Slow-Baked Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding with Blueberry Compote

Jump to Recipe

When I went to college, I realized that I could live out my childhood dream of eating dessert for dinner! I bought tubs of Kozy Shack chocolate pudding and rice pudding and ate it for dinner, and quickly gained my “freshman 15”! Those were the days. Kozy Shack sets the bar for rice pudding in my book, and it’s a unicorn I’ve been chasing for a long time. 

When I first started experimenting with making homemade rice pudding, I quickly realized that the traditional recipes are a little arduous. You have to find that sweet spot where it’s simmering without boiling, and then stir it and babysit it for 45 minutes. I also experimented with an Instant Pot version, but it came too liquidy. 

I got the lightbulb for this recipe from Ina Garten’s oven-baked risotto recipe. I figured, if you can bake risotto, why not rice pudding? 

My recipe bakes the rice pudding low and slow, stirring every 20 minutes, until it is heavenly creamy and decadent. My favorite kinds of recipes are low effort and high reward, and this is a great example. You can opt to make the extremely optional and easy blueberry compote, which can later be used on yogurt and pancakes throughout the week! 

For a cinnamon raisin rice pudding, add ⅓ cup of raisins along with the other ingredients before cooking. 

What makes this recipe enchanting:

• It's a cozy and comforting dessert

• It can be eaten hot or cold

• It's mostly hands off and a great recipe for beginners!

More comforting cold-weather recipes:

• Spicy Perfect Hot Chocolate

• Honey Vanilla Polenta Porridge with Cherry Sauce

• Baked Gnocchi with Velvet Elvis Vodka Sauce

---

Slow-Baked Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding:

Serves 4 

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

• ⅔ arborio rice 

• 2 ½ cups whole milk

• 1 ¾ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup white sugar

• 1 vanilla bean pod or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Freshly grated nutmeg, about ½ teaspoon (optional) 

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. 

3. In a Dutch oven, add the melted butter and the remaining ingredients. Whisk to combine.

4. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Stir every 20 minutes with a spatula, scraping the bottom, to make sure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom. 

5. Allow to cool until warm, and then ladle into serving bowls. For leftovers that have been refrigerated, stir in a little milk if it has become too thick. 

Blueberry Compote:

• About 10-oz. of frozen blueberries 

• 3 tablespoons water 

• ¼ cup white sugar 

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with cold water 

• ½ a lemon’s juice 

Directions: 

1. Add the blueberries, water, and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and the berries are bursting.

2. Add the cornstarch water and allow to cook and bubble until thickened to your liking. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.