will turn out just right, not overcooked.

Why is my rice pudding mushy? ›

I don't recommend any other type of short-grain or quick-cooking rice for rice pudding, as it tends to result in a mushy pudding with this long-simmering recipe. Milk – Whole, full-fat 3.5% b.f. milk is best for rice pudding.

Why is rice pudding healthy? ›

You've got to love that it's made from simple ingredients like rice, milk, sugar and eggs. While this is a dessert, it does offer some nutritional benefits, including almost 10 grams of protein and 15 percent of the daily recommendation for bone-building calcium per cup.

Why didn't my rice pudding set? ›

However, you can add, if, if your rice pudding di or vanilla pudding didn't thicken it is not only because of the kind of milk you used, you generally you need to use some kind of a starch, either arrow root or corn starch.

How long does rice pudding last in the refrigerator? ›

You can serve your rice pudding immediately, or let it cool to room temperature and store it in the fridge for a cold, fruit-topped breakfast or snack. The pudding will keep in your fridge for about 4 days. But unlike that bowl of cooked rice, it probably won't last that long.

Is cream of rice the same as rice pudding? ›

We'd describe the product as somewhat of a blend between oat-based porridge and rice pudding. It has a taste and texture similar to that of rice pudding but far superior nutritional content; a little like porridge - this helps keep you energised throughout the day utilising slow-releasing energy.

Can you cook rice with milk instead of water? ›

Slowly drop the rice into the boiling milk. Lower the heat and add salt, vanilla bean, and sugar. Cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed. Add more milk, if necessary for a tender rice.

Can I use milk instead of water in pressure cooker? ›

Avoid dairy meals.

Most dairy products such as cheese, milk and sour cream will curdle in a pressure cooker.

Is it OK to cook rice with milk? ›

Yes, of course you can. I add a little milk to my rice sometimes when I like a little milky flavor to it. There are so many rice dishes which are cooked in milk most of which are sweet rice dishes.

Can you make white rice with milk instead of water? ›

Combine the rice with 4 cups (946 mL) of milk in a non-stick pot. Pour the washed rice into a non-stick pot. Cover it with 4 cups (946 mL) of the milk of your choice. Use whole milk for the richest, creamiest texture.

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