Creamy Custard-Like Instant Pot Rice Pudding Recipe
A bowl of creamy Rice pudding is the ultimate food or dessert. Once you have tried it, there is no going back. It is creamy, fragment, and surprisingly light on the palette. The subtle sweetness makes it an ideal choice for dinner, especially on winter nights or gloomy days when you are looking for comfort.

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Although it is all about rice, sweet, and milk, it has many different variations in different nations. The true origin is considered as the Middle East, but a few versions of the dish are also found in Asia. Either it is made with different types of rice, milk, and sweetening elements or with different kinds of topping that includes fruits and nuts. Another thing that distinguishes each version is the cooking method as well.
Our recipe has the easiest cooking method and a shortlist of staple ingredients that are always available in your pantry. The recipe itself is perfect, even on its own, but you can customize it. So, let us get to this incredible recipe.
Creamy Custard-Like Instant Pot Rice Pudding
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup Arborio rice rinsed and well-drained
- 2½ cups almond milk divided
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp real vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Add olive oil to Instant Pot and press the “Sauté” button. Adjust heat setting to normal. Add rice and stir until coated in the oil and lightly toasted, approximately 2 minutes.
- Turn Instant Pot off and add 2 cups almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla extra, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Add lid and lock into place. Press the “Manual” button and adjust setting to high. Set cook time to 10 minutes and set the pressure valve to “Sealing.” After a brief pause, the Instant Pot will automatically start building pressure.
- Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the remaining almond milk in a medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
- When the cook time is complete, turn the Instant Pot off to prevent scorching. Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, and then release the remaining pressure manually.
- Unlock and remove lid and transfer one heaping spoonful of the hot rice mixture to the beaten eggs and stir to combine. Repeat with another spoonful of rice before slowly whisking the tempered egg mixture into the Instant Pot.
- Press the “Sauté” button and adjust the heat setting to normal. Stir the mixture continually until the pudding thickens and the egg is thoroughly incorporated approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Turn the Instant Pot off and immediately remove the cooking container to prevent scorching. Allow pudding to cool slightly before serving or transfer to a storage container and press a layer of plastic wrap across the surface before placing in the refrigerator.
- Serve warm or chilled topped with fresh fruit or warm berry compote and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Fresh berries
Whipped cream
Warm berry compote
Ground cinnamon
Real maple syrup
Cinnamon sticks
Nutrition
Serving Ideas for this Instant Pot Rice Pudding
- You can serve the rice pudding either warm or completely chilled, and it depends on your personal preference. We recommended eating it warm for dinner and chilled for the dessert.
- You can top the rice pudding with fresh fruits, dried fruits, or even with nuts. We like to add warm mixed berry compote or jam with a dollop of whipped cream.
- You can sprinkle desiccated coconut and cinnamon powder on the top of the pudding as well.
You Can Also Enjoy these Variations
- Choice of Rice: There are many kinds of rice you can use in a rice pudding. But we recommend short-grained rice like Arborio rice and Bomba rice. You can also use plain white rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice, but they might need a longer time to cook with an extra quantity of milk.
- Choice of Milk: You can use any type of milk from full cream dairy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, and soya milk.
- Choice of Sweetener: You can use any type of sweetening agent like palm sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup, and even brown sugar too. But keep an eye on the quantity. Add gradually substitute sweetener gradually and adjust it after tasting.
- Nuts: Nuts will add a crunchy element to the dish. Feel free to add almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and cashews either halfway through cooking or at the end. You can also use nuts as topping too.
- Dried Fruits: One of the popular add-ons for rice pudding is raisin. People love the sweet and tangy flavor it brings out in every bite. You can also add cranberries and dried apricot too halfway through cooking or at the end.
- Essences: Food is 20 percent taste and 8- percent Aroma. Thus, Vanilla essence adds a different richness and fragrance to the dish. But you can add rose water or rose essence at the end of cooking and sweet fragrance. It surprisingly elevates the dish.
- Spices: By spices, we are not talking about chili or black pepper. By spice, we mean nutmeg and cinnamon. They also help in elevating the dish in taste and fragrance as well. But do remember less is more.
- Dried Rose: You can add dried eatable rose petals. It is a traditional add-on in the Middle East, especially in Egypt.
