This is the rice pudding I associate with end-of-summer tables, family lunches that stretch into the afternoon, and that cozy “back to routine” feeling. It’s my French mother-in-law Chantal’s recipe, and it’s the kind of dessert that makes everyone go quiet after the first spoonful.

We made it especially for my sister-in-law Tessa, when she was pregnant and craving her grandma’s caramel rice pudding. If you’ve ever had a pregnancy craving, you know: you do not negotiate with it. You make the pudding.

Creamy vanilla rice, warm raisins, and a deep amber caramel that coats the ramekins like glass. Classic, nostalgic, and absolutely worth the extra step.

This traditional caramel rice pudding recipe is all from my “belle mère” (French way of saying mother-in-law) (literally means beautiful mother), and Chantal, by the way, is the best.

We made this caramel rice pudding recipe, especially for my sister-in-law (belle sœur), Tessa who is pregnant and wanted to eat her Grandma’s famous caramel rice pudding recipe.

Traditional caramel rice pudding

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 6

Author: Gaila - The Petit Gourmet

4.34 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

• 200 grams short grain rice
• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup cream
• ½ cup blond raisins
• 2 vanilla beans seeds
• ½ cup sugar for the caramel
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

Par-cook the rice (this keeps it silky, not gummy)

• Rinse rice quickly.
• Add rice to a saucepan, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
• Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Cook the rice in vanilla milk

• Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F.
• In a saucepan, bring milk to a gentle boil with vanilla.
• Add drained rice and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until creamy and tender.

Make the caramel (dry caramel, no water)

• Add ½ cup sugar to a clean, dry, heavy-bottom pan.
• Heat on medium-low until sugar melts and turns amber.
• Immediately pour caramel into ramekins and swirl to coat the bottom and sides.
• Caramel sets fast, so move quickly here.

Finish the custard base

• In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with ½ cup sugar until lighter in color.
• Stir in the cream.
• Add this mixture into the warm rice pudding and mix well.
• Stir in raisins.

Bake in a bain-marie (water bath)

• Pour rice mixture into caramel-coated ramekins.
• Place ramekins in a baking dish and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides.
• Bake at 160°C / 320°F for 30 minutes.

Cool and serve

• Let cool at room temp, then refrigerate at least 2 hours for best texture.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 976IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 2mg

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Caramel tips

Sugar and nothing else, especially no water!

Take a frying pan or sauté pan with a thick bottom (the stainless steel is perfect, especially as its light color makes it possible to monitor the color of the caramel).

Heat gently (you must be patient at first) so that the sugar melts and becomes liquid and transparent (do not increase the heat because as soon as it starts to color, it will be ready really fast!).

When the desired color is reached (amber not too dark) cut the heat source and pour it into the ramekins by moving back and forth to coat them completely.

When you make caramel, it happens that it remains at the bottom of the molds used, but, whether it is the cooking vessel, or the cake molds used, for cleaning it is enough either to soak with water overnight or to boil with water too.