With all the rice pudding recipes out there, it seems like almost every country has their own take on it. Actually, it seems like every town has their own version of the recipe. What the heck, I’ll go one step further – it seems like every household has their own version!

I have copies of two different versions that my grandma used to make. They were baked in the oven, and they were enjoyable, but I’ve made both recipes a few times myself and it felt like they took about 35 hours to finish cooking! I’ve found stovetop versions of rice pudding recipes as well and there are no doubt other pressure cooker versions out there – I’m sure my idea to make one is nowhere near the first time it has been done.

Pressure cookers are awesome inventions for speeding things along. Sometimes they shave off a lot of time and sometimes just a little. It’s important to keep that fact in mind. I’ve seen so many bloggers work hard at creating a delicious recipe to share, only to find comments written in the comment section saying that it didn’t really save all that much time. The author usually doesn’t promise it will, but I think the expectation when we see the words “pressure cooker” is instant food. When it doesn’t produce a meal in 5 minutes, it gives us the perception that using the device is not worth the effort.

While the idea of “instant food” would be great with every recipe we make, isn’t it still nice to be able to work on other things while the machine does a bit of the work for you? That is the case with my recipe today. While it does require a bit of manual cooking time at the end of the pressure cooking period to help thicken it, about 10 to 15 minutes, I was more than happy to save the extra 35 to 45 minutes it would have taken to complete the recipe on the stovetop alone.

When trying to make your own recipe with a pressure cooker, there can be a bit of a learning curve. The story of this simple rice pudding recipe was no exception – it was very much like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. My first attempt was too wet, my second attempt was too dry, and my third attempt was just right!

Easy pressure cooker rice pudding

• 2/3 cup Arborio rice
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour the milk, sugar, and vanilla into the pressure cooker pot. Stir well for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rice and mix well for about 30 seconds until the rice is well incorporated and evenly distributed throughout the liquid mixture.

Set the pressure cooker to medium pressure – that equates to 6 pounds of pressure on my Breville cooker. Set the time to 8 minutes and choose quick pressure release.

When the cooking cycle is done and it is safe to open the lid, immediately set the cooker to sauté mode (or whatever the heating or browning mode is called on your machine). Simmer the mixture, stirring frequently, until it begins to thicken – about 10 to 15 minutes. You want it to be thick enough that the space made by sliding a spoon through the mixture fills in slowly – similar to any cooked pudding you would make on the stovetop. See picture below:

Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pot for about 10 to 15 minutes and then transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate until very cold – at least 6 hours. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Finally, after three attempts, the end result was creamy and delicious with a simple splash of vanilla flavor.

On occasion, my grandma would make it with raisins mixed in – not my first choice, but I’d eat it. Sometimes she’d mix in crushed, canned pineapple – not my second, third or fourth choice, but I’d still have some. Since the simple and pure vanilla flavor pairs so nicely with so many options, as shown in the picture above, I prefer to leave the choice up to the individual eater. What could be better than enjoying it the way you like?

If you decide to give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it went for you and what you enjoy adding to yours. Until next time, I hope you all have a great weekend!