Rice Pudding Recipe

Rice Pudding with Lime Zest

Feed 500 took place on October 14, and it was a nice opportunity to close the outdoor-eating season by sampling some new foods and learning about the impacts of food waste.

As part of the Feed500 program this year, the Red Deer Food Bank was invited to prepare dishes using food that was readily available and/or would be wasted if not consumed soon.

Eat more. Waste less.

Food waste is an urgent, but solvable, global challenge. One third of all food produced globally is wasted. The saddest part is knowing that over 60% of the food we waste could have been eaten.

That was the message of Feed 500, and lovefoodhatewaste.ca. It’s also one of the goals of the Red Deer Food Bank and its new Community Kitchen, to help people learn how to get the most from our thinning food budgets and reduce the food waste in landfills.

Rice is a staple in our hampers, so it’s a good place to start sharing ideas on different ways to prepare every day ingredients in new ways. (If you’ve never tried rice pudding, this one is a must.)

Ingredients

6 cups milk (full fat, low fat or skim)

1 cup medium grain rice

1/4 c. granulated white sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. fresh lime zest

1/4 c. raisins (or sultanas), optional

1/2 c. condensed milk, optional

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, optional

Step-by-step

Combine the milk, rice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins (sultanas) in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally while scraping the base and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon, until thick and creamy (about 15-20 minutes).

Once rice is soft and cooked through, mix in the condensed milk and butter. Add 1/4 cup extra milk ONLY if needed to achieve your desired consistency. Pour the rice among serving bowls; sprinkle with extra ground cinnamon (or cinnamon sugar), lime zest, and raisins (or sultanas).

rice pudding faqs

Can this be made in advance?

Rice pudding is really best served warm or cooled the day it’s made but it can absolutely be made up to 1 day in advance. Serve chilled or warm pudding gently on the stove top or microwave. You may need to add some more milk to loosen the pudding as it will have likely absorbed all available liquid.

How should rice pudding be stored?

The pudding should be cooled completely and then stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Can rice pudding be frozen?

Yes, it can, for up to 3 months, but you might notice a change in texture. Let defrost in refrigerator overnight.