Southern Rice Pudding

This easy Southern dessert is rich, creamy, and studded with bourbon-soaked raisins and plenty of warm spices.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword easy rice pudding recipe, how to make rice pudding, rice pudding recipe, rice pudding recipe easy, southern rice pudding

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings people

Calories 300kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

½ cup raisins
1 ½ tablespoons bourbon (or sub with orange juice or rum)
4 cups whole milk
1 cup water
1 cup long-grain white rice
½ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
½ cup heavy cream
2 large egg yolks
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (use this 2-ingredient homemade bourbon vanilla extract for the best flavor!)
Optional toppings: additional grated nutmeg; ground cinnamon; whipped cream

In a small bowl, combine the raisins and bourbon. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, rice, sugar, cinnamon stick, salt, grated nutmeg, and ground cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so that the liquid is at a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 40-45 minutes. Stir the pot often, especially towards the end.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Drain off any extra bourbon from the raisins (unless you want a stronger bourbon flavor in your pudding, in which case you can stir that bourbon right into the mixture along with the raisins). Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk the cream mixture into the rice. Stir in the raisins.
Serve immediately, or pour into a bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Serve warm or chilled, and garnish with optional toppings.

- Soak the raisins before adding them to the pudding. This softens them, helps them plump, and adds even more flavor.

- If you like a stronger bourbon flavor in your rice pudding, don't strain the raisins before stirring the raisin-bourbon mixture right into the pot of rice.

- Stir the rice very frequently (especially as it gets closer to the end of the cooking time). This will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching, and will also prevent it from clumping together.

- Garnish each serving with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, a cinnamon stick, a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or some extra bourbon-soaked raisins.

- Serve the rice warm or chilled -- whichever you prefer. If storing the rice to serve later, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
- Recipe adapted from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible