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I am completely obsessed with this Slow Cooker Rice Pudding – it’s rich, creamy and literally *THE* easiest homemade dessert ever! Making rice pudding in the slow cooker is so simple, I can’t believe I haven’t done it sooner. Plus rice pudding is naturally gluten free!
This easy Slow Cooker Rice Pudding recipe is about to become your new favourite gluten free dessert. Because why should slow cookers only be for savoury foods?
Home made rice pudding is one of my favourite classic British desserts – and its ever so simple to make. And completely gluten free!
All you need is pudding rice, milk, cream, sugar, butter, vanilla extract and a little nutmeg.
It produces a silky, creamy dessert which is great with jam, syrup or stewed fruit. You can easily customise it and it’s great for freezing too!
And making creamy rice pudding in the slow cooker makes it even easier! This is such a simple slow cooker dessert you can easily chuck in and leave it work its magic.
If you love slow cooking, be sure to check out my other gluten free slow cooker recipes, with favourites like my slow cooker fudge, slow cooker beef stew and slow cooker lasagne.
And of course I have plenty of other comfort food dessert ideas too! Including gluten free apple pie, delicious sticky toffee pudding or my gluten free apple crumble.
Ingredients
There’s a printable recipe card for this easy rice pudding recipe below. But for the shopping list you will need…
- Pudding Rice: Or short grain rice. Be aware that some brands have a ‘may contain’ warning for wheat. Always double check the pudding rice you’re using is gluten free.
- Butter: This is used both to grease the slow cooker pan and to add a rich creaminess.
- Full Fat Milk: I recommend using full fat and not skimmed milk for the best results.
- Double Cream: Or heavy cream in the US.
- Caster Sugar: You can also use golden caster sugar or even light brown sugar. For a refined sugar free rice pudding, swap for honey or maple syrup.
- Vanilla Extract: Trust me, a teaspoon of vanilla extract takes this to a whole new level!
- Ground Nutmeg: A little goes a long way for the perfect amount of spice.
I like to always have some strawberry jam for topping this rice pudding, like I had when I was a kid! But I have some ideas for other variations and toppings below.
How to make slow cooker rice pudding
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free rice pudding is to make:
Rinse the pudding rice in a sieve under cold water and drain. This helps to remove any excess starch and stop the rice from becoming too mushy.
If you are not using a non-stick slow cooker, use a little butter to grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker pot to stop the pudding from sticking as it cooks.
Add the rice, melted butter, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and ground nutmeg to the slow cooker pan and stir to mix.
Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours on low. You can give the rice a stir half way through the cooking time or just leave it.
Slow cookers do vary, so check the rice after 2 hours and again after 2 hours 30 mins – it’s done when the rice is tender (not mushy) and the creamy sauce is thick and silky.
Storing and Freezing
Any leftover rice pudding can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. I adore this rice pudding recipe hot or cold – you can enjoy it either way.
If reheating, I’d recommend only reheating this crockpot rice pudding once and ensuring it is reheated thoroughly before eating.
You can also freeze leftover slow cooker rice pudding in portions and defrost/reheat as and when you need a speedy dessert!
Variations
Want to mix up your slow cooker rice pudding? Here are some ideas for switching up this easy rice pudding recipe:
- Cinnamon Rice Pudding: Add 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon to the slow cooker mixture for a warming, winter rice pudding recipe.
- Mincemeat Rice Pudding: Stir through some gluten free mincemeat for a great Christmas dessert with minimal effort.
- Chocolate Rice Pudding: Add some milk chocolate squares to the slow cooker and stir them in when they’ve melted for a delicious slow cooker chocolate rice pudding.
- Stewed Fruit: Heap some stewed apples or stewed pears onto this rice pudding and swirl through for a fruity rice pudding recipe.
- Dried Fruit: Add some dried fruit like raisins or sultanas to the rice pudding mixture in the crock pot – and a cheeky splash of spiced rum if you fancy it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy bagel recipe – if you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
Rice itself is naturally gluten free. However, some pudding rice packs have a ‘may contain’ warning for wheat, making them unsuitable for people with coeliac disease or on a gluten free diet. Always double check the labels as some recipes may change and allergy warnings like this are often added and taken away!
At the time of writing, the Sainsbury’s pudding rice has a may contain warning for wheat. The Asda, M&S and Tesco ones do not.
Usually rice pudding is a gluten free dessert option – and while you can easily buy rice pudding tins, making your own is much better! As this recipe relies on milk and cream heavily, I do not have a dairy free rice pudding substitution yet.
All slow cookers can vary and I strongly recommend checking your rice pudding frequently (every half hour) after about 2 hours cooking. As soon as the rice is tender, it is ready. If you overcook the rice it will become mushy – so it’s best to keep checking to be on the safe side until you learn exactly how long your specific slow cooker needs to cook rice pudding perfectly!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 150 g pudding rice, (short grain rice)
- 20 g butter, (melted)
- 750 ml full fat milk
- 200 ml double cream
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Rinse the pudding rice in a sieve under cold water and drain.
- If you are not using a non-stick slow cooker, use a little butter to grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker pot to stop the pudding from sticking as it cooks.
- Add the rice, melted butter, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract and ground nutmeg to the slow cooker pan and stir to mix.
- Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours on low. You can give the rice a stir half way through the cooking time or just leave it. Slow cookers do vary, so check the rice after 2 hours and again after 2 hours 30 mins – it's done when the rice is tender (not mushy) and the creamy sauce is thick and silky.
Notes
- Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate.
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to guide you through how this slow cooker rice pudding should look at each stage.
- Storing: Check out the post above this recipe card for more information on storing and freezing this gluten free rice pudding.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Slow Cooker Rice Pudding.
Nutrition
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