Slow cooker rice pudding
Silky, hands-off slow cooker rice pudding with vanilla, lemon zest and sultanas — creamy comfort you can leave to simmer all day.
This is the ultimate hands-off rice pudding — stir it together in the morning, leave the slow cooker to do the work and come back to silky, set comfort-food. It’s deliberately slightly loose from the cooker because it firms beautifully as it cools.
I use Arborio rice for that naturally creamy, almost risotto-like texture; sultanas and lemon zest brighten the sweet, vanilla-rich base. Serve warm with extra cream or cold with fruit for pudding fans of all persuasions.
Ingredients
- 200 g Arborio rice
- 900 ml whole milk
- 150 ml double cream
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod — split lengthways and seeds scraped
- 25 g unsalted butter — for finishing
- 0 ml salt
- 5 ml lemon zest — finely grated
- 100 g sultanas — optional
- 5 ml ground cinnamon — for dusting
Equipment
- slow cooker (3–4 litre)
- microplane or fine grater
- ladle
Instructions
Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape the seeds out with the back of a knife. Put the seeds and the empty pod to one side.
Tip the Arborio rice into the slow cooker, pour over the whole milk and double cream, then add the caster sugar, salt, lemon zest and sultanas. Stir in the vanilla seeds and the split pod — the pod infuses extra flavour during cooking.
Cover and cook on the slow cooker on high for 1 hour 30 minutes. Keep the lid closed for this period so the temperature stays steady and the rice can soften.
Remove the lid and stir the pudding well, scraping any rice from the sides. Cover again and cook on high for a further 1 hour 30 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the mixture is thick but still slightly pourable — it will firm as it cools.
Remove and discard the empty vanilla pod. Stir in the unsalted butter until melted and glossy, then taste and add a little extra sugar if you prefer it sweeter.
Leave the pudding to cool in the slow cooker for 30 minutes to thicken and settle. This resting time improves the texture.
Spoon into bowls and dust each portion with a little ground cinnamon. Serve warm or chill and serve cold — either way, it's lovely with a spoonful of fruit compote or extra cream.
Tips
- Do not rinse Arborio rice — the surface starch helps create the creamy texture. Rinsing will make it less luxurious.
- Keep the lid closed during each long cook period. Lifting the lid drops the temperature and lengthens cooking time.
- If the pudding is thicker than you’d like when done, stir in extra milk 15–60 ml at a time while still warm.
- Make ahead: refrigerate once cold for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the hob with a splash of milk.
- Freeze leftover portions in airtight tubs for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
Substitutions
vanilla pod → 1 tsp vanilla extract
Stays closedouble cream → replace with a further 150 ml whole milk plus 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold milk (stir in after cooking)
Noticeably differentsultanas → mixed dried fruit or chopped dried apricots (same weight)
Stays closeArborio rice → pudding rice (short-grain) — same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 473
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 64 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 34 g
- Sugar
- 70 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use the slow cooker on low instead of high?
Yes — cook on low for 4–5 hours, checking after 4 hours. Timing varies between machines; check texture rather than relying on the clock.
Can I omit the double cream?
You can use more milk instead, but the pudding will be less rich and creamy. See substitutions for a cornflour trick to thicken if needed.
How should I reheat leftovers?
Gently reheat on the hob in a saucepan over a low heat with a splash of milk, stirring so it loosens without scorching.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — substitute with a rich plant milk (oat or coconut) and a vegan cream alternative; texture will be slightly different.
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