Fırın Sütlaç (Turkish Baked Rice Pudding)

By
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Elizabeth Wilson Taviloğlu
Elizabeth Taviloglu
Food writer Elizabeth Taviloğlu learned Turkish cooking hands-on in Turkey where she has lived and traveled for more than 24 years.
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Updated on 08/22/21
Fırın Sütlaç (Turkish Baked Rice Pudding) in small pudding cups

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Refrigerate: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
393 Calories
6g Fat
74g Carbs
9g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 393
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 78mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 74g 27%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 180mg 14%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 249mg 5%
*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 enjoyed custard and rice pudding as a child, you'll love this recipe for baked rice pudding, known in Turkey as fırın sütlaç (fur-UHN' soot-LAHCH'). Turkey is famous for its wide selection of milk-based desserts and puddings, and baked rice pudding is the cream of the crop. It holds a very special place in this country's cuisine—you'll find that it's made in every home and served in every Turkish restaurant.

Adults and kids alike love baked rice pudding, which can be a healthy dessert choice after a big meal. It's best when made with fresh whole milk and chilled several hours before serving. Some Turkish folks still go out of their way to seek out fresh, unpasteurized milk to make fırın sütlaç. It's said that the tricks to making perfect rice pudding are fresh milk, slow cooking, constant stirring, and lots of patience.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked white rice

  • 1 to 2 cups water, or enough to cover rice

  • 4 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons whole milk, divided

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 large egg yolk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.

    Fırın sütlaç (Turkish baked rice pudding) ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a colander, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.

    Rinse rice through the colander

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. In a large saucepan, add the rice and enough water to cover it by about 1/2 inch.

    Rice and water in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Let the rice simmer gently until it's softened, about 5 minutes.

    Rice and water cooking in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add 3 3/4 cups of the milk along with the sugar and vanilla extract to the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it boil very gently for about 10 minutes.

    Milk, sugar, and vanilla boiling with rice in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. In a small bowl, use a whisk to mix 1 cup of the milk and the cornstarch until smooth.

    Whisk milk and cornstarch in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. While stirring, gradually pour the milk-cornstarch mixture into the rice.

    Milk-cornstarch mixture poured into the rice in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Turn up the heat and continue stirring the pudding until scalding, about 4 to 5 minutes.

    Cook pudding in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. When the pudding thickens, continue to stir, and cook for about 2 minutes more.

    Thickened rice pudding in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Remove from the heat and fill small, ovenproof dessert cups, clay cups, or disposable aluminum pudding cups with the hot mixture.

    Transfer the pudding to pudding cups

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk with the remaining 3 tablespoons of milk.

    Egg yolk and milk mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Using a spoon, drizzle a small amount of the egg-milk mixture into the center of each dessert cup.

    Egg yolk mixture drizzled on top of the pudding in the cups

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  13. With the back of the spoon, use a light, circular motion to swirl the egg yolk from the center to the edges so it spreads evenly over the top of each cup.

    Spread egg yolk mixture on top of the pudding with the back of a spoon

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Bake the pudding cups until the tops are nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

    Baked pudding in cups on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Let the cups cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for several hours before serving. Enjoy.

    Fırın sütlaç (Turkish baked rice pudding) in cups

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • You can make this recipe with equal amounts of canned coconut milk to make it a non-dairy pudding.
  • You can also add raisins or ground cinnamon if you like, but it's not necessary.

How to Store and Freeze Turkish Baked Rice Pudding

This pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days; just make sure it's covered tightly. It will also keep for at least three months in the freezer. You can freeze it right in its individual pudding cups, wrapped in a couple of layers of plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Defrost in the refrigerator and serve.