Southern Baked Rice Pudding

This rich and creamy baked Southern rice pudding recipe is a classic dessert in the South. Each bite includes tender raisins with pops of cinnamon and sweet vanilla.

This rich and comforting dessert and I can assure you that anyone who likes rice pudding will love this old-fashioned recipe too.

What is rice pudding?

Why bake rice pudding?

Baking this dish only requires stirring once or twice (depending on if you are using cooked or uncooked rice), versus frequent stirring if made on the stovetop.  But what I love most of all about baked rice pudding is that it develops a wonderful custard and transforms into a rich and comforting dessert. This pudding would be served at dinner for dessert and any leftovers could be re-served for breakfast. True comfort food. I’m sure Mama Reed would be proud to know we’re still loving it today.

Check out some of my other delicious pudding recipes like Homemade Banana Pudding, Fruit Salad With Vanilla Pudding, Easy Bread Pudding, Vanilla Wafer Pudding With Pineapple, Homemade Choc Pudding, and Frozen Pudding Cups.

Recipe Ingredients

• White rice
• Eggs
• Whole milk
• Granulated sugar
• Salt
• Raisins
• Ground cinnamon
• Vanilla extract

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Whisk
• Mixing Bowl
• 9×13 Baking Dish

 

How to Make Southern Baked Rice Pudding

First off… cook up your rice. It will be added later in the recipe.

Then crack eggs into a large bowl and beat well with a whisk.

Stir in sugar.

Add milk to the eggs and sugar. 

Stir.

Add vanilla and ground cinnamon to the mixing bowl next.

Add raisins, then stir in the rice.

Stir it up until it looks like this.

Pour the mixture for the southern baked rice pudding into a casserole dish or 9×13 baking pan, which has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the dish into a rimmed baking sheet or baking pan and pour an inch or so of water into the pan.

This is our water bath!

Scoop and serve in fancy schmancy crystal glass wear or even better…regular cups or bowls will do!

Devour.

Storage

• Store leftover rice pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can enjoy it cold or reheat it either in the oven or the microwave. You might want to mix in a touch more milk to make it more pliable and prevent it from drying out too.
• Now, you can freeze the rice pudding in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. However, please note that once thawed, the pudding won’t have the same consistency or texture. If you do freeze it, you can reheat it as mentioned above.

Southern Rice Pudding Recipe Variations

Here are some easy changes you can make to this baked rice pudding recipe:

• Use a combination of milk and half and half, cream, or evaporated milk for an even creamier dish.
• For a lighter dish, use a combination of milk and boiling water instead.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and/or ground cardamom for extra flavor.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.
• Feel free to omit the raisins or swap them for other dried fruit, like cranberries, craisins, chopped dates, blueberries, chopped apricots, cherries, or golden raisins.
• Another option is swapping them for chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
• For vegan rice pudding, use your preferred plant-based milk alternative, like coconut milk or almond milk.
• For chocolate rice pudding, add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder.

Recipe FAQs

What type of rice is best for rice pudding?

Rice pudding is typically made with long-grain white rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, or arborio rice.

Do I have to cook the rice for pudding?

No, you don’t have to cook the rice for the southern baked rice pudding. I do so the dish doesn’t take as long to bake. You can add in uncooked rice but it will just take longer to make; potentially another 30 minutes to an hour or so. Make sure you stir more often too.  

How to make Paula Deen’s rice pudding?

Paula Deen’s rice pudding is a very similar recipe. However, she uses a combination of milk and half and half, and she adds a pinch of ground nutmeg. 

What to serve with rice pudding?

Baked rice pudding can be served for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. It’s a perfect main dish as is. But if you like, you can enjoy it with a little something extra. This might be a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, or a side of your favorite fresh berries.