5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Creamy Spiced Rice Pudding
An effortless, creamy rice pudding made in the slow cooker with just five ingredients — whole milk, short-grain rice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Silky, warmly spiced, and impossibly comforting.
- Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup medium- or short-grain white rice, rinsed
- 4 cups whole milk (or 3 cups whole milk + 1 cup half-and-half for extra richness)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (added at the end of cooking)
Instructions
- Prep the Slow Cooker: Lightly coat the inside of a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with a thin film of butter or neutral oil to prevent sticking.
- Rinse the Rice: Rinse 1 cup of rice under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess surface starch for a creamy (not gummy) pudding.
- Combine in the Slow Cooker: Add rinsed rice to the slow cooker, pour in the milk (or milk and half-and-half), and stir in the sugar and ground cinnamon until evenly distributed.
- Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, stirring every 45–60 minutes if possible. The rice should become very tender and the mixture will gradually thicken. It should look loose but creamy when done — it will thicken more as it cools.
- Add Vanilla: Turn off the slow cooker and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste and adjust sweetness or cinnamon if desired.
- Rest: Let the pudding sit covered for 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of additional milk to loosen.
- Serve or Store: Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir in a bit of cold milk before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Notes
Use medium- or short-grain rice for the creamiest results — long grain stays too firm. Always rinse the rice to remove excess starch. Cook on LOW only; HIGH can scald the milk. The pudding thickens significantly as it cools, so remove from the slow cooker when it’s still slightly looser than desired. For extra richness, swap 1 cup of whole milk for 1 cup of half-and-half. Leftovers keep for up to 4 days refrigerated — stir in milk to loosen before reheating.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 75
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 20
