Name: Creamy Rice Pudding (No Egg!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 5 cups whole milk (divided); 1 cup heavy cream; ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup arborio rice; 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

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Learn how to make creamy rice pudding without eggs using our simple to follow recipe. Delicious rice pudding made with pantry staples!

A close-up view of the stove-top dessert in a bowl.

Rice pudding has to be one of my favorite childhood desserts. It wasn’t something we made at home. Usually, I ate it when we went to eat at chain cafeteria restaurants. That’s right, chain cafeteria restaurants.

Places like Luby’s and Wyatt’s were popular when I was kid and we ate there from time to time.

Now, is this rice pudding as good as I remembered? I would say it’s even better! I adore this sweetened rice because it’s flavored with vanilla (one of my favorite spices).

Best of all, it’s made no eggs. Kim used Arborio rice to create this treat, so you know it’s creamy. It’s the same rice we use for our Mushroom risotto and Parmesan risotto.

Looking for other rice recipes? Give our coconut jasmine rice recipe a try.

Why use Arborio rice?

Let’s clear this up from the start. Long grain white rice, jasmine rice, and arborio rice are not the same, and you really should use Arborio rice for rice pudding. Arborio rice has a higher starch content making the pudding thicker and creamier.

The grains plump nicely and give you a little more surface area than long grain rice. In my opinion it’s the best option when making risotto, rice pudding, and any rice dish where you want a creamy texture.

If you use a different type of rice, you’ll likely need eggs to help thicken the pudding.

How to make stove top rice pudding without eggs

First, place a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour in 4 ½ cups of milk along with the heavy cream and granulated sugar.

While stirring, heat the mixture until it begins to steam and the sugar has dissolved.

Milk, heavy cream, and other ingredients in a saucepan.

Next, stir in the rice and reduce the heat to low. Let the rice cook for about 60 minutes. However, you’ll need to stir the rice every 5 minutes or so to keep it from sticking.

Then, once the rice is tender and creamy, remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract added to the rice and dairy mixture.

Last, just before serving, stir the remaining ½ cup of milk. Garnish with fresh ground cinnamon or nutmeg and serve.

That’s it, your stovetop rice pudding without eggs is done! Kim and I hope you enjoy it and wish you all the best 🙂

The rice pudding has cooked and is ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

Do NOT bring the cream and milk mixture to a boil or it will separate.
For people interested in making no milk, no egg rice pudding, consider using cream of coconut in place of the heavy cream and coconut milk in place of the dairy milk.
Keep an eye on the dessert as it cooks. Similar to working with risotto, you don’t want to leave this dish unattended. Otherwise, it could stick and burn.
The use of raisins in this recipe is optional. If you want them plump and softened, then I recommend adding them at the beginning to give the fruit time to rehydrate.
For the best texture, make sure to use full-fat dairy. It will give you a creamier finish than 2% or low fat.

How do you thicken rice pudding without eggs?

You have two options. The first option is to use a cornstarch slurry. However, I don’t care for this process.

Option number two is use Arborio rice from the start and omit the eggs. This variety of rice is used in risottos and it’s great for absorbing liquids. Additionally, has a natural creaminess that standard white rice just can’t copy.

How long does rice pudding last?

When properly stored, in a sealed container, in your fridge it should hold for about 3 days.

The finished pudding topped with ground cinnamon.

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