Rice pudding is one of those creamy desserts you can find in many countries and variations. The traditional Greek rizogalo (rice with milk) pudding is made with medium-grain rice, water, milk and cornstarch in a pot until it gets nice and creamy. It is served warm or cold with a touch of ground cinnamon. Personally, I can’t resist having a bowl while it’s still warm, but on a warm summer day, it’s also great cool straight out of the fridge. So let’s get started!
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Why you should try my recipe
- An easy dessert that requires no special skills.
- Stays fresh in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
- You can eat it warm or cold.
- Serving suggestions to elevate this simple rice pudding dessert.
Ingredients & How-to
The main ingredients for this Greek rice pudding dessert are rice, water, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, cornstarch and optionally some ground cinnamon to serve. I’m using medium grain rice like calrose rice, or arborio or carolina that are high in starch and sticky when cooked.
01. To start, I put the water in a pot with a pinch of salt and turn the heat to medium-high. While I’m waiting for the water to boil, I rinse the rice very well. I like to add the rice to a bowl filled with water and then change the water 2-3 times until it starts to be more clear.
02. Now, I add the rice to the boiling water and lower the heat. I let it cook until the rice has absorbed most of the water. Make sure you stir with a wooden spoon as it can get easily stick to the bottom.
03. Then, I add the sugar to the pot and the milk, keeping half a cup aside for the cornstarch. I stir a little bit to help the sugar dissolve and leave it to simmer until we start seeing bubbles.
04. I put the remaining milk in a bowl and add the cornstarch and the vanilla extract. I stir well to dissolve the cornstarch.
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Buy On Amazon05. When the milk has started boiling in the pot, it’s time to add the cornstarch. I keep stirring with a whisk or a wooden spoon until the rice pudding becomes creamy. Don’t worry if it’s a bit watery as it will continue to thicken in the bowl while it’s still hot.
06. I place the rizogalo into individual bowls while it’s still hot and set it aside to cool down. Then I sprinkle some ground cinnamon and put it in the fridge.
Tips
- You could use any medium or short grain rice you like calrose, arborio, carolina rice.
- Cook the rice with the water in medium-low heat until the rice is cooked.
- The rice will continue to cook and the cream to thicken in the bowls.
Substitutions
- You could use a dairy-free milk alternative that it’s ok with heat for a vegan rizogalo.
- You could add some orange or lemon zest for some extra aroma.
- For a less sweet rice pudding, you could add half the sugar.
Serving suggestions
Traditionally, we serve this Greek rice pudding with just a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Some other ideas for serving rizogalo are with some berries on top, or with a spoonful of your favorite jam, or with some sour cherries in syrup.
Although most people like the rice pudding cold, straight out of the fridge, I must admit that I love having a bowl while it’s still warm. Either way, I’m sure you are going to love it!
Storage
This recipe for Greek rice pudding yields about 6 bowls depending on the size. After you put the rizogalo in the bowls, leave it to cool down a bit and then store it in the fridge. It can last in the fridge for five to seven days.
FAQ
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What is rizogalo made of? Greek rizogalo is made of rice, milk, sugar and cornstarch for a creamy result. You will find no eggs in this Greek rice pudding recipe. For some extra aroma and flavor, you could add some vanilla and orange or lemon zest.
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Is rice pudding easy to make? Rice pudding is really easy to make and doesn’t require any special cooking skills. All you need is a pot and a wooden spoon for stirring. You first cook the rice with water and then add the rest of the ingredients in until you have a creamy pudding.
Watch the video
Greek Rice Pudding - Rizogalo
Who can resist a creamy bowl of this classic rice pudding dessert, or rizogalo as we call it in Greek. Whether you enjoy it warm or chilled, topped with cinnamon or fruit, rice pudding is the ultimate comfort food that never fails to hit the spot. Enjoy!
6 servings
5 minutes
Ingredients
- ¾ cup medium or short-grain rice
- 3 cups water
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon for decoration (optional)
Instructions
- Add the water to a pot over medium-low heat and bring to a boil. Rinse the rice well and add to the pot with a pinch of salt.
- Let it cook until the water is almost absorbed by the rice, for about 15 minutes.
- Add the sugar and 3 ½ cups of milk to the pot.
- Stir everything and let it simmer in medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
- In the remaining ½ cup of milk, add the cornstarch and vanilla extract. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- When the milk starts bubbling, add the cornstarch mixture to the pot.
- Keep stirring to prevent the rice pudding from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the rice pudding thickens and becomes creamy.
- Turn off the heat and transfer to individual bowls.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- You could use whole milk or low fat or a dairy-free alternative of your choice.
- Some rice varieties that I like to use are, calrose, greek carolina rice and arborio rice.
- You could adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- Instead of cinnamon, you could serve it with some fresh berries or a jam or some sour cherries.
Storage
When the rice pudding cools down, store it in the fridge and consume within 5-7 days.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
