Old Fashioned Slow Cooker Rice Pudding (Creamy, Easy, 5-Minute Prep)

This old fashioned slow cooker rice pudding is rich, creamy, and impossibly easy — just 5 minutes to prep, then your crockpot does the rest. It’s made with Arborio rice, warm spices, and a simple egg-tempering trick that gives it that thick, custard-style creaminess you remember. Set it on LOW for 3.5–4 hours, walk away, and come back to one of the best comfort food desserts you’ll ever make.

This easy family recipe only takes 5 minutes to put together, and 3 hr and 45 minutes to bake in your slow cooker. Your gang will definitely ask for seconds, so make sure you double the recipe! (and since this is one of the cheapest desserts to make, you know that it’s gone be easy on the pocketbook, too!)

originally published on March 9, 2018 and republished January 20, 2021. Updated on January 26, 2023.

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The smell of the cinnamon, vanilla and creamy pudding while it’s baking are out of this world, just sayin…

I think slow cooker anything is the perfect way to cook on the weekends.  Kind of a fix it and forget about it, if you know what I mean!  And I do use my slow cooker a lot – as you know from some of my recipes!

Everything from cheesecake to pulled pork, yes indeedy.  Does anyone say ‘yes indeedy’ anymore?  Oh well, just my country gal slang I guess.  Here are some of my favorite slow-cooker recipes!

• BBQ Pulled Pork Shoulder
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Harvey Wallbanger Cake

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I’ll be honest — rice pudding wasn’t always my thing. My mom’s version was cold and sticky, and the diner version looked like it had been sitting under glass for days. But when my sweetie asked me to make it, I found a slow cooker version that changed my mind completely.

• Feeds a crowd and doubles easily
• Just 5 minutes of prep — your slow cooker does the rest
• Made with Arborio rice for that thick, custard-style creaminess
• Warm spices, plump raisins, pure old-fashioned comfort

Tips for making this recipe

The texture of this recipe is creamy like my Panettone Bread Pudding Recipe {Instant Pot} but there are big differences between the two!

• If you’re not a fan of adding lots of raisins, you can opt for some fresh berries instead. I like the texture of plump raisins but some people don’t.
• The first time you take a bite of this easy rice pudding, you’re going to find it to be a comforting dessert. If you want to add a little milk to thin it out, you totally can!

How to make slow cooker rice pudding:

So with all of the ingredients in hand, I set out to put together this awesome old fashioned rice pudding with raisins recipe. 

Now this recipe uses whole milk.  You can swap that out for cream, half and half (half milk half cream) some recipes use coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk too.  But we’re not getting fancy today.  Just plain old fashioned rice pudding.  OK?

INGREDIENTS FOR SLOW COOKER RICE PUDDING

• Arborio rice
• Sugar
• Cream or whole milk (3%)
• Egg yolks (Tip: freeze the whites for later!)
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Raisins or dried cherries, cranberries or blueberries (your choice!)

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING

⚠️ Important: Use the LOW setting only. This recipe is cooked on LOW the entire time — not HIGH. HIGH heat will cook the rice too fast and can cause the eggs to curdle when added. Cook on LOW for 3.5 to 4 hours for the rice phase, then LOW for an additional 15 minutes after adding the egg mixture.

Step One: Add ingredients to the slow cooker

Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour in the Arborio rice, milk, and sugar. Cover and cook on LOW for 3.5 to 4 hours, stirring once every hour, until the rice is very soft and slightly mushy.

Step Two: Whisk the eggs

When that’s done, whisk the eggs together with a ½ cup of the hot rice mixture.  This is called tempering the eggs.

Step Three: Add back to the slow cooker

Then slowly mix this back into the slow cooker rice mixture.  You need to be careful here, since we don’t want scrambled eggs in our old fashioned rice pudding!

Step Four: Add raisins

Then you can add the raisins (or if you choose dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries!), vanilla, cinnamon.

Step Five: Final Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for another 15 minutes, or until the pudding reaches your desired creaminess. It will thicken further as it cools.

Helpful Tips for Creamy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

Does rice pudding get thicker as it cools?

Yes, this pudding rice will thicken as it cools. When it gets to room temperature, this slow-cooker rice pudding recipe will be pretty thick in consistency.

What toppings would pair well with the crockpot rice pudding recipe?

You can easily turn this into a sweet treat, just by adding toppings that will go a long way in flavor. I love adding orange zest and fresh fruit to this easy slow cooker rice pudding recipe.

You can also add brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cup raisins, tasty coconut shreds, and even a thin layer of honey right on top. By adding toppings, you can easily make this one of your favorite dessert recipes that the whole family will love.

How do I store leftovers of this delicious pudding?

This creamy dessert needs to cool quickly and then be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge. For the best results, eat within 1-2 days of storage.

What type of rice is best for rice pudding?

Arborio rice is the secret to this recipe’s creamy, thick texture. It’s a short-grain Italian rice with a high starch content — the same rice used for risotto — and that starch is exactly what gives this pudding its signature richness. You’ll find it in most grocery stores near the pasta or specialty grains. Do not substitute long-grain rice here; it won’t give you the same creamy result.

Troubleshooting Your Rice Pudding

Why is my rice pudding too thin?

The pudding thickens significantly as it cools — give it 20–30 minutes at room temperature before adding more milk or deciding it’s too thin. If it’s genuinely too thin after cooling, your slow cooker may run a little cool; try an extra 20–30 minutes on LOW next time, or reduce the milk by ¼ cup.

Why is my rice pudding too thick?

Stir in a splash of warm whole milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you like. This is easiest to do while it’s still warm.

I got scrambled egg bits — what went wrong?

This happens when the eggs are added too quickly to too-hot mixture, or the slow cooker is set too high. Make sure you’re tempering properly: whisk the egg yolks first, then slowly ladle in ½ cup of the hot rice mixture while whisking constantly. Then add that egg mixture slowly back into the slow cooker, stirring as you go. Never dump it in all at once. See the video for a step-by-step demo of this.

My rice isn’t tender after 4 hours — what do I do?

All slow cookers run a little differently. If the rice still has bite at the 4-hour mark, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes on LOW, then check again. Make sure you’re using Arborio rice, not long-grain — long-grain takes longer and won’t get the same creamy texture.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes! Double all ingredients and use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. The cook time stays roughly the same (3.5–4 hours on LOW), but start checking at 3.5 hours. You may need an extra 15–20 minutes for the larger volume. Definitely double it — this one disappears fast.

And that’s it!  We love this warm, but it’s just as good cold, as it retains an overall creaminess both ways. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. 🙂

Enjoy.

More Easy Desserts

• The Best Lemon Brownies (Easy Cake Mix Recipe)
• The Best Apple Dessert Recipes
• Glazed Bisquick Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Easy Family Favorite!)

Want more Slow Cooker Dessert recipes?

I also made a short video that I thought you might enjoy showing the process of how to make your own slow cooker old fashioned rice pudding step by step.  But it’s so easy to do, you get one of your kids to make it for family supper!

And they say if you don’t ask you don’t get, so if you loved this post, please feel free to share it with your friends on Pinterest!  Cause they love great recipes just like you do!