Creamy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

By: Gus Published: Updated:

This slow cooker rice pudding will please anyone who loves a rich, creamy dessert. One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to get together quickly.

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is traditionally either baked in the oven or cooked over the stove. Using the slow cooker is a different method that works surprisingly well. The best thing is that you can simply set and forget.

If you love creamy rice, then you will certainly not be disappointed with this recipe. There are also lots of variations that you can do to help add more of a unique spin to this recipe.

Variations Worth Trying

This recipe also uses no eggs, so there is no risk of ending up with eggy-tasting rice. You can also try substituting the milk with something that may be better suited for your needs, such as soy or almond milk.

I left raisins out of this recipe, but they will work just fine if you would like to add them. I recommend adding about half a cup to the standard recipe.

For a chocolate rice pudding, add three tablespoons of cocoa or 150g (5.3 oz) of milk chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate as it gives it a much richer taste.

Creamy Rice Pudding

As I mentioned in the cooking tips further down this page, there is an abundance of extras that you can with this rice pudding. I love having it with a sprinkle of cinnamon, but some fruit or even chocolate will work great with it.

Accompaniments for Rice Pudding

If you want some extra fruit to go with your pudding, I have a couple of suggestions that I often enjoy having with it. The following are just a few of my favorites:

  • Stewed apple with cinnamon
  • Mixed berries, fresh or frozen
  • Caramelized pears
  • Stewed Rhubarb

Of course, a lot of these extras will likely involve more work, but if you are happy with just the vanilla version, then you are still in for a treat.

Be sure to check out the cooking tips for more variations and tips for perfecting this pudding. There are quite a few.

Rice Pudding Leftovers

I love slow cooker desserts as they typically heat the next day nicely. I like to keep any leftovers of this pudding in the fridge and have it for breakfast or as a treat later on in the day.

It is probably best to avoid freezing this dessert as it is unlikely to defrost nicely. However, if you have tried and it works, then be sure to let us know.

If you want to see how to make this rice pudding in the slow cooker, just check out the video below. It goes through all the steps to making this delicious pudding. If you like the video, please be sure to subscribe to keep up to date with all my latest videos.

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding Recipe

4.85/5 (97%) 20 votes
Prep Time10 Minutes
Cook Time2 Hours & 30 Minutes
Total Time2 Hours & 40 Minutes
Serves4

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup long-grain white rice
  • 4 cups milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 40 g (1.4 oz) unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Firstly, rinse the rice under cold water.
  2. In the slow cooker, add all the ingredients and mix until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Cook on high for 2 & ½ to 3 hours or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is creamy.
  4. Serve & Enjoy.

Recipe Tips

  • The duration you cook this pudding may vary depending on the slow cooker you are using. The high setting may be slightly different from the one I used for this recipe. If you are unsure, keep an eye on it for the first ten minutes and make sure it maintains a light simmer and not a boil.
  • If you love your rice puddings to be creamy, then you can try substituting two cups of milk with cream instead. This extra cream will result in a much creamier texture but be a slightly bit unhealthier.
  • Rinsing the rice under water helps remove a lot of the excess starch, rids of foreign matter and also just helps for a lovely tasting rice pudding. You will also notice the rice will not clump as much if you rinse it first.
  • If you do not have any cinnamon sticks, you can replace them with ground cinnamon instead. One teaspoon should be more than enough.

Equipment I use

I use a 5.5L (6 Quart) slow cooker (Amazon | Walmart) for all the recipes that I have on this website unless specified. If you have a smaller or larger slow cooker, then you might need to adjust the ingredients.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 312g (11 oz)
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories Per Serving: 398
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 6.7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Total Carbohydrate: 65.3g
Dietary Fiber: 0.8g
Sugars: 36.2g
Cholesterol: 35mg
Sodium: 158mg
Protein: 10.6g

The information above is an estimate generated by an online nutrition calculator.

Posted on , under Dessert, Easy, Gluten-Free.

Other Recipes I Highly Recommend

There are plenty of other dessert recipes that you should try out.  For example, if you are after something rich and creamy, you should try out some custard in the slow cooker.

Another dish that you might love is the sticky date pudding. It is the perfect sweet treat to spoil yourself with at the end of a busy day.

If you have a variation, feedback, or anything else that you would love to share regarding this slow cooker rice pudding recipe, please feel free to drop a comment below. I would love to hear what you think of it.

Share with others

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

82 Comments

  1. Avatar for Julie
    Julie on

    The last time I made rice pudding it turned into a soupy mess. This recipe turned out great!! Tastes better than the store bought stuff. I followed the recipe to the letter.
    Thank you!

    1. Avatar for Jennifer
      Jennifer on

      I made this for the first time today. Being Cuban I have to say it was missing a little something. It’s good but I would try and add condensed milk as well as the regular milk to give it a more thicker consistency. But all in all it wasn’t too bad. Next time I’ll make some more adjustments.

    2. Avatar for Silvia Hagmaier
      Silvia Hagmaier on

      I am Cuban and really biased about rice pudding lol. Going to add little condensed & evaporated sure the calories will climb up I will let you know how it turns out tomorrow. thanks for the tips.

    3. Avatar for Moe
      Moe on

      My husband is diabetic but lives rice pudding. I have made it on three stove with splenda with success – wondering if you think it would work in this recipe?

    4. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Using Splenda should work just fine. You might need to adjust the quantity a bit to get the sweetness right.

    5. Avatar for Marion A McDougal
      Marion A McDougal on

      I appreciate this recipe since I make it with almond milk which works for those with or without dairy allergy. (The almond milk pudding freezes well). For guests with dairy allergy, I add Coco Whip. For guests with no dairy allergy, I add heavy whipped whipping cream. I serve the rice pudding with a blueberry raspberry sauce.

  2. Avatar for Sabrina
    Sabrina on

    The written recipe says 3/4 cup but the video says 1/3 cup, which is it ?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Sorry about that. It’s a typo in the video, the correct amount is 3/4 cup

  3. Avatar for Michele
    Michele on

    Made this today. Excellent!! I had some heavy cream to finish up, so used that and made up the difference with milk. Came out great!!

  4. Avatar for Nakitta Immell
    Nakitta Immell on

    is 5 min rice ok?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      You can use 5 min rice but it may come out really mushy since minute rice is suppose to cook a lot faster than regular. Personally, I have never tried using 5 minute rice so I am unsure how it will work out. I would try to stick to the regular long or short grain rice.

  5. Avatar for Phyllis Tomlinson
    Phyllis Tomlinson on

    Can this recipe be doubled? Does anything change if you double it?

    1. Avatar for renee
      renee on

      I would like to know if it can be doubled ? I do have a bigger crock pot I could make it in?

    2. Avatar for Gale
      Gale on

      I just made it and doubled it. Turned out great, but next time I will cut down on the sugar. Thanks for the recipe!

  6. Avatar for Anne Marie
    Anne Marie on

    Hi. Making this now. Video says 1 Tbsp of vanilla, recipe says 1 tsp. Please confirm the correct amount. Thank you!

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Sorry about that, it’s suppose to be 1 tsp.

  7. Avatar for Liz whitney
    Liz whitney on

    I am making this for my 6th grades son’s class to sample. Can I triple this recipe?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Yes, you should be able to do that without any issue.

  8. Avatar for Connie
    Connie on

    Made this today. Was delish only thing I did was add raisins. I will definitely make this again

  9. Avatar for Alison
    Alison on

    Can you use pudding rice?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      It should be fine but I haven’t tested this recipe with pudding rice.

    2. Avatar for alison
      alison on

      Thanks. Might try and see what happens!

  10. Avatar for jo
    jo on

    I haven’t made this slow cooker rice pudding yet but wanted to know if it can be doubled in a 6 quart size. I don’t if subbing half evaporated milk would make it creamier but I guess the sugar would have to be adjusted when using condensed milk. I probably would experiment with a single batch. Any tips would help. I’ve made rice pudding in a regular pot before.

  11. Avatar for Nicole
    Nicole on

    Can the butter be omitted without altering the end result much?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      I can’t say for sure but you should be pretty safe omitting the butter.

    2. Avatar for Randy
      Randy on

      Maybe a little coconut oil instead? Just a thought never tried it.

    3. Avatar for Ramona Rosehill
      Ramona Rosehill on

      That’s my question too, can I use all evaporated milk?

    4. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      I’ve never used it, so I cannot say how it will turn out. But, hopefully, someone else has given it a try.

  12. Avatar for Samantha
    Samantha on

    Gus, do you like it better served hot or cold?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Tough question, it’s pretty good either way but I prefer it to be hot especially in the winter.

  13. Avatar for Carol
    Carol on

    I overlooked this by an extra hour, it was too thick & heavy. Otherwise it was good. I will try it again.

  14. Avatar for Linda Cook
    Linda Cook on

    I just put this in the crock so will be ready to go by dinner time. I decided to be a bit more exotic and added a dash of cardamom along with the cinnamon stick and replaced a cup of milk with a tin of condensed milk. Wish me luck! I can’t wait! 🙂

  15. Avatar for tobiekat
    tobiekat on

    I just made this recipe. It is good but the liquid was not fully absorbed. I used vanilla coconut milk because my husband is on a strict diet for health reasons. I drained the rice and added more rice to the liquid and hopefully it will be okay. It did seem to be lacking something. Will try to add another seasoning.

  16. Avatar for Jane
    Jane on

    Tried this recipe this afternoon in my brand new 3 qt slow cooker. I used a tin of coconut milk and 2% to get the 4 cups needed. I was a bit worried because even though I had it set on high after 2 hours it was barely luke warm. I let it go for 4 hours total and suddenly it all seemed to happen at once lol…lovely, thick, creamy pudding! I used coconut extract instead of the vanilla and wow it’s good! I’ll be making this again though next time I’ll leave a bit more time for the cooking process. Thanks!

  17. Avatar for Kathy
    Kathy on

    Substituted vanilla soy milk and it turned out fabulous! My family loved it.

  18. Avatar for Pam
    Pam on

    Made the rice pudding today and it is all liquid. Cooked 3 hrs. Are u sure 3/4 cup of rice to 4 cups of milk. So disappointed.

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Hi Pam,

      Yes, I have made it several times in different style slow cookers and has always been ready at the 2-3 hour mark.

      Are you using long grain or arborio rice ? Any other types of rice might not work as well or at all.

      If you’re not cooking on High this will also increase the cooking time dramatically. Also, a lot of slow cookers/crock pots vary in temperatures so it’s possible your “high” isn’t the same temperature as mine thus might require more time.

  19. Avatar for Donna
    Donna on

    I know you said long grain, but all I have is meduim grain. Should I just wait till I get long grain.

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Medium grain should be fine but I haven’t tried it out so I can’t be 100% sure.

  20. Avatar for Larissa
    Larissa on

    What type of milk did you use? Would skim milk be okay?

    1. Avatar for Gus
      Gus on
      Editor

      Sorry I should’ve mentioned this, I used full cream milk but I can’t see why skim wouldn’t work.