Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding is creamy and indulgent, made with brown sugar, milk, and arborio rice, perfect for the holidays or a family party!
This is a really simple dessert that’s great for holidays and family gatherings. It’s the perfect comfort food and only uses a few simple ingredients like rice, sugar, milk, and cinnamon. This will be a new family favorite in your house!
This pudding gets thicker the longer it cooks, so watch the time carefully. I like to check it at 2 hours, and again at 3 hours. Keeping an eye on it will make sure you get the perfect texture!
If you liked this creamy rice pudding recipe, you may also like my Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make! Just throw everything into the crockpot, stir together, and let it cook until creamy!
Gluten Free. This crock pot rice pudding is made with naturally gluten free ingredients.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Rice. For this rice pudding, I like to use arborio rice (the same rice you’d use to make risotto). Arborio rice is a medium grain rice that holds up well in the slow cooker.
If you’re in the UK, you can use pudding rice.
Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar. I like to use a mixture of brown sugar and white granulated sugar. I think the brown sugar adds more depth of flavor to the pudding, and pairs nicely with the cinnamon.
If you want this to be a lighter color, use all white sugar instead and leave the brown sugar out.
Milk. Regular milk works for this recipe. You can use 2% milk, but the fat from the whole milk helps create a creamier texture.
If you’re dairy-free, you can use a milk alternative like almond milk or canned coconut milk.
Spices. I’m adding a small amount of ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon for flavor, and a dash of salt to balance out the sweetness.
You can use a cinnamon stick instead, but the flavor will be stronger.
Butter. I always use unsalted butter, which helps create that creamy texture without adding extra salt.
Vanilla. A dash of vanilla balances the flavor profile nicely.
Raisins. This ingredient is optional, and added right before serving. You can use regular or golden raisins. I use one cup of raisins, but you can use more or less depending on your preference.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Time needed: 4 hours
- Add the ingredients.
Grease your crockpot with butter. Add all of the ingredients, except for the raisins and butter. Stir everything together, and place the butter on top of the rice mixture, then place the lid on the slow cooker and set on high for 3-4 hours.
- Stir halfway through, and finish cooking.
Stir the pudding halfway through, and place the lid back on to finish cooking. Check the pudding at the 3 hour mark. If you’d like a thicker texture, let it cook for the remaining time. Stir in the raisins, sprinkle with cinnamon, then allow to cool before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Try adding other spice combinations like pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice!
- You can also try topping the rice pudding with jam, or even my Homemade Apple Pie Filling.
- Add some cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a chocolate rice pudding.
- Try serving this with fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, or mango pieces.
- If you’re not into raisins, try adding dried cranberries, chopped pecans, or chocolate chips!
Recipe Tip! If you want this to be more white like a traditional rice pudding, use white sugar instead of brown sugar, and add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top when it’s done cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are using arborio rice here, and using the starch to give the pudding its creamy texture, so there’s no need to wash the rice. If you’re worried about other debris, you can give it a quick rinse in cold water, leaving most of the starch behind.
Recipe Tip! Stirring the hot rice mixture halfway through the cook time lets you make sure everything is mixed together and nothing is sticking to the slow cooker. It also lets you check the texture, so you can decide how creamy you’d like it.
More Dessert Recipes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover rice pudding for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freeze leftover pudding for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost in the refrigerator. Keep in mind that the texture of the rice pudding may change once frozen.
Cooking Tips
- You can serve the rice pudding warm, but a lot of people will refrigerate it for an hour or so first and serve it cold.
- Check the pudding at the 3 hour mark and give it a stir. If you want the pudding to be more creamy, let it cook for longer, until it thickens to the desired consistency. If you’re happy with the texture, then it is done.
- The type of rice does make a difference, so don’t substitute for a different one.
- The pudding mixture can stick to the crockpot, so I recommend greasing it with butter or non-stick cooking spray beforehand.
- If your rice pudding turned out too thick, you can add a bit of milk and stir until completely combined.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup arborio rice
- 4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins
Equipment
- 1 6-7 quart slow cooker
Instructions
- Grease your crockpot with butter. Add all of the ingredients, except for the raisins and butter, and stir everything together.
- Place the butter on top of the rice mixture, then place the lid on the slow cooker and set on high for 3-4 hours.
- Stir the pudding after 2 hours, then again at 3 hours. If you'd like a thicker texture, let it cook for the remaining time. Once done, stir in the raisins, sprinkle with cinnamon, then allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- You can serve the rice pudding warm, but a lot of people will refrigerate it for an hour or so first and serve it cold.
- Check the pudding at the 3 hour mark and give it a stir. If you want the pudding to be more creamy, let it cook for longer, until it thickens to the desired consistency.
- The type of rice does make a difference, so don’t substitute for a different one.
- The pudding mixture can stick to the crockpot, so I recommend greasing it with butter or non-stick cooking spray beforehand.
- If your rice pudding turned out too thick, you can add a bit of milk and stir until completely combined.
Nutrition
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