Extra Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe with Cream
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Make this Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe with Cream and rice, plus a pinch of salt and your choice of toppings. It’s incredible how just 2 ingredients can create such a silky, luxurious vanilla rice pudding that you’ll want to make again and again!
Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe with Cream
My mom was a penny pincher, so rice pudding was always made with leftover white rice.
And if we didn’t have leftover rice, there was no rice pudding… Which kinda stinks when you love it so much!
That got me thinking about how to make rice pudding without leftover rice. Have you ever had risotto?
It is so rich and creamy because it’s made with Italian arborio, which has a high starch content.
You can see where this is going! Arborio rice creates an amazingly thick, rich, and creamy rice pudding, and my recipe is so easy to make.
Start with vanilla, then try my pumpkin spice latte and orange creamsicle versions next!
Prefer something savory? Use your bag to make arancini, which are crispy Italian rice balls with a melty mozzarella center. YUM!!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- French Vanilla Creamer – You read that right — coffee creamer! Making this creamy rice pudding recipe with cream instead of milk gives you the best texture imaginable.
I always have International Delight in my fridge, but feel free to use your favorite. - Arborio Rice – This is an Italian short-grain rice that’s a bit rounded. Because it isn’t processed as much, it retains more starch for a firmer texture.
It also cooks up creamier and chewier than other varieties, especially long-grain rice, making it the best option for chewy, creamy rice pudding. - Kosher Salt – This is the best salt for any kind of cooking. You can substitute an equal amount of pink Himalayan salt or a slightly less amount of sea salt.
Just don’t use table salt!!
Tips to Make the Creamiest Vanilla Rice Pudding
- Use flavored creamer instead of plain milk.
Yes, it’s a bit unconventional, but I promise it’s the key to the creamiest results!
And I know what you might be thinking… why not make this creamy rice pudding recipe with cream instead?
Coffee creamer already has flavor and sweetener added, so you can enjoy a true 2 ingredient recipe.
- Bring the mixture just to a medium boil.
Trust me, you do not want to bring it to a full rolling boil and then cover. The mixture will boil over and you’ll be left with a nasty stove to clean — don’t ask me how I know!
Instead, wait until it’s just starting to bubble and get “lively” before immediately reducing the heat. Keep vanilla rice pudding at a simmer while it cooks.
- Then, crank up the heat and stir constantly at the end.
And by constantly, I do mean constantly! Keep your spoon or spatula moving, scraping along the bottom and sides of the pan so nothing sticks or burns.
The higher heat plus stirring is what helps rice pudding with vanilla to thicken to that luxuriously creamy texture.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Saucepan – I use my 8-quart saucepan for this recipe. Choose a heavy-bottomed one so the heat is distributed more evenly and doesn’t burn the pudding.
- Heat-resistant Spoon or Silicone Spatula makes stirring and serving easier.
- Serving Bowls or Glasses – Even tall, half-pint mason jars would work!
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy rice vanilla pudding right away or chill it in the refrigerator for later.
If you’d like, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or some fruit on top! Raisins are the most popular choice, but dried cranberries or apricots would be tasty too.
More unique toppings for rice pudding include fruit jam, chocolate chips, lemon curd, or pieces of candied ginger
Storing Leftover Rice Vanilla Pudding
Homemade rice pudding will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave if you prefer it warm. It’s best to store this as individual servings, and be sure to thaw frozen rice pudding in the refrigerator first.
Vanilla Rice FAQ
Sure! This dessert is delicious when warm or after it has chilled in the refrigerator for a bit. Up to you!
Combine uncooked arborio rice, French Vanilla creamer, water, and salt in a 3-quart slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on high for 1 ½ to 3 hours until vanilla rice is soft and pudding-thick.
Try a piece of rice after 1 ½ hours of cooking — if it’s not chewy yet, cover and cook for 30 more minutes and check again. Repeat as needed.
During the last 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir until the rice vanilla pudding is thickened.
Yes! If you don’t want to make this creamy rice pudding recipe with cream, replace it (and the water) with the following:
4 ½ cups whole milk
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Mix the ingredients together before adding them to the saucepan with rice. Then, cook the vanilla rice mixture as directed!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Extra Creamy Rice Pudding Recipe with Cream
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups International Delight French Vanilla Creamer, liquid
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional Toppings: cinnamon or fruit
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a large (8 quart) saucepan over high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to ‘medium’ boil. *SEE NOTE. Reduce to simmer (on medium-low temperature) for 20 minutes. Cover.
- Remove cover, increase temperature to medium-high and stir constantly until rice is tender and pudding is thick and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Pour into serving dishes. Serve warm immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- If desired add optional toppings right before serving.
- Enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
If you don’t have coffee creamer you can substitute (in place of the creamer and water) 4-1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. SLOW COOKER METHOD
Combine ingredients in a slow cooker (I used a 3 quart). Stir, cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 – 3 hours. It took 3 hours in my 3 quart round. Rice should be soft and pudding thick when it is ready. The first time you prepare this I recommend tasting a piece of rice after 1 hour 30 minutes. If it is not chewy yet cover it and let it cook 30 more minutes and check again. The more you stir the more the pudding will thicken. That said, about 15 minutes before the pudding is done remove cover and stir until pudding is thickened.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2016, updated and republished April 2024
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.
Has anyone tried this recipe with the sugar-free vanilla coffee creamer. I only use sugar-free. Just curious
Thank you 😉
i use the sugar free creamer all the time. it still tastes great, just not as sweet.
I’m going to try with the zero sugar French vanilla
How much rice do you add to this recipe I don't see it written anywhere
It is 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice. Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
1 cup rice 2 cups sugar-free creamer
The recipe says what the recipes says!The person probably hasn't tested it anyway but what the recipe says. If you want to try another rice…try it. Cuz I bet the person never tried it cuz this is HER recipe. I can imagine her rolling her eyes and taking a deep cleansing breath as she writes (several times!!)
that she never tested it the way that your asking cuz she's only made it the way her recipe says.
Delicious! Made it in crockpot.
We are so happy you enjoyed it!
Made this over the stove as directed and it is delicious!
Thank you for the recipe! Had to make it again today as it was so good..I did boil the water with cinnamon sticks at the brginning and at the end of cooking time when stirring to thicken, I added ground cloves, ground nutmeg and some ground cinnamon, and it was so good. Love this Recipe!
We are so happy you enjoyed it!!
I may have missed it, but I don't see rice listed in the ingredients. How much did you use for this recipe?
1st ingredient: 1 cup uncooked Aborio Rice
Hi Donna,
Love the simplicity of this recipe, but I am into electric Pressure Cooking and was wondering how it can be modified to that method?? It looks yummy, but I rarely us the sove of I don't have to.
Great recipe, I added 1/2 golden raisins. After cooking poured into a large serving bowl and sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar over the top. My father always wanted raisins in his, so I added to this recipe. Both ways are great, thank you for sharing 🙂
A quick tip not to have your rice boil over is to add about 1/2 to 1 tsp of coconut oil. The coconut oil will not upset a recipe, but for some reason not make rice or any other grain boil over. Trust me it really works!
What is vanilla creamer I'm in the UK
Vanilla flavoured coffee creamer
Best rice pudding ever! I shared with my neighbor who said it was awesome, too. Did boil over on me so do be very watchful at that step. Will be making again for sure.
Can this be made with regular rice in the slow cooker?
can I use white rice
Can Sea Salt be substituted For Kosher Salt? Thank You
I'm wondering if you could use leftover rice? Has anyone tried this?
Can you use beer instead of water? And beans instead if rice?
I just made it with white rice and a mix of dry creamer and vanilla almond milk so I had to use sugar and water. I cant have salt so I left it out. The recipe turned out awesome Oh and I added extra vanilla. Thanks this tasted better than my kozy shack addiction I’ve been buying from the store daily all year!
Simple, easy & delish warm or cold!
Hi Bonita,
We are so happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you for rating our recipe. Have a great day!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Has anyone tried this in their rice cooker?
Can you tell me what a serving size is? I see there are 6 servings but unsure how much in each serving… (I’m wanting to do this for a ladies’ tea and am trying to figure out how many batches I’ll need since I’ll be serving it in like 2oz ramekins…)
You simply divide the amount of the dish in 6 parts and that will be your serving portion.
only have the Cinnabun flavored creamer. I will add vanilla but not too much. let’s see how it goes
I tried this recipe in my crockpot. Delicious!!! So quick and easy!
Made this recipe last night. Even my mom asked me for the recipe. M.Y. M.O.M.! Thank you
Made this recipe today didn’t have international coffee creamer so I used milk and a little bit of half-and-half tasted delicious. My son loves it. I was a little disappointed it had a starchy taste and I was hoping it would be more of a custody taste. Don’t get me wrong. It is so delicious. It’s just not exactly what I was looking for. I may tweak it again with a different rice maybe Jasmine instead of the Arborio.
ingredients doesn’t say how much sugar 🤔
Hi James,
This recipe calls for International Delight French Vanilla Creamer, not sugar. If you do not have the liquid creamer you can substitute water and sugar. The measurements for these is found in the notes section in the recipe card. Hope that helps.
TSRI Team Member,
Holli