Our Favorite Rice Pudding Recipes, With A Gourmet Twist
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Updated August 2026 August 9th is National Rice Pudding Day. Cold and creamy, rice pudding is fine hot-weather fare and great year-round comfort food. It can also be glamorous! Here are six ways to raise your rice pudding recipe to fine-restaurant status. Try all of them to decide what you think makes the best rice pudding recipe. (Can we see a rice pudding party on the horizon?) TIP: You can find great rice pudding in 15 flavors at from Rice To Riches. See photo #6 below. Below: > Turn Plain Jane rice pudding to Glamour Girl. Elsewhere on The Nibble: > The history of rice pudding. > The different types of rice. > The year’s 17 pudding and custard holidays. It’s easy to turn a plate dish or rice pudding into an elegant dessert. 1. Spirits: Soak the raisins in Armagnac, Grand Marnier, or other favorite liqueur. 2. Other Dried Fruits: Think beyond raisins: Create a medley of small dried fruits that includes raisins as well as dried blueberries, cherries, cranberries, currants and sultanas (golden raisins). Coconut, plain or toasted, is another favorite but it works better as a garnish than mixed into the pudding. 3. Specialty Rice: Try a different rice such as elegant, long-grained basmati and jasmine or short, oval, arborio (used for risotto). 4. Coconut Milk: Use coconut milk with black rice or red rice for a Thai rice pudding. 5. Chocolate: Stir chocolate chips into chilled rice pudding, or garnish with chocolate shavings or a shard of chocolate bark. 6.Nut Garnishes: From pistachios to spiced nuts to a sweet-and-salty mix, consider nuts the “protein” element.. 7.Other Garnishes: See the wealth of ideas in the footnote* below. 8. Serveware: Serve the pudding in a Martini glass or other glam dessert dish. |
 [1] If you haven’t made rice pudding lately, try the gourmet twists below. Here’s a simple garnish you likely have on hand: a cinnamon stick and some whipped cream.
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 [6] Rice pudding lovers must make a pilgrimage to Rice To Riches in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. There are 15+ fabulous flavors every day. Several are sold online. In photo: caramel, chocolate, and coconut flavors (photo © Rice To Riches | The Nibble). ________________ >Fruits Beyond Fresh Berries: caramelized banana slices with a touch of rum, fresh fig slices with a honey drizzle, diced dried fruit mix marinated in liqueur or rum, toasted coconut flakes. > International Flair: chopped or whole pistachios with candied rose petals or a dab of rose syrup (Persian), dulce de leche with toasted almonds (Latin American), matcha powder with black sesame seeds (Japanese), toasted sesame seeds with a drizzle of tahini (Middle Eastern). > Nuts & Seeds: candied pecans or walnuts with maple syrup (recipe), mixed salted nuts, spiced pumpkin seeds (check out Superseedz), and for the holidays, chopped plain or candied chestnuts with dried cranberries (you can also substitute dried cranberries for the raisins in the rice pudding recipe). > Sweet & Spicy: apple chips with cinnamon sugar, shards of chocolate bark with sea salt or chile flakes, chopped dates with a sprinkle of cardamom, poached figs or plums with star anise, shortbread cookie with lavender honey, whipped cream with chai spice or five spices (recipes). > Textural Contrasts: crushed amaretti, gingersnap, or meringue cookies; candied orange peel (recipe); crushed honeycomb or sesame candy pieces; toasted brioche crumbs. CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM. |
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