Equipment
Ingredients
Pudding Base
- 100 g pudding rice
- 50 g caster sugar
- 700 ml whole milk, cold
- 100 ml heavy cream, cold
- 25 g unsalted butter, diced into small cubes
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g salt
The Skin
- 1 whole nutmeg, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 381 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 42 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 180 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 59 mg
- Potassium
- 279 mg
- Calcium
- 218 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 26 mg
- Phosphorus
- 188 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 226 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.37 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 12 mcg
- Water
- 174 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C or 300°F. Generously grease the interior of your 1.5-liter baking dish with a small amount of extra butter.
Place the pudding rice, caster sugar, salt, and vanilla extract directly into the greased baking dish.
Pour the cold whole milk and heavy cream into the baking dish. Stir everything together gently to ensure the rice and sugar are evenly distributed across the bottom of the dish.
Grate a generous, even layer of fresh nutmeg over the entire surface of the liquid. Drop the small cubes of unsalted butter evenly across the top. Do not stir the mixture once the nutmeg and butter are added.
Carefully transfer the dish to the middle rack of the oven. Bake undisturbed for 2 hours. It is crucial that you do not stir the pudding during this time, as resting allows the classic brown skin to form.
Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Chef's Notes
- The hallmark of a traditional British baked rice pudding is the skin. It is formed by the coagulation of milk proteins and the caramelization of milk sugars. Never stir the pudding once it is in the oven, or you will destroy this delicate layer.
- Using a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream guarantees a luxurious mouthfeel, but replacing the cream with an equal volume of whole milk still produces an excellent, albeit slightly lighter, dessert.
- For the best aroma and flavor, strictly use whole nutmeg grated directly over the dish. Pre-ground nutmeg loses its volatile oils quickly and tends to taste dusty in comparison.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store covered. The brown skin will soften significantly upon refrigeration.
Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave or in a low oven. Add a splash of fresh milk to restore creaminess.
Troubleshooting
Rice is still hard and chalky after 2 hours of baking.
Cause: Oven temperature was slightly too low or the rice used was very old and dehydrated.
Fix: Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from burning, pour 50ml of hot milk down the side of the dish under the skin, and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
Prevention: Ensure oven is properly calibrated with an internal thermometer and use fresh pudding rice.
The skin burned and turned black before the rice finished cooking.
Cause: The baking dish was placed too high in the oven or the oven temperature was too hot.
Fix: Carefully peel off and discard the burnt skin. The pudding beneath should still be edible, though it will lack the signature crust.
Prevention: Always bake on the middle rack and double-check oven calibration.
Cultural Context
Baked rice pudding is a quintessential British comfort food with roots extending back to the Tudor period. Originally an expensive dish reserved for the wealthy due to the cost of imported rice and spices, the slow-baked version, celebrated for its caramelized milk skin, eventually became a beloved, nostalgic staple in school cafeterias and family Sunday roasts across the UK.
