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This creamy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding recipe gives us an indulgent, decadent and oh-so comforting warm dessert that takes just 5 minutes of prep with a few basic ingredients.
I LOVE that this classic Slow Cooker Rice Pudding takes 5 minutes of prep with a few basic ingredients and the rest is hands-off cooking time, leaving my kitchen free to make the main course.
Making homemade rice pudding this way (known as Crock Pot Rice Pudding in the US) is not only convenient… It is cooked slowly to give us a delicious hot dessert that’s creamy with delicately soft pudding rice and a rich vanilla flavour with warming nutmeg. Don’t be tempted to speed things up by cooking it on high as it just won’t work!
We’re using pudding rice, which is a short grain white rice, because it has lots of starch in it, which makes it perfect for thick and creamy puddings. Most supermarkets stock it and it’s usually either with the other rices or in the baking aisle.
Please be aware that different rice brands can absorb different amounts of milk, so you may need to add more to your pudding as it cooks.
If the pudding is left to stand after it’s finished cooking, it will continue to thicken and you may need a splash more milk stirred in then, too.
Why you’ll love this Easy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding recipe
⭐️ Only a few basic ingredients
⭐️ Five minutes to prep
⭐️ Creamy homemade comfort
Sarah’s Notes
Traditional British Rice Pudding takes me right back to my childhood. It’s nostalgic and comforting and still stands the test of time.
It’s along the similar lines to an Apple Crumble or Sticky Toffee Pudding, which can also be made in the slow cooker!
I love to make hearty hot desserts after roast beef with Yorkshire puddings, or a nice big chicken casserole. Yum.
You can customise your own bowl with your favourite toppings – mine has to be jam or golden syrup, but you could go for honey, berries or a sprinkle of sugar. It’s also delicious cold too.
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding Ingredients
- Pudding rice – No need to rinse this. Find it with the rice or baking aisle in the supermarket.
- Double cream – Also known as heavy cream or thickened cream outside of the UK.
- Caster sugar – This is finer than granulated sugar, and if you’re outside of the UK may be called superfine, bar or baker’s sugar.
- Vanilla extract – Extract is far more delicious and much less processed than vanilla essence so do make sure to use it for the best flavour.
- Nutmeg – Grate a little fresh nutmeg if you have it, or use ground nutmeg instead.
- Salt – Just a pinch.
- Milk – I use whole milk because it’s creamier. You could use a dairy alternative if you prefer, but I haven’t tried out quantities with another type so be aware this may need tweaking slightly.
- For serving – Golden syrup, jam, or your favourite topping!
How to make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
1. Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker. Give it a stir and pop the lid on.
2. Cook on LOW as per the full recipe below. Serve immediately.
Leftovers
In the fridge Rice Pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
In the freezer You can also freeze any leftovers once it’s cooled down. The texture may be a little different once thoroughly thawed, but it’ll still be delicious.
If you want to enjoy it hot, add a splash of more milk when reheating and make sure it’s piping hot before serving.
You could also enjoy it cold.
Recipe Tips
Cook on low!
This recipe only works if you cook it on the LOW setting of your slow cooker, so don’t be tempted to try and speed things up by cooking it on high!
Stirring
The Rice Pudding doesn’t need loads of stirring, but I would recommend going in and giving it a stir every hour or so of cooking, which will stop it sticking and allow it to cook evenly.
Consistency
The quantities of milk in this recipe are correct according to my slow cooker, but the heat in yours may differ slightly.
To ensure the correct consistency, keep an eye on it and stir in a little more at a time until you get the desired thickness.
I always keep about 150ml of extra milk handy to add if I need to during the cooking time.
More Slow Cooker Puddings…
FAQs
Yes, it is slightly lighter, smoother and fluffier, in my opinion. The oven kind is delicious but denser, and perhaps richer too. It also gets that golden ‘skin’ on top, whereas that doesn’t happen in the slow cooker (this is either a good or bad thing, depending on your taste!)
The slow cooker version is far easier and more convenient too!
The cooking times in this recipe should work but to be sure it’s fully cooked, you need to make sure the rice is fully tender. If it still has a bite to it, it will need a little longer. Add more milk if you need to.
We are using pudding rice, which is a short grain white rice, because it has lots of starch in it, which makes it perfect for thick and creamy puddings. There’s no need to rinse it.
Most supermarkets stock it and it’s usually either with the other rices or in the baking aisle.
I know some recipes use arborio or risotto rice, which is the most similar to pudding rice, but we haven’t tested this recipe with it, so I can’t be sure of the outcome. If it was my only option? I would still give it a go!
If you want to try it with white rice or basmati, go ahead, but I suspect it would be rather stodgy and gloopy.
It takes between 3-4 hours on the LOW setting in my slow cooker, so only turn it off after the 3-hour mark if it’s at the correct consistency for you (and the rice is nice and soft).
Other than not adding the correct milk quantity, have you allowed it to cool slightly? Rice pudding tends to thicken up as it cools down, so give it a good stir and see if it sets a little to the right thickness.
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Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 150 g (3 cups) Pudding rice, No need to rinse
- 200 ml (1 cup) Double cream (heavy whipping cream (US/CAN) – min 35% fat – or (AUS) thickened cream)
- 50 g (1/4 cup) Caster sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Grated nutmeg, Or ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) Whole milk, See notes
For serving:
- Golden syrup or jam
Instructions
- Ingredients all go in: Put the rice, cream, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt into the slow cooker (crock pot). Add 400ml of the milk (reserving the rest for later, if required. See notes below). Give it a stir and pop the lid on.
- Cook: Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, stirring every hour, or until the rice is tender. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
