My grandmother raised 7 children and most of the time she did so as a single mother. Money was tight. Back then rice was a common staple that was used in a ton of different recipes. Grandma used rice to make different side dishes, as an ingredient in one of her soups or stews, and it was often cooked up and served as a dessert.
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Back in the good old days you had to cook white rice for 20-30 minutes to get it nice and soft. Fast forward a few decades and now you have instant rice which saves you time in the kitchen. From start to finish this recipe will take you less than 30 minutes to make. If you’re not a fan of raisins you can totally omit them which I often do.
Here’s a tip: If you’re using imitation vanilla extract then use the 1/2 teaspoon as called for in the recipe. If you’re using high-quality, pure vanilla extract you may want to decrease that to 1/4 teaspoon. I found that a 1/2 teaspoon was a tad too strong when using pure vanilla extract. Everyone has different taste buds, so taste it before you add the full 1/2 teaspoon.
Grandma’s Old-Fashion Rice Pudding Recipe
1 cup instant white rice
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plump, juicy raisins
2 medium eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
In a medium sized saucepan combine rice, 2 cups of milk, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, granulated sugar, and raisins. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, boil slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix eggs in a large measuring cup with the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Slowly add to the hot mixture, stirring vigorously with a spoon. Continue to cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract, heat for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving warm or refrigerate it if you prefer it cold.
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My grandmother used to make rice pudding using regular rice. It is nice to have a recipe using instant rice.
This is very much like the rice pudding that I loved as a kid. My mom made it frequently without using a recipe. It is nice to now have a recipe for it.
I remember my grandmother making this. I forgot how much I loved it. I will be making some. Thank you for the memory.
I have never made rice pudding. I’ve eaten it before though. I like it with raisins. Good tip about the vanilla – that’s why I buy the good stuff, not imitation.