Rice Pudding With Leftover Rice

Written by
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Jolinda Hackett
Tested by
Diana Rattray Reviewed on 07/07/21 by
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Recipe Testing Panel
Diana Rattray
Updated 07/08/21
Rice Pudding With Leftover Rice

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
227 Calories
4g Fat
40g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 227
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 180mg 14%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 330mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you have a lot of pre-cooked leftover rice, baking a cinnamon-scented rice pudding is a wonderful way to use it up. This easy rice pudding recipe is baked in the oven and made with milk, rice, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. It is decadent and creamy, and you can serve it either as a sweet breakfast or for dessert. Just mix and heat everything together on the stovetop, then stick it in the oven for about 25 minutes or so. Adding eggs and baking it in the oven turns it into a creamy, thickened pudding that you can eat warm or, later, cold right out of the fridge.

This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free but because it calls for both eggs and milk, it's not vegan. However, for a dairy-free option, you can always swap out the milk for any non-dairy milk substitute, such as soy milk, almond milk, or even coconut milk.

Rice pudding is usually prepared with leftover cooked white rice, but you can use any rice you like or happen to have leftover (brown or basmati, for example), with one caveat. Don't use wild rice. It just won't cook up the same way.

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"The rice pudding was very good and not overly sweet. You can choose to bake it less for a creamy pudding or longer for a baked-custard-type pudding. Briefly cooking it on the stovetop means less time in the oven. I enjoyed it with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of syrup." —Diana Rattray

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk

  • 1 cup leftover cooked rice

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste

  • 1/3 cup raisins

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 300 F.

    Rice Pudding With Leftover Rice ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and rice over medium-low heat, stirring together frequently so the milk doesn't burn. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer.

    Milk and rice for pudding simmering on stovetop

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.

    Combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla with a whisk in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Add all of the egg mixture to the saucepan of hot milk and rice, stirring constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Allow to cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 175 to 180 F.

    Add the egg mixture to the rice pudding in the pot

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Add the cinnamon and raisins, stirring just to combine.

    Cinnamon and raisins in a pot of rice pudding

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Finally, pour the rice pudding mixture into an 8 x 8-inch casserole or baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes. For a creamy texture, remove the rice pudding when it's lightly set with a slight jiggle. For a firm baked custard, cook until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

    Transferring the rice pudding to the baking dish

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Allow the rice pudding to cool slightly before serving.

    Rice Pudding With Leftover Rice

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Recipe Variations

  • Sprinkle the top with a little extra cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, cocoa powder, or pumpkin pie spice. A drizzle of honey is good, too.
  • Add a bit of rose water syrup for Middle Eastern flair, some fresh cardamom pods for an Indian-style kheer, or a touch of fresh lemon zest for a Greek twist.

How to Store and Reheat Rice Pudding

  • Cooked rice pudding will keep for three to five days, covered, in the fridge. To reheat, you can either microwave it or reheat it gently on the stovetop with a splash of milk, over medium-low, until heated through.
  • Freeze any uneaten rice pudding by transferring to an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw the rice pudding in the fridge, and then reheat gently as described.

Should rice pudding be served cold or warm?

A dish of comforting rice pudding is delicious warm from the oven, but you might prefer it chilled on a hot summer day.

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