クリーミー・ライスプディング
Short-grain rice simmered low and slow in whole milk until the grains give up their starch and the whole pot turns glossy and spoonable, then finished off-heat with an egg yolk for a custard-silk body. Warm-vanilla, faintly caramel, thickens further as it rests.
Simmer 150 g short-grain rice in 1 L whole milk with sugar, a split vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt, uncovered, stirring often, for 30–35 minutes until thick and glossy. Off the heat, temper in 2 egg yolks whisked with a splash of cream, return to low heat for 2 minutes to thicken without boiling, then rest 15 minutes — it sets to a spoonable, custard-silk pudding as it cools.
- Use short- or medium-grain rice (Arborio, pudding rice, or sushi rice) — its starch is what makes it creamy, no cornstarch needed.
- Keep the milk at a lazy simmer and stir often; a hard boil scorches the bottom and turns the pudding grainy.
- The egg yolk goes in off the heat and never boils — that is the line between silky and scrambled.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven (3 L / 3 qt)
- Silicone spatula or flat-edged wooden spoon
- Small bowl for tempering the yolks
- Whisk
- Fine grater or paring knife (for zest / vanilla bean)
材料
Pudding
- 150 g short-grain white rice, Arborio, pudding rice, or sushi rice
- 1 L whole milk, plus a little extra to loosen
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 tsp vanilla extract, added at the end
- 1 g fine sea salt
Custard finish
- 2 large egg yolks
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 14 g unsalted butter, optional, for gloss
- 1 g ground cinnamon, optional, for serving
作り方
- ステップ01
Rinse 150 g short-grain rice in a sieve under cold water for about 10 seconds — just enough to wash off loose surface dust, not so long that you strip the starch you want. Shake dry. Do not soak; the grains need to release starch slowly into the milk.
- ステップ02
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, 1 L whole milk, 100 g sugar, ¼ tsp salt, and the split vanilla bean with its scraped seeds. Set over medium heat and bring to a bare simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Watch it closely — milk climbs fast and boils over in seconds.
- ステップ03
Drop the heat to low so the surface just shivers. Cook uncovered for 30–35 minutes, stirring every 3–4 minutes and scraping the bottom corners of the pan each time so nothing catches. The pudding is ready when the rice is fully tender and the milk has thickened to a loose, glossy porridge that coats the spoon — it should still look slightly wetter than you want, because it thickens a lot as it cools.
- ステップ04
In a small bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks with the 60 ml cream. Take the pan off the heat. Whisk about half a cup of the hot pudding into the yolks a spoonful at a time to warm them, then scrape that mixture back into the pan, stirring constantly.
- ステップ05
Return the pan to the lowest heat and cook, stirring without stopping, for 2 minutes to set the custard. Keep it below a simmer — if it bubbles, the yolks will scramble. Pull it the moment it turns visibly silkier and thicker. Fish out the vanilla pod (or stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract now if using) and stir in the butter, if using.
- ステップ06
Let the pudding rest 15 minutes. It will tighten considerably as the starch sets. Stir, and if it has gone stiffer than you like, loosen with a splash of warm milk until it falls softly from the spoon. Serve warm, dusted with cinnamon, or press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill.
Make ahead
Make it up to 2 days ahead through the resting step and refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat (or in short microwave bursts), loosening with warm milk a tablespoon at a time until creamy again.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container. It thickens firm in the cold — stir in a splash of milk (warm or cold) to bring it back to a spoonable, creamy texture. Not recommended for freezing; the custard weeps and the rice turns chalky on thaw.
Variations
Cinnamon-orange (arroz con leche style)
Skip the vanilla bean. Simmer the milk with a cinnamon stick and a wide strip of orange or lemon zest, then remove both before adding the yolks. Finish with a dusting of ground cinnamon.
Coconut & cardamom (dairy-free)
Replace the whole milk with a 50/50 mix of full-fat coconut milk and unsweetened oat milk, and skip the egg-yolk finish (the coconut fat thickens it). Add 4 lightly crushed green cardamom pods with the rice and fish them out at the end.
Baked rice pudding
After step 3, pour the loose pudding into a buttered baking dish, dot with butter, and bake at 300°F / 150°C for 45–60 minutes until a golden skin forms on top. Skip the egg-yolk custard finish for this route.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
よくある質問
What is the best rice for rice pudding?
Short- or medium-grain white rice — Arborio, pudding rice, or sushi rice. These grains are high in the starch that dissolves into the milk and gives creamy rice pudding its body without any cornstarch. Long-grain rice like basmati stays separate and firm, so the pudding turns out thinner and less cohesive.
Why is my rice pudding grainy or scrambled?
Two usual culprits: the milk was boiled too hard, which scorches the bottom and makes the texture grainy, or the egg yolks hit too much heat and curdled. Keep the pot at a lazy, shivering simmer, stir often, and add the yolks off the heat — then return to only the lowest heat for two minutes, never letting it bubble.
Can I make rice pudding without eggs?
Yes. The rice starch alone will thicken it beautifully — just simmer 5 minutes longer at the end until it's as thick as you want, and skip the tempering step entirely. The egg yolks add a custardy silkiness and a touch more richness, but a plain milk-and-rice pudding is completely classic and delicious.
How do I fix rice pudding that's too thick?
This is normal — rice pudding sets much firmer as it cools because the starch continues to gel. Just stir in warm milk a splash at a time, off the heat, until it falls softly from the spoon again. Do this when serving leftovers too; cold-set pudding always needs loosening.
Should rice pudding be served warm or cold?
Both are traditional and it comes down to preference. Warm, it's loose, comforting, and custardy; cold, it firms into a denser, spoonable set with a more pronounced vanilla flavor. If chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin, and loosen with a little milk before serving.
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