Half the Sugar Baker
This Chai Rice Pudding comes together in just one pot with a few simple ingredients! This rice pudding is filled with warm flavors like chai, cinnamon, and vanilla – perfect for a cozy dessert. Plus, it has the perfect creamy texture.
What is rice pudding?
Rice pudding is a dish commonly made with rice and milk or water and other flavorings. For dessert, rice pudding is often made with sugar and sweet flavors like vanilla and cinnamon. It is thick, creamy, and super satisfying which makes it the perfect comfort food. Rice pudding can be served chilled or warm – it’s up to you!
What is chai?
Chai is a type of black tea originating from India. It often contains flavorful spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. This recipe uses a chai tea bag or chai mix to help flavor the rice pudding. It puts the perfect cozy twist on traditional rice pudding!
What rice to use for chai rice pudding?
Rice pudding is commonly made with short grain white rice, but you can truly use whatever type of rice you have on hand! I have tried making it with long grain rice and it came out great. Other options include arborio rice (the type used for risotto), or even glutinous sticky rice for a sticker texture!
Variations and ingredient substitutes for chai rice pudding
- Whole milk – This recipe calls for 4 cups of whole milk, which gives the rice a creamy and smooth texture. If you don’t have whole milk, you can also make this with 2% reduced fat milk with great results. I have not tried this recipe with nonfat milk, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar gives this rice pudding a deeper and more complex sweetness. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use white sugar with 1 teaspoon of molasses (or just white sugar).
- 1/2 cup rice – Although this might not seem like enough rice, it will expand a lot during cooking! See above for rice options.
- Vanilla – You can use vanilla extract, vanilla paste, or a vanilla bean. The best flavor will come from a real vanilla bean, but I have made this with vanilla extract and vanilla paste with great results! If you use a real vanilla bean, add it to the pot with the uncooked rice and allow it to simmer with the rice while cooking. If you are using vanilla extract or paste, stir it into the rice at the very end once it is done cooking.
- Cinnamon – To add extra flavor, this recipe calls for cinnamon. You can use either a whole cinnamon stick or 1/8 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Orange peel – This recipe also calls for a strip of orange peel, which lends a fresh and cozy flavor. If you don’t have it, feel free to skip this ingredient!
- Chai tea bag – For ease, I like to use a chai tea bag to infuse the rice pudding with the chai flavor. If you only have the chai spice mix, start by stirring in 1/4 teaspoon. Taste and add more until it reaches your desired level of spice.
- Raisins – Traditionally, rice pudding is made with golden raisins, but purple raisins work as well! They add perfect little bursts of sweetness. If you don’t have raisins or don’t like them, feel free to leave them out!
Tips for making chai rice pudding
- Make sure that you stir the rice frequently to ensure that the rice on the bottom is not burning. I also like to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the pot to prevent scorching.
- While cooking the rice pudding, I recommend leaving the pot uncovered to allow moisture to evaporate and to prevent the milk from boiling over. Note – even with the pot uncovered, it is still important to keep an eye on the pot to make sure that the milk isn’t boiling over!
- I like to steep the tea bag in the rice mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking to allow the flavors to really seep into the rice. For a milder flavor, add the tea bag as soon as the rice pudding is done cooking and allow it to steep in the rice pudding for around 5 minutes with the lid on the pot.
- If the rice pudding thickens too much, simply stir in a little more milk and reheat on the stove if necessary.
- If you are using raisins, make sure to add them while the pudding is still hot so that the raisins have a chance to absorb some of the liquid and plump up.
If you liked this chai rice pudding, you might also like…
Easy and Creamy Chai Spice Rice Pudding
This super easy dessert comes together in one pot and is full of warm, cozy flavors. It's the perfect way to turn rice into a creamy and satisfying dessert!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk or 2% reduced fat
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white rice short grain or long grain
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 piece orange peel optional
- 1 tea bag chai see notes for substitutes
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup raisins optional
Instructions
- Add milk and butter to a medium heavy-bottom pot. Cook over medium heat until butter has melted. Add the brown sugar, rice, salt, cinnamon, and orange peel. Bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer gently and stir frequently until the rice is cooked and mixture has slightly thickened, around 30 to 35 minutes. Add the chai tea bag and allow it to steep in the rice pudding while it cooks for around 5 minutes. It may seem like the butter is not incorporating, but it will eventually combine when the mixture has thickened. Remove the tea bag once done steeping and turn off the heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and raisins and allow the pudding to rest for 5 minutes. Serve chilled or warm with an optional dusting of ground cinnamon and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!
Notes
For ease, I like to use a chai tea bag to infuse the rice pudding with the chai flavor. If you only have the chai spice mix, start by stirring in 1/4 teaspoon. Taste and add more until it reaches your desired level of spice.
If the rice pudding thickens too much, simply stir in a little more milk and reheat on the stove if necessary.
