Baked Rice Pudding in Coconut and Cream
Quick answerMakes 8-10 People servings, ready in 90 minutes, cook at 320F / 160C, French cuisine.
Or Very Rich & Creamy Riz Au Lait
I admit that rice pudding was never part of my childhood. It's not that we never had it. We did. But it was horrible. At least, this was the memory I have as a child. It was something bland and sticky that tasted like overcooked white rice with sugar. Not the type of memory you get nostalgic about... Fast forward a few years, I moved to France. And there they have Riz Au Lait, which is basically the same thing — but because it has a French name I decided to give this dish another go and.... I was a changed man! I bring here an oven-baked version of rice pudding. You get a more balanced result after it's spent some time in the oven. The flavor is very rich from the milk, cream, and coconut milk, plus some spices of course.Some Tips For Success:
- Use risotto rice (i.e. Arborio) or a different starchy rice.
- Rice to liquid ratio should be 1 to 4.
- Roasting the spices for 1-2 minutes helps to open up their flavor.
- The lemon zest and orange blossom water give this dish a very delicate taste.
- Feel free to serve it with jam, warm fruit sauce, drunk raisins, or whatever comes to mind.
Method
- 1
Prepping The Liquids & Spices· 8-10 Minutes
Heat the oven to 320F / 160C. Roast the cinnamon and cloves for one minute to release their flavors. Add milk, cream and coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add the vanilla extract, orange blossom water, sugar and lemon zest.
- 2
Baking the rice pudding· 1Hr 15Min
Add the rice to the boiling liquids and stir well for one minute. Close the lid and place in the oven for 70 minutes. Remove from oven, open the lid and add the butter. Stir well and add some milk if needed. Serve warm or cold with cinnamon, honey, jam or whatever come to your mind!
Recipe by
Jaron Kimhi
Jaron Kimhi — self-taught home cook from Tel Aviv, writing and cooking every recipe on this site himself. 20+ years of tinkering in the kitchen, leaning toward slow cooking, classic technique, and honest ingredients.
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Questions & answers
Can I use regular long-grain rice instead of risotto rice?
Stick with risotto rice here — its high starch content is what gives the pudding that thick, creamy texture. Long-grain rice won't break down the same way and you'll end up with a thinner, less luscious result.
Can I make this dairy-free?
The recipe already uses coconut milk, but the other liquids are regular milk and heavy cream, so it's not fully dairy-free as written. Swapping those out isn't covered in this recipe, so go with the original ratios for guaranteed results.
Do I need a specific oven-safe pot with a lid?
Yes — you need something that's both stovetop and oven-safe with a tight-fitting lid, like a Dutch oven or a heavy casserole dish. The lid traps the steam, which is how the rice cooks through in the oven.
Why do I add butter at the end instead of the beginning?
Stirring in the butter after baking gives you a silky, glossy finish right before serving. Adding it earlier would just cook it off and you'd lose that richness.
Can I serve this cold the next day?
Absolutely — the recipe says it works warm or cold, so it's great made ahead. If it thickens up in the fridge, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it back up before serving.