This Slow Cooker Rice Pudding is creamy, comforting and one of the easiest family desserts you can make. Just mix everything together and let it cook gently on LOW for 3-4 hours while the slow cooker does almost all the work.
This is the comforting dessert you need for busy days. It takes about 2 minutes to get everything into the slow cooker, then I can forget about dessert while getting on with dinner and everything else that seems to happen at that time of day.
The low, slow cooking gives the pudding rice plenty of time to soften while the pudding turns super creamy. Serve it warm with a spoonful of jam for an old-fashioned British pudding, or add stewed fruit, chocolate sauce or whatever toppings your family likes.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 6 August 2023 and was fully retested in September 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
If you are looking for another hands-off dessert, try our slow cooker chocolate cake too.
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Jump to:
- Why You'll Love It
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Can I Make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Oat Milk?
- What is the Best Rice for Slow Cooker Rice Pudding?
- Do You Need to Rinse Pudding Rice?
- How to Make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
- How Do You Know When Rice Pudding is Cooked?
- Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage and Reheating
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More British Dessert Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You'll Love It
- Almost hands-off - Mix everything together, turn the slow cooker on and let it do the work. Perfect when the oven is already being used for dinner.
- Just 2 minutes of prep - There is no complicated preparation and hardly any washing up.
- A family favourite - Warm, creamy rice pudding is simple comfort food and everyone can add their own toppings.
- Budget friendly - Pudding rice and milk are inexpensive store-cupboard basics.
- Easy to adapt - Keep it classic with jam or add fruit, chocolate, spices or nuts.
Recipe Overview
- Prep time: 2 minutes
- Cook time: 3-4 hours
- Setting: LOW
- Serves: 6
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Main ingredient: Pudding rice
- Best for: Easy family dessert
- Texture: Soft, thick and creamy
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pudding rice - This is the best rice for slow cooker rice pudding. Pudding rice is a short-grain rice that releases starch as it cooks, which helps give the pudding its soft and creamy texture.
- Whole milk - Whole milk gives the creamiest result. You can use a lower-fat milk, although the finished pudding won't be quite as rich.
- Coconut milk - We add full-fat, canned coconut milk for extra creaminess.
- Caster sugar - Rice pudding does need some sweetness, but you can adjust the amount slightly depending on your preference. Brown sugar can also be used for a deeper, slightly caramel-like flavour.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla gives a lovely warmth to the pudding. Use vanilla extract rather than vanilla essence if possible.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter. A little is also useful for greasing the slow cooker bowl to help prevent the rice pudding from sticking around the edges.
More ways to adapt this recipe can be found in the Variations section below.
Can I Make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding with Oat Milk?
You can swap the dairy milk for an unsweetened plant-based milk such as oat or almond milk, although the finished texture and cooking time can vary depending on the brand.
For a completely dairy-free or vegan rice pudding, remember to replace the butter with a plant-based alternative too.
What is the Best Rice for Slow Cooker Rice Pudding?
Pudding rice is the best choice for this recipe because its short grains soften well during slow cooking and release starch to create that classic creamy texture.
Arborio rice is the best substitute if you cannot find pudding rice. It is another short-grain, starchy rice and works well in creamy dishes, although the texture may be slightly different and it may need a little longer to soften.
I wouldn't choose basmati or another long-grain rice for this recipe if you can avoid it. They don't give quite the same creamy, traditional rice-pudding texture.
Do You Need to Rinse Pudding Rice?
I don't find it necessary for this recipe. The starch from the rice helps thicken the pudding as it cooks.
If the instructions on your particular packet tell you to rinse it, you can give it a quick rinse and drain it thoroughly before adding it to the slow cooker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
- Lightly grease the slow cooker bowl with a little of the butter.
- Add the pudding rice, milk, coconut milk, remaining butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract to the slow cooker.
- Stir everything together well so the rice is evenly distributed.
- Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, until the rice is tender and the pudding is creamy.
- Give everything a really good stir before serving. The rice pudding can still look slightly loose when you first lift the lid, but stirring brings everything together and it will continue to thicken as it stands.
All slow cookers cook slightly differently, so start checking the rice towards the lower end of the cooking time the first time you make it.
How Do You Know When Rice Pudding is Cooked?
The most reliable test is simply to taste a little of the rice.
It should be completely tender with no hard or chalky centre, but the grains shouldn't have disappeared into a completely mushy mixture either.
The liquid should look creamy rather than watery. Don't worry if it looks a little looser than you want when you first switch off the slow cooker. Give it a thorough stir and leave it for a few minutes, as rice pudding thickens as it stands.
If your rice is still firm after 3 hours, continue cooking and check it again after another 20-30 minutes.
Variations
One of the reasons rice pudding is such a great family dessert is that the basic recipe can be changed in lots of ways.
For a chocolate rice pudding, add 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder along with the other ingredients. You can also replace a little of the milk with chocolate milk.
For extra warmth, add a little ground cinnamon or nutmeg. This is especially good during autumn and winter.
Swap the caster sugar for light brown sugar for more of a caramel flavour.
You can also stir in raisins or sultanas towards the end of cooking, or add some finely grated orange or lemon zest for a fresher flavour.
Serving Suggestions
The easiest way to serve slow cooker rice pudding is with a generous spoonful of jam. That's always popular in our house because everyone can choose their own favourite.
For something fruitier, spoon our cinnamon stewed apples over the top. The soft cinnamon apples are especially good with warm rice pudding on a cold evening.
Our stewed plums are another lovely option, as their slightly tart flavour balances the creamy pudding really well.
For berries, try a spoonful of strawberry puree or our quick chia seed jam.
If you are firmly in the chocolate-dessert camp, drizzle over some easy chocolate sauce or add a few chocolate chips while the pudding is still warm.
Other easy topping ideas include:
- Raspberry or strawberry jam
- Marmalade
- Fresh berries
- Chopped nuts
- Raisins or dried cranberries
- Biscoff spread
- Nutella
- Lemon curd
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- A little cream
Prefer a traditional oven version? Try our classic rice pudding, or for something a little different, try our coconut rice pudding.
Storage and Reheating
Because this recipe contains cooked rice, it is important to cool and store leftovers carefully.
Store: Cool leftover rice pudding quickly, ideally within one hour, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Cooked rice should be eaten within 24 hours.
Freeze: If you want to keep it for longer, cool it quickly and freeze it in individual portions. This also makes it easier to defrost only what you need.
Defrost: Defrost frozen rice pudding thoroughly in the fridge.
Reheat: Rice pudding becomes much thicker when chilled, so stir through a splash of milk before reheating. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through and only reheat cooked rice once.
You can also eat properly chilled rice pudding cold.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rice is still hard | Your slow cooker may run cooler or the rice may need longer | Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes at a time until tender |
| Rice pudding is too thin | It may simply need longer or may not have been stirred yet | Stir well and leave it to stand for a few minutes. If the rice is still firm, continue cooking |
| Rice pudding is too thick | The rice has absorbed more liquid or the pudding has stood for a while | Stir through a splash of warm milk until it reaches your preferred consistency |
| Rice has turned mushy | It has cooked for too long | Start checking earlier next time, particularly if your slow cooker runs hot |
| Pudding is sticking around the edges | The slow cooker bowl wasn't greased or the cooker runs hot | Grease the bowl well and check the pudding earlier next time |
| Pudding thickens after cooling | The rice continues to absorb liquid as it stands | This is normal. Stir in a little milk before serving or reheating |
Dannii's Top Tips
- Cook this recipe on LOW for the best creamy texture.
- Grease the slow cooker bowl before adding the ingredients to help prevent sticking.
- Slow cookers vary, so check the rice towards the lower end of the cooking time the first time you make it.
- Give the pudding a really good stir before deciding whether it is too thin.
- It will continue to thicken as it stands and will become much thicker once chilled.
- Add a splash of warm milk if you need to loosen the consistency.
- Arborio rice can be used if you can't find pudding rice.
- For extra richness, stir through a little cream just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and it is one of my favourite ways to make it because there is so little hands-on time. Everything cooks gently together on LOW, leaving you free to get on with the rest of dinner.
Our slow cooker rice pudding takes approximately 3-4 hours on LOW. Slow cookers vary considerably, so use the texture of the rice rather than the clock alone to decide when it is ready.
This recipe has been developed for the LOW setting, which gives the rice time to soften gently and creates a creamier texture. I recommend sticking with LOW rather than trying to speed it up.
Yes. Arborio rice is a good substitute because it is also a starchy short-grain rice. It may take slightly longer to become completely tender, so use the cooking time as a guide.
I wouldn't recommend it with this recipe. It only needs around 3-4 hours on LOW, so leaving it cooking overnight would be far too long and is likely to give you very soft, mushy rice.
First, give it a really good stir. It often looks much more liquid when the lid first comes off than it does once everything has been mixed together. It will also thicken as it stands. If the rice itself is still firm, cook it for another 20-30 minutes before checking again.
Rice pudding is still a dessert, so I prefer not to label it as a health food. Making it yourself does mean you know exactly what is going into it and you can adjust the sweetness to suit your family's tastes. As written, one serving is approximately 302 calories, although nutritional information will vary depending on the brands and substitutions used.
More British Dessert Recipes
If you've tried this slow cooker rice pudding recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Creamy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 150 g (¾ cups) of Pudding rice
- 750 ml (3 cups) of Milk
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) of Coconut milk - full-fat; canned
- 2 tablespoons of Butter - melted
- 60 g (½ cup) of Caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly grease the slow cooker bowl with a little of the 2 tablespoons of Butter.
- Add 150 g of Pudding rice, 750 ml of Milk, 300 ml of Coconut milk, remaining butter, 60 g of Caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract- to the slow cooker.
- Stir everything together well so the rice is evenly distributed.
- Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 3-4 hours, until the rice is tender and the pudding is creamy.
- Give everything a really good stir before serving. The rice pudding can still look slightly loose when you first lift the lid, but stirring brings everything together and it will continue to thicken as it stands.
Recipe Notes
- Cook this recipe on LOW for the best creamy texture.
- Grease the slow cooker bowl before adding the ingredients to help prevent sticking.
- Slow cookers vary, so check the rice towards the lower end of the cooking time the first time you make it.
- Give the pudding a really good stir before deciding whether it is too thin.
- It will continue to thicken as it stands and will become much thicker once chilled.
- Add a splash of warm milk if you need to loosen the consistency.
- Arborio rice can be used if you can't find pudding rice.
- For extra richness, stir through a little cream just before serving.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Sharon Armstrong says
I havent made this yet, I was wondering the difference between Aborio rice and pudding rice.
3 and half cups of rice, sounds like a lot.
Sharon Armstrong says
I just weighed 1 cup of Aborio rice and its approx 150 grams , I I think your 7 cups is incorrect.
Dannii Martin says
Sorry about this - it's because we weigh everything in grams and the programme we use automatically changes it to cups and it's an error on their end. I have manually changed it now.
dana says
Rice pudding is a fave of mine! I can't wait to try this. Super nostalgic treat for me!
Tracy says
This was so easy to make and delicious! The whole family loved it and I loved how simple it was!
Suja md says
I just love this and this was such a pleasing experience!
Kathleen says
Simple ingredients and simple to make this rice pudding is sure to be a hit in my house. I'm also considering using chocolate milk like you suggested. Yum!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe that has become a staple in my dessert repertoire. The Slow Cooker Rice Pudding brings back fond memories while creating new ones with its comforting and delightful flavors. It's a true keeper!
Julia says
Followed the recipe to a ‘’T”! Perfectly smooth and velvety texture! So good!
Liz says
This was so yummy! I'll definitely be making it again!
Ned says
I love rice pudding but don't have a ton of time to make it. Cooking this in the instant pot made it happen on my busy schedule. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Kate says
We loved this one so much Dannii! Wow so good. Just the perfect comforting dessert!
Ali says
I love rice pudding and was so excited to try this recipe. It turned out amazing! And making it in the slow cooker was so easy, will be using this recipe again for sure!
Sangeetha says
Absolutely loved this Slow Cooker Rice Pudding recipe! It's the ultimate comfort dessert made effortlessly. Plus, the versatility to customize with different toppings is a fantastic touch. It's a real family favorite that brings everyone together, and the fact that it's budget-friendly is a huge bonus. Thanks for sharing this gem of a recipe!
Beth Sachs says
Our favourite comfort food pudding and perfect for chilly evenings.
Alison Corey says
Thank you for sharing this culinary masterpiece that has redefined the art of dessert-making. A heartfelt toast to the beauty of simplicity, comfort, and the magic of slow cooking!