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Baked Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding, apple dessert recipes for fall
Brittany Stage

Baked Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding

Cooked short-grain rice bakes low and slow in sweetened whole milk with diced spiced apples until thick, creamy, and deeply comforting. It is an easy fall dessert that the oven does most of the work to finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cooked short-grain or medium-grain white rice cooled, packed loosely
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 cups firm baking apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice, about 2 medium apples
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces, for dotting the top

Equipment

  • 2-quart or 9x13 baking dish
  • aluminum foil
  • mixing bowl
  • wooden spoon

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter or spray the inside of a 2-quart baking dish or a 9x13 dish.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooked rice, whole milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Fold in the diced apples so they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
  3. Pour the rice mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out in an even layer. Scatter the small pieces of butter across the top. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  4. Bake covered for 25 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and give the pudding a gentle stir from the bottom up to prevent the rice from settling. Re-cover the dish and return it to the oven.
  5. Continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the pudding has thickened and the apples are completely soft when pressed with a spoon. The center should still look slightly loose and jiggly, not fully set, because it will firm up as it cools.
  6. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking if you want a lightly golden top. Let the pudding rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. It is excellent warm, at room temperature, or cold straight from the refrigerator.

Notes

Short-grain or medium-grain rice releases enough starch to create a creamy texture. Long-grain rice stays too firm and makes the pudding grainy rather than smooth. Day-old rice works perfectly here.