Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

If you love a sweet creamy dessert that’s pudding-like in consistency you’re going to enjoy this old-fashioned rice pudding! 

What is Rice Pudding? 

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you know that I’ve got a soft spot for old recipes. 

I’m particularly interested in Depression-era baking. Why? Because ingredients these days are crazy expensive. I groan every time I have to buy butter. Or Crisco. Or vegetable oil. 

It’s kind of nuts, how expensive baking ingredients are these days. But you know what’s not expensive? Rice. And milk. Both of those items are reasonably priced. 

With that in mind, I decided it was time to make a simple rice pudding. I have to confess, I’ve never made this before. But, when perusing “staple” recipes a baker should have in her repertoire I came across this one and knew I had to give it a shot. 

Simple, Old-Fashioned Desserts

You might recall that I’ve stubbornly avoided other old-fashioned desserts my mom used to make. Like bread pudding, for instance. If it looked mushy, I probably wasn’t going to try it. 

Mom passed away five years ago and I’m genuinely regretting saying no to some of the sweet treats she used to offer us. So, I decided to search for a simple recipe for rice pudding online. 

Turns out, they’re all simple. I found this one at Mom on Time Out. I did make a couple of adjustments. Her recipe called for cinnamon sticks and I didn’t have any of those but I my amazing Vietnamese Cinnamon (my go-to for all recipes). 

I’ll tell you more about the process in a minute but let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need to make this recipe. 

Rice Pudding Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. These are very simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. 

• white rice (not instant)
• granulated sugar
• whole milk
• water
• ground cinnamon (plus one cinnamon stick, optional)
• vanilla extract

How to Make this Delicious and Creamy Rice Pudding

This is a truly simple dessert. I can’t believe I haven’t made it until now.

Start by measuring out your ingredients. 

Put everything except the vanilla extract into a heavy medium saucepan. (Note: You can add a cinnamon stick in place of ground cinnamon if you have one.) 

Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. 

Turn down the heat to a very low simmer and set your timer for 35 minutes. Mine took 45 but you’re going to want to check it frequently to make sure it doesn’t stick or form a film on top. If it does, just keep stirring. 

The pudding should be the consistency of a thin oatmeal. 

Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. Add your vanilla extract and stir well. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools, stirring occasionally. 

Scoop into bowls and sprinkle with more ground cinnamon if you like. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay good 3 – 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dish. 

What to Expect from this Pudding

I was blown away by the sweet creamy flavor of this pudding. It reminded me of when I was a kid and mom would serve leftover rice for breakfast with cinnamon and sugar added to it, along with some warm milk. 

I guess, though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was having a variation of rice pudding, even then! 

There was something so warm and cozy about this pudding. I honestly felt like I was back with my mom again, sharing a sweet treat she had prepared for me in their kitchen. 

I’m making a mental list of all of the recipes she tried to share with me that I turned my nose up at. When I get to heaven, maybe I’ll think to apology for being too snooty to try these things. 

Variations on this Recipe

I thought this was absolutely delicious just as it was. I don’t know taht I’ll change a thing. But here are some additions that others have used: 

Golden Raisins: The original recipe called for 2/3 cup golden raisins, stirred in after the heat was turned off. 

Craisins: I think the sweet tartness of Craisins would make them a good substitute for the raisins. 

Chopped pecans: This might be a good option, as well. Definitely add them after cooking the pudding. Maybe toast some and sprinkle them on top. 

Other Depression Era Bakes from Out of the Box Baking

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Old-Fashioned Cobbler with Homemade Pie Crust

Classic Banana Bread with Walnuts

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you’re at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday 

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.