or should I just call it Brown Rice Pudding?
When I was a little one, I remember lulling myself to sleep by listing off in my brain all of the things that I might like to find in heaven should I find myself there. I started off with important things like:
I’d like to find my little sister Lauren in heaven, but I don’t want to have to share my toys with her if I don’t want to.
I’d like to find my best friend Natalie in heaven because I love to play with her hair.
I’d like to find Grandmother, Granddaddy and Aunt DeeDee in heaven because they make the best hamburgers every Friday night .
And then this list would surely devolve into something that resembles my Christmas wish list:
I want an Easy Bake Oven in heaven…
I want a Barbie Dream House in heaven.
I want mechanical pencils in heaven… I had a serious thing for mechanical pencils. Still do.
Nowadays I’m barely awake enough to get my socks off before I’m zonked out on my pillow. I’d like to put this down on record now, if you’ll indulge me.
I want Rice Pudding in heaven. Rice pudding with raisins. Rice pudding with dried cherries. White rice. Brown rice. Any kind of rice cooked with milk and sugar. Please.
A few mechanical pencils might be nice too.
Awesome. Thanks.
It’s hearty. It’s warm. It’s creamy and sweet. It’s filling and it might just be the most comforting bowl of goodness I’ve ever encountered.
Note: When served cold, the brown rice has a bit of a bite to it. I like it cold as much as I do warm, but be warned that cold brown rice pudding will be just a tad more work for your jaw.
Brown Rice Rice Pudding
serves 4 to 6
4 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
4 cups whole milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 vanilla bean, split open (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of ground cardamom
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (or any dried fruit you fancy)
Rinse brown rice in a strainer under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside.
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in brown rice and salt. Turn flame down to medium and simmer rice, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, drain rice and water. Let rice sit in strainer for 10 seconds and then return to the pot you cooked it in (not over a flame) and immediately put a tight fitting lid on the pot. Let rice rest and steam for 10 minutes.
Once rice is cooked, place it in a bowl and set aside. Add 4 cups of milk, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, pinch of cardamom and vanilla bean to the pan. Bring to a very low boil, stirring often so the milk doesn’t burn. Add the cooked rice, butter and cherries to the hot milk. Stir often. Don’t ignore the milk or it might boil to furiously and curdle. Simmer until the milk cooks down and the rice is creamy, about 30 minutes. Place in a large bowl or serving dishes to cool. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Dolores
I look forward to making this pudding using brown rice .I love rice pudding but I’m also a type 2 diabetic I also like white rice but the carbs .I will let you how it turns out and thanks for the recipe.Dolores
El
I started cooking the milk mixture about 10 mins into the rice to save time, though you gotta keep an eye on both! I would think you could use the Barista-quality Almond Milk in the recipe on low heat and avoid curdling for dairy-sensitive folks!
Irina
I made this with coconut oil instead of butter, skipped the dried cherries, and stirred in a can of pumpkin puree at the end of cooking time. So, so good!
Jennifer Lassel
I tried it with plain almond milk instead of dairy milk…seems to be taking a long time to simmer down…smells delish!
elizabethranger
I <3 brown rice pudding too, thank you so much for heralding it's awesomeness on your blog! I made some in the woods recently with almost the exact same recipe, except with coconut milk instead of regular and it was dee-lish.
cara
I made this last night and it is yummy but it is very soupy, not thick and creamy like i imagined it would be. is this the way it is supposed to be or did i do something wrong? i did everything as directed exc did not add dried fruit.
joythebaker
you can just cook it longer for a thicker consistency.
Theresa @ Two Much Fun
This was, WAS, fantastic! I had a lot of leftover brown rice from the night before and scoured the internet for something yummy. I’m so glad that I came across your website. My 2 1/2 year old son loved this! How could he not? It’s creamy and delicious. Sure little man you can have another dessert (hee her- he’s eating healthy). Thank you so very much!
Brenda
I have leftover brown rice, fridged for a few days. I’ll try it from last paragraph and see what happens.
Christin
Thanks for a nice brown rice version!! I’m thinking about adding an egg for some protein- what do you think? Would it be weird?
Pricila Hernandez
I am making a vegan version of this right now…I am using soy and almond milk….there is nothing this bowl of pudding can not fix!
<333
emmycooks
Just made this recipe and it smelled (and tasted!) so good that we had to just go ahead and eat it for dinner. Thanks for dinner! :)
On The Stove
Thanks for the recipe….but some notes….I did exclude cherries/dried fruit as it wasn’t on hand, and the recipe isn’t sweet or spicy enough. I usually am the one to cut down sugar and salt. In this case I doubled the sugars and spices; (I also doubled the recipe in both cases). The interesting thing about the recipe is to see how real pudding is made, and how it gets that way from the milk thickening up. I have some cooking right now, and I’m sure it will be good. The problem is that since all of this is so much better then you can buy, you eat more of it. It’s hard to ration it. I smell the spices now.
Katie
I’m so happy you made a rice pudding recipe for brown rice! This looks so good, I’m going to make it right now! Then I’ll have to look around here some more :)
Lindsey
This is probably a stupid question but do you soak the rice in water or the milk? I would think water but just want to make sure!
joythebaker
the rice is cooked in water, then cooked in milk. does that answer your question?
Lindsey
Kind of :o) I just saw in the comments that people had suggested soaking the rice before cooking so I was wondering what they soaked it in. I guess since you had great results without the soaking it isn’t necessary! I can’t wait to try it!
sush
Ah, I just finished making this and it was delicious~ ?
Terry
I’m livin’ la vida loca!! I made the fried apple cakes for breakfast and now this for supper!!! Fantástico!!
HayleyB
yum, yum, yum, I am so going to make this. In fact, I may just go and make it now :)
krissypoo
Oh yeah, this recipe is going to help me get through the winter and the 14lb.bag of organic brown rice I bought at Costco. cardamom? milk? sweet creamy goodness? yum….
OrganicSoulChef
So happy I stumbled upon your site. Just finished making the rice pudding and Ms. Joy all I have to say is that IT IS SLAMMIN’! I made a few minor adjustments due to ingredients I had on hand, but it’s exactly what I envisioned the rice pudding needing to be when I thought about making it for my 16-month old bouncing baby boy. And he gives it 2 thumbs up!
Dora
Wow! That is a perfect brown rice pudding recipe! I soaked the rice beforehand as suggested, and it came out soft and creamy. And the sweetness was the perfect. I didn’t have vanilla or cardamom on hand, but it still tasted delicious–I’d like to try the complete recipe as well. Your recipe index looks outrageous! Can’t wait to try more.
Kara
I am so excited to try this! I have tons of brown rice and milk to use and was wondering if this was a possibility. I LOVE rice pudding and will be making this tomorrow!!
amanda
MMmm, I made this last night and it was SO good. I swapped in a can of coconut cream (not cream of coconut, which has sugar added in) and a handful of chopped, dried apricots too. On top some raw sugar and walnuts and it was heaven. Thanks!
Kathleen
Well, I’ve never been to your blog before tonight, but after seeing this recipe and some of your lovely – and very delicious-looking – photos, I think I’m hooked!
…going to bookmark it now :)
jenn @ cook or be eaten
Ooh, i have some brown rice at home that i need to use up. Btw, if you want your rice to be softer, if you soak your rice for a couple hours to overnight before cooking it, it makes a big difference in the consistency of the rice. If you do it for a long time, about 6 hours or more its as soft as white rice, but still has the nutty flavor.
joythebaker
awesome suggestion jenn! thanks!
Hannah Mauck
This was perfectly delicious! I absolutely loved it. And my kids scarfed it all up. It was perfectly thick and creamy. Thank-you!
Mariko
I was wondering if this was possible. Thank you! Now I can justify eating the whole pot.
msmeanie
That looks amazing! I love the fact that you use the more wholesome brown rice. Great idea. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Dolce
I made it this week-end :) Loved it !!! Though I am not such a huge cinnamon person so I think next time I might reduce the cinnamon amount.
Did you know that in Asturias (Spain) they add a teaspoon of anisette in their rice pudding? You don’t really taste it but it gives a different edge to it :)
morgana
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I love rice pudding and this must be highly adictive. Amazing recipe and amazing photos too.
claudia silbert
Sorry; I almost forgot.
You mentioned that Easy-Bake oven which I too longed for but never had. However, I did have a Betty Crocker baking set some time around 1956. It came with little cake mixes and little cake pans; you would add some liquid and bake it in the oven. It was way way cool.
claudia silbert
Fantastic website; I made your brown butter corn muffins this morning and my husband is passing out with delight. Am really looking forward to trying your other recipes as I am muy sympatico with your butter, sugar etc. philosophy; not for eating like that all day, but for those various times when we need something special. Thanks for the hard work.
Kay
I just made this and it is delicious! I used skim milk and stevia rather than sugar and it came out really well still.
It's a Hoot!
I will DEFINITELY be making this at some point this week! My dad and I have worked for YEARS looking for a rice pudding recipe that actually ends up thick. We haven’t found one yet. Yours looks amazing though! So, I’m going to make some and surprise him with a bowl. Thanks, Joy!
Tammy
Hi Joy!
Another awesome-looking, delicious-sounding recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Btw, have you ever had Thai Black Rice rice pudding…that’s yummy, too…I make it with low-fat (or non-fat?) canned coconut milk and it’s to die for. I warm it up and put bananas on it for breakfast!
Thanks for you and your wonderful blog! Hugs…
Shelly
Oh awesome! A reason to indulge…brown rice makes it healthy so I can totally pig out, right? Oh and what about adding raising soaked in rum. Oh yum!
Theresa
Made it and LOVED it! All I had were raisins on hand so I used that, but next time I will certainly use the cherries. The brown rice is so hearty that it almost felt healthy! :o) Almost…
I’m thinking this will be great for the kids (and me!) on Thanksgiving morning!
Sara
yumness. I can’t say Im a big rice pudding fan, but i do love nutty brown rice, so this may be the exception to the rule!
kickpleat
I’m eating rice pudding this very moment (made some last night with coconut milk) and it’s such a perfect treat. Brown rice sounds good too and very breakfast worthy.
Terresa Wellborn
My mom makes this stuff all the time, except with white rice. She is pretty much anti-health food stuff, including brown rice. But I love her all the same (sigh). She tosses raisins into the mix. (gag)
Hope
I don’t know if I’ve ever had rice pudding but I love rice and I love all things sweet(and all of those ingredients listed)….hmmm I might be making some of that very soon! Thank you!
Heather
OMG…get out of my head! I just cracked open a tub o’ Kozy Shack was thinking it might be time to start making my own rice pudding. And I love brown rice…so nutty and yummy. Have you heard of Pudding on the Rice? It’s like a Baskin Robbins…OF RICE PUDDING. All kinds of different flavors. Amazing! Sorry, I just got waaay to excited about rice pudding. It’s been that kind of day! =)
joythebaker
Pudding on the Rice? Where is this magical place!? Want. Now.
Heather
Tigard, Oregon (it’s just south of Portland). Super Yum! =)
http://www.puddingontherice.com/
Jacqueline
I’ve been to this pudding palace in Bridgeport Village and all I can say is…it made me long for homemade rice pudding…gonna make it with brown rice manana!
Jessanna
Oh my gosh! Are you reading my mind or what!? JUST last night I was thinking to myself how I longed to make my own rice pudding- but had no clue where to start- and then I read this–THANK YOU *Hugs the computer* your wonderful!!
joythebaker
do it up!
Kirsten
Joy, I am so sorry you have lost your sister, best friend, Grandmother, Granddaddy and Aunt DeeDee.
I hope you find solace in knowing they are in a better place. I am certain that when you pass, heaven’s gates will be wide open for you too and there you should find all the happiness you could dream of. And if that includes rice pudding then I hope it also includes a spoon :)
joythebaker
ooh no wait! my sister and my best friend aren’t in heaven! it’s just that i would want them there if i were in heaven…. i’d want it to be a party! with rice pudding of course.
my sister is still kickin’! here’s proof:
https://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/10/laurens-peanut-butter-sandwich-cookies/
Monica
Yummy, and I want to know where you got those beautiful measuring bowls… I.WANT.
joythebaker
anthropologie!
Dani
My daughter’s favorite dessert after cupcakes is rice pudding. I’ll have to make this for her soon. I’ve never tried brown rice plus I’ve always added eggs, so this will be a whole new pudding. Can’t wait!
pity
lovely and delicious, very well done! cheers from london
PhillyGirl
God, how I wanted an Easy Bake oven for Christmas!!! That’s probably why I’m so obsessed with baking now.. all those nights dreaming of the wonderful cakes I would make in those tiny pans.. but, alas, my father said it was dangerous and squashed my dreams until I was old enough to start baking (and doctoring up) those cheap Jiffy brownie mixes (35 cents a box way back in the day)!!
Lauren
This rice pudding looks deeelicious! I’ve made brown rice pudding before with just so-so results, so I’m excited to try your recipe.
Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home
“Don’t ignore the milk or it might boil to furiously and curdle”
Ha! This makes me think of my grandmother who would always set a pot of milk to heat on the stove top, stalk it for a few minutes, get bored, walk away to do some light cleaning (or whatever)while she waited for it, then run back exasperated when she heard the sizzling sound of the milk boiling over the pot. She’s been doing this for years and its become a running joke in our family. She’s so cute… and so is your little bowl of rice pudding :)
joythebaker
aw! you totally made me smile with that story!
Laura
I want chocolate in heaven, but no calories.
I want puppies in heaven, but no accidents on the carpets (clouds?).
I want mounds and mounds of fall leaves that we can jump into, no raking required!
Rice pudding reminds me of my grandmother. :) I need to give her a call this afternoon now….thanks!
Maryam
One more thing… Joy, how would you make this with regular white rice? Any major changes?
Can’t wait to make it!
joythebaker
yes! regular white rice is a different beast.. here’s a kick ass recipe!
https://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/01/vanilla-bean-rice-pudding/
Maryam
Did anyone else notice the Freudian slip??
Note: When served cold, the brown rice has a bit of a bite to it. I like it cold as much as I do warm, but be warmed that cold brown rice pudding will be just a tad more work for your jaw.
I think what Joy is really trying to say is that this should only be enjoyed Warm(ed).
joythebaker
oops. hahahaa! thanks maryam!
Kate D
Darn it, Joy. You made me cry…thinking ’bout all your people up in heaven eating rice pudding made me think about all my people up there, too.
Kylie of Thin Crust Deep Dish
I wish I were at home with this on the stove and me about to eat it, instead of just sitting at work dreaming about how lovely and warm that bowl would be in my hands. Oh, how I love rice pudding. Especially with plumped up dried fruit. Oh, yum.
Hanna
Oooh, I just made this! I had a bit of trouble of getting it to set right, so its not as thick as it prob should be. Still good. Oh, and it doesn’t say when to add the butter, so I just added it while putting the milk together. Tastes good.
This recipe reminded me of a place in NYC called Rice to Riches, where the only thing they sell is awesome rice puddings. They have the craziest flavors, but it tastes amazing and the store is mad cute. Worth pricyness.
joythebaker
wow! you must have run to the kitchen to try this. awesome!
you’re right… this rice pudding takes longer to set than a basmati rice pudding. brown rice is a bit more stubborn.
i also forgot to mention when you add the butter. balls…. i’m sorry! i just finished the pudding with the butter… when it was just about finished thickening i threw in butter. yum.
Mel
I just found your blog a few weeks ago, and I’m completely hooked. Your recipes always look great, but your commentary is my favorite part. I smiled lots while reading your thoughts about heaven. Thanks so much for the yummy recipes and great stories!
Food Fascination
YUM. I can’t wait to make this!!!
Elizabeth
I’d love to try this recipe! My family doesn’t eat a lot of rice, brown or otherwise, and this might be a great way to start! Thanks mucho!
Julie
Can’t wait to try this recipe! We eat lots of brown rice here and I love rice pudding, so this seems like a great marriage!
Allie Zirkle
And I must say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I can view 100% of your post in Reader without having to click through. This guaruntees that I will read your ENTIRE post instead of clicking on to something else (that is probably lame in comparison). :)
And this is why I continue to love your blog Joy!! Great recipes, such joy in your words, such amazing writing skills… You ROCK Joy
PS- Your photography skills continue to amaze me. You take such gorgeous photos…
Allie
joythebaker
thanks for clicking through to comment even though you get 100% in my reader!
Shush-mi
My mum makes a delicious indian rice pudding. Its thick and creamy and flavoured with cardomom. apart from raisins it has flaked almonds scattered across the top too…yum!
Gala
Wow I never had brown rice rice pudding, I bet it’s great! Will have to try this.
Dolce
Nice! I was actually looking for a brunch recipe for this week-end. You made my day!
Erica from Cooking for Seven
Rice pudding is such a lovely treat. A few weeks ago, my married sister came over and baked us a pan of it — delicious! If I remember correctly, she used brown rice.
Your rice pudding looks scrumptious. Very clever and beautiful photos.
brandi
delicious! I love swapping things to make desserts a bit healthier without ruining the integrity of the dish.
I made a “rice pudding” one time with barley and it worked beautifully! A bit different texture, but delicious.
joythebaker
barley sounds like a great idea! love it.
Julie
I love rice pudding! This looks delicious. Oh, and I totally used to ponder whether or not they’d have Barbie cars in heaven — you know, those hot pink PowerWheels convertibles? Oh yeah!
Jenny
Must try this, it sounds divine.
Jen-
Oooh, tasty! Did this become breakfast too? I love “checking my work” the next morning and substituting breakfast. Mmmm.
Rebecca
My dad loves rice pudding, I have to try this out this weekend. I will let you know how it goes. Sounds like it will be yummy yummy goodness!
Frenchie
Joy, I knew I liked you the first time I read your blog. So I started browsing through and came across treats like pumpkin spice pancakes,honey whole wheat pound cake, and now THIS. You might not know this about me (since you don’t know anything about me) but rice pudding is my absolute favorite. Variations of classic rice pudding only make me happier, but the thing I give you the most credit for is your choice of cranberries rather than raisins. If I didn’t have three papers to write today, I would be making it right this second.
joythebaker
would i still get that same awesome credit if i told you those were dried cherries and not cranberries?
Lynda
Oh yum! I love rice pudding & this recipe sounds healthy and delish – a great combination in my book :) Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Greg
Mmmmm, rice pudding is one of my favorites (tapioca being another), and I love brown rice. The combo is great and not QUITE as bad for you as using plain white rice :)
joythebaker
yes! and using lowfat milk would be even closer to healthy!
Phoo-D
This sounds terrific for a cold winter morning breakfast. I always like eating brown rice but what a great idea to use it for rice pudding!
S
Am curious at the use of salt while cooking the rice? Will it not curdle with the use of milk?
In traditional Indian varieties of sweet, rice preparations =’payasams’/’kheer’ rice is cooked without salt, then added to the recipes involving milk, jaggery, coconut milk etc.
Thanks!
joythebaker
salt will not curdle the milk. in this recipe i used salt in the water i used to boil the rice. the salt help the flavor the rice a bit. that water is drained and then the cooked (and salted) rice is added to the warmed and seasoned milk.
When Pigs Fly
Yum. And, I love brown rice. Will have to try this. I like the idea of making a bunch and putting it in different containers for microwaving each morning.
Jen @ MaplenCornbread
Joy this is so incredible!!! I love rice pudding and making it with whole grain rice and the cranberries for this season is such an awesome idea!!
Liz Brooks
Looks delish! I love mechanical pencils too, and also medium point felt tips. Just love that smooth line-I’m a dork!
Estela @ Weekly Bite
Rice pudding is my all time favorite!
liz
What kind of rice would you use for this? I think I’ve seen brown basmati and brown risotto rice, but not brown short grain (pudding) rice. I’ve got a multigrain risotto mix though – white arborio, spelt and barley – would that work?
joythebaker
hmmm.. lots of different fancy brown rices? i just used a whole grain brown rice. does that make sense?
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
Brown rice makes it healthy! :)
Alicia
mmmm that looks delicious – I am a definite fan of rice pudding.
Jade @ No Longer 25
I made rice pudding recently and divided it up into little tupperware pots to have for breakfasts – I just zap them in the microwave and eat them on the way to work – perfect for a cold, frosty morning!
I was saying to my boyfriend, I wonder if this would work with brown rice? I used semi-skimmed milk and a little less sugar to make it healthier than the dessert version in which I use cream – but brown rice would be more healthy – even better excuse to eat rice pudding for breakfast!
Thanks – I’ll have to try this soon.
Jade