French Rice Pudding "Riz Au Lait" (Two Ways)
Let’s dive into two irresistible versions of a classic comfort dessert: my great-grandmother’s traditional French Rice Pudding and a dreamy Parisian bistro twist with whipped cream for extra fluff. The best part? Both are super easy to make, with just 4 or 5 simple ingredients!
Servings: 6
Calories: 269kcal
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder)
- 1 liter whole milk
- 70 g cane sugar
- 120 g risotto rice (I recommend carnaroli, vialone nano or arborio rice)
For the French bistro version
- 125 ml heavy cream fridge cold
Instructions
- Prepare the Vanilla Bean. Using a sharp knife, slice the vanilla bean lengthwise. Then, use the tip of the knife to scrape out the seeds, applying enough pressure to transfer most of the seeds onto the knife.
- Prepare the ingredients. Add the vanilla seeds and the scraped bean pod to a large saucepan or pot, along with the milk and sugar. Rinse the rice thoroughly under cold water using a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
- Cook the rice pudding. Add the rinsed rice to the saucepan and stir to combine. Set a timer for 1 hour. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, then cook uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Cool the pudding. After one hour, remove the saucepan from the heat and cover it with a lid. Allow the rice pudding to sit until it is lukewarm or has cooled down. Serve topped with optional orange zest or dulce de leche!
For the Parisian bistro version
- Complete all the steps for making the traditional rice pudding and let it cool completely. Then, refrigerate the pudding for one hour.
- Prepare the whipped cream. While the pudding is refrigerating, chill the whisk attachments of your hand mixer and a mixing bowl in the fridge. Once the pudding is cold, whip the cream in the chilled bowl until it becomes fluffy and firm.
- Fold in the whipped cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped cream into the rice pudding to maintain its lightness. Once combined, fold in the remaining whipped cream using the same gentle technique. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Sweetness level – This rice pudding is intentionally not overly sweet, which is how the French typically enjoy their desserts. If you like your pudding a bit sweeter, just add more sugar to suit your taste!
- Stirring regularly – Stirring the rice pudding often helps prevent a skin from forming on top. However, a thin layer of milk may still develop between stirrings. You can either scoop off this layer with a spoon or stir the pudding, as the skin usually breaks down and blends back in.
- Using a lid – Covering the rice pudding while it cools prevents a skin from forming and allows the rice to absorb some of the remaining milk, keeping the pudding soft and creamy.
- Chilling utensils and cream – To achieve properly whipped and stable cream, chill both the mixing bowl, whisk attachments, and the heavy cream in the fridge. Remove them just before whipping the cream. If these items are too warm, the cream may not whip to the desired thickness, may fail to whip altogether, or even turn into butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 1mg