Short-grain rice simmered slowly in vanilla milk with a strip of lemon peel until the grains are soft and the pudding is thick and creamy. Germans eat it warm as a sweet meal or dessert, classically topped with cinnamon sugar and a spoonful of cherries or applesauce. Makes 5 servings in about 50 minutes.
Prep5 min
Cook40 min
Cooling5 min
Total
50 min
Servings
5
DietGluten free
Ingredients
Adjust yield
servings
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
4 ¼ cups (1000 ml)whole milk
7 oz (200 g)short-grain rice, pudding rice or arborio, unrinsed
Put the whole milk, granulated sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla bean seeds, then add the pod and the lemon peel.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring so the milk does not scorch, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the short-grain rice, return to a gentle boil, then turn the heat to the lowest setting.
Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer very gently, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the rice is soft and the pudding is thick and creamy, 30 to 35 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, remove the vanilla pod and lemon peel, and stir in the butter. Let stand 5 minutes; it will thicken further.
For the topping, mix the granulated sugar with the ground cinnamon.
Serve the milchreis warm in bowls, sprinkled with the cinnamon sugar.
Tips
Use a heavy pan and the lowest heat; milk rice burns easily on the bottom.
Do not rinse the rice; its surface starch makes the pudding creamy.
If it gets too thick before the rice is tender, stir in a splash of hot milk.
Good with vanilla black tea.
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How long does it take to make milchreis (german rice pudding)?
Plan on 5 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking, plus 5 minutes to rest. The recipe makes 5 servings.
How should I store milchreis (german rice pudding)?
Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days; eat cold or reheat with a splash of milk.
Can I make milchreis (german rice pudding) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Can I use a different form of vanilla?
Yes. This recipe uses 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise. Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.
Serve it with vanilla black tea.
Variations
Individual dessert cups: chill in five 6-oz (175 ml) cups for 2 hours and top each with 2 tbsp (30 g) sour cherry compote.
With applesauce: replace the cinnamon sugar with 1 cup (250 g) warm applesauce dusted with cinnamon.
Cold and creamy: fold 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, whipped, into the cooled pudding before chilling.
Raisin version: stir in 1/3 cup (50 g) raisins for the last 10 minutes of simmering.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 5 servings this recipe makes.
351Calories / serving
9.5gFat
56.8gCarbs
9.3gProtein
25.6gSugar
Whole recipe (5 servings):
~1755 cal ·
48g fat ·
284g carbs ·
47g protein ·
128g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Recipe Rating
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