A delicious way to make creamy Eggnog Rice Pudding over the holidays. With a little bit of patience (and eggnog), you'll have the BEST Christmas eggnog dessert ever.
This is an easy leftover eggnog creamy rice pudding recipe made using uncooked rice on the stovetop, making it super convenient and pretty simple to make. The only dessert easier AND quicker to make with eggnog is Eggnog Mug Cake!
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⭐️ Why This Recipe is the best
- It's the perfect leftover eggnog recipe! This is a delicious way to use eggnog, sometimes we just can't drink it all.
- Doubles as a Christmas eggnog breakfast recipe (I don't judge) AND an eggnog dessert!
- Easy to make! This is made in one pot on the stovetop and is simple to whip up.
- Almost all of the ingredients are pantry staples that you already have in your kitchen, except for the eggnog.
- HOMEMADE PUDDING. Need I say more?? It's so divinely luscious!
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Short Grain Rice - short grain is best for rice pudding because of its texture when cooked. Arborio rice or sushi rice works best. Sushi rice isn't very expensive and is pretty easy to find in the Asian food section of grocery stores.
- White Granulated Sugar - is used as a sweetener. Less is used in this recipe because quite a bit of sweetness is added in the eggnog.
- Egg - used as a thickener and also to make the pudding creamy and rich!
- Milk - used with water to cook the rice to add even more creamy richness to the pudding.
- Vanilla Extract - absolutely necessary and honestly adds a flavor lift to any eggnog recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions
- If you don't have short grain rice, long grain white rice will work. Brown rice or minute rice is not recommended for a direct substitution because different liquid quantities would be needed.
- If you don't enjoy eggnog, you can replace the eggnog with heavy cream.
- Don't replace the short-grain white rice directly with brown rice or minute rice. Different liquid levels and cook times are needed for those and the recipe will not turn out correctly.
🆒 Variations
- Serve with cinnamon or nutmeg sprinkled on top for a little extra pop of flavor.
- Raisins, dried cranberries, or even fresh strawberries are delicious on top!
- Swap out the vanilla for ½ teaspoon of almond extract for a slightly amaretto flavor. It's amazing!
🧑🍳 Instructions
This is a simple stovetop version of how to make eggnog rice pudding, I'll walk you through the process step by step.
Step 1. In a medium/large pan, combine the rice, sugar, salt, water, and milk over low heat and whisk together until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Step 2. While the rice is cooking, whisk together the eggnog and the egg well so there are no small pieces of egg left. You could also pulse in a blender a few times.
PRO TIP: When the rice is finished cooking, taste test a few grains and make sure it is completely soft BEFORE adding the eggnog and egg mixture. It's a lot harder to finish cooking the rice when those are added in!
Note: There will still be runny liquid left when the rice is finished cooking, this is the base for the pudding.
Step 3. Remove the rice from heat and stir in the vanilla. Then stir constantly and slowly pour the eggnog mixture into the rice while stirring. This helps prevent the egg cooking and curdling in the hot pudding.
Step 4. Return the eggnog rice pudding to low heat and stir while cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture thickens.
The pudding will thicken more as it cools so be patient! Remove from heat and cool.
Serve the eggnog rice pudding warm or chilled with a little bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top for a rich, festive holiday eggnog treat. It's one of our favorite Christmas desserts (or breakfasts, don't judge) along with Cranberry Orange Almond Cake.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Short-grain rice is best, like Arborio or sushi rice. medium grain white rice works as well. Brown rice or instant rice would require different liquid levels and cook times than this recipe calls for.
Refrigerate: After cooling, transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
If the pudding is cooled down to room temperature and still runny, it may mean it wasn't cooked long enough.
Try returning to low heat and simmering another 5-7 minutes while stirring, and cool again.
Pudding thickens more as it cools, and even more when refrigerated, so be patient!
Make sure the correct rice is used as called for in this recipe, different varieties of rice need different amounts of liquid to cook.
Eggs make pudding creamy and rich, as well as act as a natural thickener in this pudding recipe. Eggs make a rich smooth texture in pudding much like my Baked Banana Pie or Pistachio Custard Pie.
Rice pudding will keep covered and refrigerated for about 4 days.
Yes, but it can cause the texture of the rice to be softer or more mushy, and the milk can separate a little. Mixing the pudding well once thawed can help restore the creamy texture.
🎄 More Easy Christmas Treat Recipes
📝 Printable Recipe
Eggnog Rice Pudding
Equipment
- 1 medium cooking pot
- 1 whisk
- 1 measuring cup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup short grain rice, uncooked (155 g)
- ½ cup white granulated sugar (105 g)
- 2 cups water
- 1¾ cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup eggnog
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional: cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg for toppings
Instructions
- In a medium/large sized pan over medium heat combine rice, sugar, water, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- While rice is cooking whisk together eggnog and egg very well, so that there are no egg pieces left and mixture is smooth. Can also be pulsed in the blender a few times.
- When rice is finished cooking, test a few grains to ensure they are soft and fully cooked. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Next, stir constantly and slowly pour in the eggnog mixture while stirring until fully combined.
- Return to low heat on the stove and cook until mixture is thickened, 3-5 minutes.The pudding will thicken more as it cools, so be patient! Serve warm or chilled with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
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