The Instant Pot makes a supremely rich and creamy rice pudding with a practically hands off method. This is the easiest rice pudding I’ve ever made, and the result is sheer perfection.
Rice pudding in the Instant Pot!
I’ve been a rice pudding lover all my life, I come from a family of rice pudding lovers, so trust me when I tell you this recipe is a game changer, and it’s the only way I will make rice pudding from now on. Why would I do it any other way?
If you’ve been following me you might know that I have a ‘thing’ for Instant Pot risotto. It takes 6 minutes (hands off!) and is the best risotto ever. I make it all the time, in all kinds of variations and ‘flavors’. So when I wanted to share a rice pudding recipe with you guys, the first thing that popped into my head was ‘wonder if I could do it in the Instant Pot?’
what you’ll need to make rice pudding in your Instant Pot
- Arborio rice ~ a starchy Italian short grain rice, used in risottos. For this recipe you will need this particular rice, and you will find it with the other rices in any grocery store.
- milk
- sugar
- egg yolks
- cream
- cinnamon stick
- vanilla bean or paste ~ vanilla beans are crazy expensive right now, so vanilla bean paste makes a lot of sense. You can find it here.
- salt
method for making Instant Pot rice pudding
With Instant Pot recipes it’s important to follow instructions exactly for good results. The machine is powerful so even small variations will affect your outcome.
- Add rice, sugar, salt, milk, and cinnamon stick to the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid, turn the pressure release valve to the SEALING position.
- Turn the machine on and press PRESSURE COOK (it will default to HIGH PRESSURE)
- Set time to 10 minutes with the + button.
- When the beeper goes off, do nothing for 10 minutes, then release the pressure by turning the pressure release valve to the VENTING position.
- After the pressure has released, open the pot and stir everything well. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla mixture.
- Stir for a couple of minutes so the egg yolks cook and the pudding thickens.
- Spoon into small serving cups or glasses.
Note: rice pudding solidifies as it cools, so if you want to serve it soft and warm, use the KEEP WARM function on the Instant Pot.
why make rice pudding in the Instant Pot?
There are a few great reasons to do it this way!
First, it’s a virtually hands off method, so no need to stand at the stove babysitting your pudding to make sure it doesn’t scorch or boil over.
In addition, the Instant Pot cooks the rice pudding perfectly evenly so the pudding is creamy and the rice still has a nice chewy bite to it, never mushy!
It does all this in a fraction of the time it takes to make stove top rice pudding. It makes this classic homey dessert doable for any day of the week.
Lastly, you can keep your pudding warm in the IP with the KEEP WARM feature, which is especially nice with rice pudding. I like to pop on my tempered glass lid while keeping warm.
FAQS
No, brown rice won’t create a creamy pudding like Arborio rice does. I recommend Arborio because it is starchy, and cooks up into a beautifully creamy pudding while still retaining a nice chewiness. It’s just perfect.
No, you need to start with raw rice.
Yes, you’ll bring the ingredients in STEP 1 to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan, then turn down the heat and simmer slowly, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed. Then proceed with STEP 6.
You can add raisins or currants, or dried cranberries. Stir them in in STEP 6.
Yes, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave a little longer if it’s not warm enough. This will soften it, too. If needed you can stir in some extra milk or cream to loosen it further.
have you tried my Instant Pot risotto recipes?
The Instant Pot is the BEST way to make risotto, with the same quick and easy results. I would buy the IP again just for this feature!
more creamy desserts
- Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding
- Classic Crème Brûlée
- Salted Caramel Pot de Crème
- Milk Chocolate Mousse Recipe
- Peanut Butter Pie
- Perfect Chocolate Pudding
- Meyer Lemon Pudding (super easy recipe!)
Instant Pot Rice Pudding
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker this is the one I have.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Arborio rice, a starchy Italian short grain rice.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste Buy it here.
Instructions
- Add rice, sugar, salt, milk, and cinnamon stick to the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid, turn the pressure release valve to the SEALING position.
- Turn the machine on and press PRESSURE COOK (it will default to HIGH PRESSURE)
- Set time to 10 minutes with the + BUTTON
- When the beeper goes off, do nothing for 10 minutes, then release the pressure by setting the pressure release valve to the VENTING position.
- After the pressure has released, open the pot and give everything a good stir. Remove the cinnamon stick. Note: it will look thin and lumpy at this point but don't panic!
- Stir in the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla mixture. Stir for a couple of minutes so the egg yolks cook and the pudding thickens. Note: the pudding will still seem a little loose ~ this is good. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Spoon into small serving cups or glasses.
- Serve the pudding right away, or chill it (I like to enjoy it warm!) The pudding will thicken considerably as it chills. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon if you like.
- If you would like to keep the pudding warm, press the KEEP WARM button and replace the cover. You can keep the pudding warm up to 2 hours. Be sure to give it a good stir before serving. Note: my machine's KEEP WARM setting has 3 levels, and I used the middle one, which reads NORMAL.
Cook’s notes
- Be sure to use Arborio rice for this recipe. I have not tested it with other types of rice and you may not have the same results.
- The cinnamon stick gives the pudding a very gentle hint of cinnamon. If you don’t have one, use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or more to taste.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- Recipe is lightly tweaked from The New York Times
Nutrition
16 Comments
Heidi
January 27, 2022 at 6:30 pmDelicious! I doubled the recipe and topped with a simple fresh raspberry sauce. It is an inspiring Instant Pot technique that I bet could work for a tapioca pudding as well. Thank you for the cozy winter time dessert!
Sue Moran
January 28, 2022 at 8:35 amI bought tapioca the other day, was planning to experiment with it 🙂 But honestly the instant pot is genius with rice.
Gina F.
January 8, 2022 at 6:08 pmWow, this was a tasty recipe. I did double the recipe and it turned out well. I did think the pudding was a little bit loose. Next time, I may reduce the milk by a 1/4 cup. I love rice pudding, but it always seems like too much trouble. Not this version, it’s great and worth tweaking to perfection. I’m so grateful I doubled the recipe, I just couldn’t quit sneaking bites of it.
Connie
January 6, 2022 at 4:20 pmThis is a great recipe. Can you double the recipe ?
Sue Moran
January 6, 2022 at 8:08 pmI haven’t tried that Connie, sorry!
Jennifer
January 5, 2022 at 12:06 pmAnother great recipe! I’ve made this recipe twice already and gifted it to a family member who wasn’t feeling well – it’s really a fantastic and easy recipe! One tiny itty bitty tweak… even though all my ingredients were room temp I noticed the first time I made this, tiny bits of egg wouldn’t incorporate (looked similar to lemon zest), which can happen sometimes, so the second go around, I added my egg yolks to the heavy cream and whisked everything together. No egg bits! Thanks again!
Jeri
January 4, 2022 at 5:36 pmI haven’t tried this recipe yet but will soon. I tried another recipe but didn’t like how it turned out. It was too thick.
Sue Moran
January 4, 2022 at 6:17 pmEveryone likes their rice pudding a little differently. I agree with you that a looser, creamy consistency is best. All rice puddings tend to solidfy when chilled, however. You can fix that by stirring in a bit more milk or cream. With this recipe you could use start with 1/2 cup more milk or cream to make a looser result.
Joy
January 4, 2022 at 9:22 amI made this exactly as written and it was amazing Sue! Thanks again for a new family favorite!!
Lynn
January 3, 2022 at 8:40 pmCan I do this recipe in a 3 qt IP?
Sue Moran
January 4, 2022 at 9:08 amI haven’t tried that Lynn, sorry!
Sheri Lane
January 3, 2022 at 1:25 pmI absolutely love this recipe but DON’T DO WHAT I DID!!
I was so excited to get make this so I gathered the ingredients and started the first ingredients in the Instant Pot. When the 10 minute sound went off I rushed over and opened the vent…big mistake, milk sprayed everywhere through the vent. I thought, okay, I must have mis-measured the milk.
After I cleaned up the sprayed milk from everything within a 1 – 2 foot radius of my Instant Pot, I went on to add the yolks and cream…yet another mistake because it wasn’t cooked all the way. Not only was it still liquidy, the rice was also underdone.
Finally I went back and re-read the instructions. “When the beeper goes off, do nothing for 10 minutes”…DOH!!
Anyway, I wasn’t going to throw it out and try again, I went back and forth about do I microwave it to finish it or put the pressure back on the Instant Pot and risk the dreaded BURN alarm? Since it was still in the instant pot I chose pressure it up for 1 minute and let it set even though it will not be quite as creamy from pressure cooking the cream and yolks. Of course the Burn alarm came on (sigh) so I simply turned it off, walked away from it, and ate my lunch.
All was not lost. When I opened it up after lunch it was really thick and only slightly scorched on the bottom. I added a bit more cream to loosen it up a little and we are really enjoying it.
Enough bragging about how smart I am (joke). This is a good reminder for me to calm down and pay closer attention to what I am doing.
I will try again in a week or two, maybe with saffron, cardamom, and pistachios for a Kheer type pudding.
Sue, thank you for another excellent recipe, again, I really love it. You are my go-to for recipes on Pinterest and I am frequently inspired by your daily recipes.
Memee
January 3, 2022 at 10:56 amMy grandmother always made this and added raisins. I like it for breakfast with chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.
Sandy R
January 3, 2022 at 9:34 amWhere Are the stovetop instructions> Am I missing something?
Sue Moran
January 3, 2022 at 9:45 amThat’s in the FAQ section Sandy. I should probably give it its own section: Can I do this on the stove top? Yes, you’ll bring the ingredients in STEP 1 to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan, then turn down the heat and simmer slowly, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender and most of the milk has been absorbed. Then proceed with STEP 6.
Ada Lovelace
January 3, 2022 at 9:45 amThird item listed under the FAQ’S heading.