Classic Rice Pudding
A creamy, milk-simmered rice pudding with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon — a gentle, spoonable dessert.
5 · Minced & Moist
Soft, moist, and finely minced into very small pieces that mash easily with light pressure from a fork. Any sauce or gravy should cling rather than separate.
Suitable for anyone who finds food hard to chew or swallow. Graded IDDSI Level 5 (Minced & Moist) — soft, minced & easy to swallow — the texture standard used in dysphagia care and soft diets.
See all texture levelsIngredients
- 4 1/2 cups Whole milk 1,080 mL
- 1/4 cup Granulated sugar 50 g
- Pinch Salt
- 3/4 cup White rice, uncooked Short grain, 135 g
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- To taste Ground cinnamon
Instructions
In a large saucepan, stir together the milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice.
Reduce the heat to low and partially cover. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice is fork-tender and the mixture has thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon to taste. Continue cooking until the desired thickness is reached — the pudding will thicken further as it cools; thin with a bit more milk if it gets too thick.
Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container and serve cold. Top with extra cinnamon if desired.
Serving Tips
Important Guidance
- The raisins a classic rice pudding includes have been left out. Chewy, sticky pieces scattered through a soft pudding are among the riskier textures for swallowing difficulties, and unlike a large vegetable they can't be made safer by cutting them smaller.
- Simmer a little longer than 30 minutes if you'd like the rice grains to break down further and disappear more into the pudding, closer to a Level 4 texture.
- For a fully smooth Level 4, blend the finished pudding until creamy.
- The pudding thickens noticeably as it cools — thin it with a splash of warm milk right before serving if it's gotten too thick to manage easily.
Nutrition Facts
Estimated from the listed ingredients across 6 servings. This is an estimate, not a lab-tested nutrition label.
Dietary Notes
Vegetarian. Not dairy-free as written; a lactose-free or plant-based milk can be substituted. The nutrition figures above are estimated from the ingredients, since the source recipe didn't provide them.