One of my favorite ways to use up leftover rice is by making rice pudding.  My mom used to make this for us when we were kids and it always reminds me of home. What’s nice about rice pudding is you can eat it hot or cold and it’s a super budget-friendly recipe.

Is it safe to eat leftover rice?

Some folks don’t eat leftover rice because it’s particularly susceptible to bacterial growth. Although that’s concerning, if you remember food safety rules, you should be A-OK.

Leftover rice safety rules

• Get leftover rice into the fridge in less than one hour after cooking
• If you want to cool it quickly, spread the rice over a baking sheet and cool in the fridge before putting in an airtight container.
• Use within 3 days
• Store it securely in an airtight container
• Freeze rice if you can’t use it within 3 days. I like freezing rice in these large ice cube containers, so I always have some on-hand.

What kind of rice can I use for leftover rice pudding?

A variety of rice can be used for this recipe including: long-grain, short-grain, basmati, or even minute-rice. Although, I haven’t tried this with brown rice yet. If you do, let me know!

Ingredients for How to Make Rice Pudding with Leftover Rice

• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• A dash of cinnamon
• Strawberries, raisins or whatever fruit you prefer to sprinkle on top or mix in

Method

Step 1:

First, stir the cooked rice, 1 & 1/2 cups of milk and the 1/2 cup of sugar together in a sauce pan on the stove over low heat.

Step 2:

Leave on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Step 3:

After 15 minutes, the rice, milk and sugar will come together. Then, add the last 1/2 cup of milk and a beaten egg to the mixture. Stir the milk and eggs into the rice quickly or you will have bits of scrambled egg in the rice!

Step 4:

Next, add the butter and vanilla extract.

Step 5:

Finally, sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with strawberries, raisins or your fruit of choice.

Rice Pudding Topping Ideas

• Raisins (This is my favorite and probably the most traditional.  Golden raisins work too if you want a little color.)
• Strawberries (fresh or freeze-dried)
• Blueberries
• Walnuts & bananas
• Lemon curd
• Baked apples
• Jam or jelly (you may want to cut back on the sugar if you use this option.)
• Chia seeds for some extra omega-3s

Rice Pudding Recipe Substitutions

• You can use whatever kind of milk you want. The milk doesn’t affect the flavor too much.
• You can use a sweetener alternative like Stevia, but that will change the flavor. Also,  you could use brown sugar instead of white if you want a little more depth.
• Some folks don’t like the addition of the egg. Although, it’s more traditional with an egg, you could use corn starch as a thickener if you want to make it vegan.

Lastly, big thanks to my mom. This is her recipe. Moms always have the best recipes.