Here’s the ultimate French rice pudding recipe, sweet and incredibly creamy! Rice pudding (or ‘riz au lait’) is a traditional French dessert, prepared with short-grain rice and milk, infused with vanilla bean. It’s also my all-time favorite dessert!!
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I’ve been obsessed with rice pudding since as far as I can remember. My mom used to prepare it every week on Friday (and still does), and we would eat it right after, while still warm and perfectly creamy. She makes it like no one else, without using a recipe. She just knows how to do it right. She’s literally the queen of ‘riz au lait’!
After over a decade blogging and nearly a thousand recipes on the site, I’m finally tackling the rice pudding challenge! It took me years and years of attempts, until I could recreate my mom’s rice pudding recipe. To me, the perfect French ‘riz au lait’ is sweet but not too sweet, infused with real vanilla bean (forget vanilla extract, please!), with a level of creaminess that is close to heaven. You’ll want to eat it by the spoon directly in the dish!
Why you’ll love French Rice Pudding:
- A rich and super creamy texture
- Perfectly sweetened and infused with vanilla bean
- A timeless French dessert everyone can make!
What makes the BEST French rice pudding?
The perfect French rice pudding is deliciously flavored with vanilla and has a rich, creamy texture. To achieve this result, you’ll need to choose your ingredients carefully: look for whole milk (a must!) and a real vanilla pod (no vanilla extract). Now the ratio between milk and rice is important, and equally important is the cooking time to achieve the desired, creamy texture.
Good to know! Making French rice pudding is a work of love and patience. I recommend you carve some time to make it, staying near the stovetop throughout the entire recipe to have full control over the result. You want it perfect! Stir regularly, look for a rich, creamy texture, and embrace slow-living fully.
The ingredients you need
- Short-grain rice. In France, people usually use “dessert rice” to make rice pudding. Everywhere else in the world, you can use risotto rice for similar results.
- Whole milk. Make yourself a favor and use whole/full-fat milk for this recipe (3,5% fat or more). It really really makes a difference when it comes to the level of creaminess. If you don’t drink whole milk on a regular basis, purchase it just for this specific recipe. I swear you won’t regret it!
- Vanilla bean. The use of real vanilla bean is key to make French ‘riz au lait’. It’s a little pricey, but it really is worth it. Please don’t try to replace with vanilla extract or you’ll end up with a totally different dessert in terms of flavor.
- Sugar. You can use either white granulated sugar or demerara sugar. I like rice pudding sweet but not too sweet. In my opinion, sugar should bring just enough sweetness to enhance the warm vanilla flavors, but free to adjust the amount of sugar according to your personal tastes.
How to make French rice pudding
- Pre-cook the rice in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, and drain.
- Heat the milk, grated vanilla pod and vanilla pod on low-medium heat. When it simmers, add the rice and cook on low, stirring regularly. A thin layer will coat the bottom of the saucepan ; leave as is and do not try to scrape it.
- When the rice becomes tender and much of the liquid is absorbed, add the sugar, and continue cooking until just creamy. The rice should slightly appear on top. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully take out the vanilla pod. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Tips for success
- Use whole milk. I say it again and again: to achieve a perfectly creamy rice pudding, you need full-fat milk (no semi-skimmed milk, no skimmed milk).
- Flavor with vanilla pod. It’s a must for deep, warm vanilla flavor. Do not substitute with vanilla extract, never ever!
- Stir regularly, on low heat, until the perfect level of creaminess is achieved. This takes time, around 45 minutes to an hour. Please don’t rush the process by increasing the heat or the rice will absorb the milk too fast and won’t be creamy as expected.
- Add sugar just a few minutes before the end, while the rice is almost creamy but not there yet. Continue cooking for a few minutes, and stop when just creamy.
Serving suggestions
I personally like my rice pudding plain, without any extra. That’s the best way to experience the vanilla flavor at its full potential. If you want to pimp it up a little, you can serve with orange zest, or a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. My grandma used to do a version with a thick layer of melted dark chocolate on top: amazing!
How to store rice pudding
French rice pudding is the creamiest on the day you make it, served lukewarm or at room temperature. Also, if you want to distribute into ramekins, ladle the rice pudding while still warm.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days. Keep in mind however than when refrigerated, the rice hardens, absorbs more milk, and becomes less creamy. If the pudding is too stiff or thick once cooled, you can thin it with a bit of milk or cream, to bring it to the consistency you like.
More French desserts you’ll love:
- French Teurgoule (Slow-Baked Rice Pudding)
- Best Ever French Chocolate Cake
- Apple Tarte Tatin
- Easy French Crepes
- Canelés de Bordeaux (French Custard Mini Cakes)
French Rice Pudding (Riz au lait)
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: French
Here’s the ultimate French rice pudding recipe, sweet and incredibly creamy! Rice pudding (or ‘riz au lait’) is a traditional French dessert, prepared with short-grain rice, milk and infused with vanilla bean.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
- 180g (6.3 ounces) white short-grain rice (arborio rice)
- 1.5 L (6 ½ cups) whole milk
- 1 vanilla pod
- 90g (½ cup) granulated sugar
Disclaimer: I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml/L for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, bring a large volume of water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Add the rice, and pre-cook the rice for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Pour the milk into the same saucepan. Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise, then use a knife to scrape out the tiny black seeds inside. Add them to the pan together with the bean itself, and heat on low-medium heat. When it simmers, add the pre-cooked rice, and stir. Cook on low, stirring often, until the pudding mixture resembles very loose oatmeal. The rice should become tender and much of the milk is absorbed, (but not creamy yet, i.e. there’s still some liquid left). This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add sugar, stir, and allow to cook for a few more minutes. The rice pudding is ready when the grains appear at the surface and the texture is just about creamy. The rice pudding will thicken as it cools, so keep it loose – it’s key to a perfectly creamy rice pudding! Remove the vanilla pod, and let cool slightly.* Enjoy warm or lukewarm.
Notes
* If you want to distribute the French rice pudding into ramekins, ladle the pudding while still hot.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this French Rice Pudding (Riz au lait), be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
