Gluten-Free Baked Rice Pudding Custard

Dishes of arroz con leche

Gary Conner / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 15 mins
Total: 2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Rice pudding is an old-fashioned but comforting dessert that is enjoyed all over the world. This recipe includes eggs, which give the pudding a custard-like consistency, and raisins, offering another texture and added sweetness. It's also gluten-free, making it an ideal dessert or brunch dish to serve so those eliminating gluten can enjoy.

This rice pudding is simple to make but does require over 2 hours in the oven. The milk, sugar, rice, and lemon zest are baked, then the eggs and raisins are added, and the pudding is finished in the oven; just a sprinkling of cinnamon and the dessert is ready to serve.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup rice, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • Dash of cinnamon, or to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 F and butter a 2-quart casserole dish.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the milk, sugar, rice, lemon zest, and salt. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

  3. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Set the dish in a shallow baking pan and fill the pan with 1 inch of hot water. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

  4. Remove from the oven and stir the mixture well. Continue baking for 45 minutes longer. Remove the dish from the oven.

  5. Take a few tablespoons of the hot milk and rice mixture and slowly stir it into the beaten eggs (this is called tempering). Stir this mixture back into the casserole, blending well. Add the raisins and mix to combine.

  6. Return the dish to the oven and bake 30 minutes longer, or until the custard is set and the rice is cooked. Remove the dish from the water bath.

  7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm. Enjoy.

Tips

  • To achieve the creamiest texture, a medium-grain rice should be used; a long-grain rice has less starch and can fall apart during the cooking process, and short-grain rice (such as arborio) can result in a pudding that is too thick with rice that is firm to the bite.
  • Do not skip the step of tempering the eggs and milk and rice mixture. This technique prevents the eggs from curdling, which would most likely occur if the beaten eggs were simply added to the hot casserole.
  • Placing the casserole dish in a pan filled with hot water is called a water bath, or bain-marie. The hot water surrounding the dish helps the food cook evenly by creating a gentle heat, essentially steaming the dish.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
196 Calories
5g Fat
32g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 196
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 14%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 147mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 6g
Calcium 153mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)