Instant Pot Rice Pudding
A creamy Instant Pot rice pudding made with whole milk, butter and sugar. Low-pressure cooking gives the rice a soft, spoonable texture without constant stirring.
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 200 g pudding rice unrinsed, Arborio works well too
- 600 ml whole milk
- 100 ml water
- 80 g granulated or caster sugar
- 25 g unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- Ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg to serve, optional
- Jam to serve, optional
Instructions
- Add the pudding rice, milk, water, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt to a 5.7-litre/6-quart Instant Pot. Stir thoroughly and spread the rice evenly across the base.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on Low Pressure for 12 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure. Do not use an immediate quick release.
- Open the lid and stir thoroughly, scraping across the base of the pot. Leave the pudding uncovered for 5–10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until creamy.
- If the pudding is thicker than desired, stir in additional milk, 50 ml at a time.
- Serve warm with nutmeg or cinnamon and a spoonful of jam, if using.
Notes
Variations and Substitutions
- Spiced rice pudding: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom before pressure cooking. Nutmeg is better grated over the finished pudding.
- Orange and vanilla: Add two broad strips of orange zest before cooking, avoiding the bitter white pith. Remove them before serving.
- Raisin rice pudding: Stir 75 g raisins into the cooked pudding while it stands. This softens them without allowing them to catch on the base.
- Jam-topped: Serve each bowl with strawberry, raspberry, blackberry or another slightly tart jam to balance the sweet milk.
- Rice substitution: Arborio or another short-grain white rice can replace pudding rice in the same quantity. Avoid long-grain and instant rice because they produce a different consistency.
- Sweetness: Begin with 80 g sugar. For a sweeter pudding, stir additional sugar into the hot pudding after cooking; brown sugar can be used for a deeper, lightly caramelised flavour.