Creamy Cinnamon Baked Rice (Printer-friendly)

Slow-cooked creamy baked rice with cinnamon, raisins, and a rich, tender texture that's perfectly comforting.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 2/3 cup short-grain white rice

→ Dairy

02 - 4 cups whole milk
03 - 1/4 cup heavy cream
04 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Sweeteners

05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar

→ Fruit

06 - 1/2 cup raisins

→ Spices & Flavorings

07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Optional Topping

10 - Ground nutmeg, for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
03 - Combine milk, cream, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is steaming without boiling.
04 - Stir in rinsed rice and raisins. Remove from heat, then add vanilla extract.
05 - Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and stir to distribute rice and raisins evenly.
06 - Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake for 55 minutes, stirring gently halfway through.
07 - Remove foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes until pudding thickens and rice is tender.
08 - Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with ground nutmeg if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms pantry staples into something that tastes like it took hours of fussing, but really just needs the oven's patience.
  • The baked method creates a naturally thick, silky pudding without any cornstarch trickery or constant stirring.
  • Raisins soften into tender nuggets of sweetness that feel like little surprises with every bite.
02 -
  • The pudding continues thickening as it cools, so if it seems slightly looser than you'd like when hot, don't panic—it'll firm up beautifully.
  • Stirring halfway through prevents the bottom from cooking faster than the top, which I learned the hard way when I skipped that step.
  • Using short-grain rice genuinely matters here; it's why this tastes creamy rather than grainy, even though there's no cornstarch involved.
03 -
  • Make this the morning of and let it chill all day—the flavor deepens as it sits, and cold pudding is often better than warm, with a spoonable texture that's almost custard-like.
  • If your pudding seems too thick after cooling, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it; if it's too loose, bake uncovered for another 10 minutes before chilling.
Go Back