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Home Recipes by Occasion Christmas
GF Gluten-Free

Cranberry Vanilla Rice Pudding

5
/5
35 mins
39 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 11/21/2011Updated: 09/28/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Try creamy cranberry vanilla rice pudding, studded with tart cranberries and flavored with fragrant vanilla beans for a unique holiday treat!

Marx Foods was kind enough to send me samples of mushrooms, vanilla beans, rice, and peppers. My challenge was to create a festive dish to bring to a Thanksgiving potluck, using at least one or two of the samples.

I used the vanilla beans and the Italian Vialone Nano Rice, a short grain rice similar to Arborio rice. Rice pudding may not be traditionally a Thanksgiving recipe, but I made it more festive by adding tart, fresh cranberries and fragrant vanilla. The recipe was adapted from Joy the Baker.

Closeup overhead of rice pudding in triangular white dish, with spoon, and garnished with fresh cranberries.

Cranberry rice pudding is a creamy, delicious dessert perfect for any occasion, including breakfast! Oh yeah…and Thanksgiving. Something for people who might not love pie. Or for people who DO love pie, but are still hungry.

About this rice pudding

This recipe is very similar to making a risotto except instead of stirring in broth gradually as the rice absorbs it, you’ll be stirring in milk. Make sure you have 25 to 30 minutes to devote to making the pudding so you can constantly stir it. It’s what makes it delicious!

You’ll need a good sized saucepan and a stirring spoon. 

Closeup of uncooked rice in wooded bowl.

What ingredients will I need to make cranberry vanilla rice pudding?

  • Short grain rice, such as Arborio
  • Fresh cranberries
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Dark brown sugar
  • A dash of cinnamon and salt
  • One vanilla bean

Closeup of fresh cranberries.

You’ll be scraping the seeds out of the vanilla bean. The cranberries cook down, lending a beautiful rose color to the rice pudding.

Closeup of two vanilla beans in a bowl with dark brown sugar.

You’ll need pretty serving dishes for the rice pudding, too! Serve the rice pudding warm (I love it warm!) or refrigerate to serve later. It will keep for up to four days in the fridge.

Closeup of rice pudding garnished with three fresh cranberries.

Make it your own:

  • Don’t have vanilla beans? Substitute a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
  • Cranberries not in season? Stir in another fruit of your choice. As you can guess, the pudding will be a different color, depending on the fruit you choose. Try blueberries, cherries, or dried apricots. Golden raisins would be good, too.
  • Don’t add any fruit at all, if you prefer a more classic rice pudding.

Overhead closeup of a spoonful of rice pudding with triangular bowl in background.

More pudding, please!

If you like pudding, try one of these easy homemade pudding dessert recipes:

 

  • Homemade Chocolate Pudding (for fantastic homemade Chocolate Pudding Pie)
  • Lemon Pudding (only 3 ingredients!)
  • Homemade Vanilla Pudding with Brown Butter
  • Chai Spiced Chia Seed Pudding
  • Chocolate Chia Pudding
  • Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Marshmallow Topping
  • Blueberry Bread Pudding Recipe
  • Maple Cinnamon Chia Pudding
  • Banana and Chocolate Pudding Dessert Bites
  • Easy Pumpkin Pudding

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Vanilla Rice Pudding

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
6 servings
Print Rate Recipe
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Try creamy rice pudding studded with tart cranberries and flavored with fragrant vanilla beans for a unique holiday treat!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup short grain Italian rice, such as Arborio
  • 1 heaping cup fresh cranberries, washed
  • 4 cups 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk. Don’t boil it -- bring it to almost boiling and then turn off the heat.
  • In a large heavy pan, such as a Dutch oven, over low heat, melt butter. Once it is melted, add the rice and cranberries and stir to coat and slightly toast the rice, or about 1-2 minutes.
  • Ladle in about 3/4 cup of the warm milk and continue to stir. Once the rice has absorbed the milk, add another ladle of milk. Continue this process–stirring nearly continuously until the rice is tender (taste it!) and your milk is almost gone, about 25 minutes. Make sure to watch out for the cranberries–they like to pop!
  • Add the final bit of milk, the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
  • Serve warm, or cold.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g, Calories: 187kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 168mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
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Disclosure: I was sent free products to use and review. However, all opinions expressed in this post are, as always, 100% my own. I was not compensated for this post other than the free products.

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  1. Rhyann@cookingcollegechick says

    November 30, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    This looks so delicious. I have wanted to make rice pudding for a while now, but I still haven’t gotten around to it. I’m definitely going to add it to my recipe box!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      December 1, 2011 at 7:58 am

      Thanks! Let me know how you like it if you end up making it! :)

      Reply
  2. mjskit says

    November 29, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    What a great twist on rice pudding! It’s one of my favorites and I love the use of the cranberries. YUMMY!

    Reply
  3. Maria @ Orchard Bloom says

    November 27, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    Dang! This looks so good! I love rice pudding.

    Reply
  4. Donna @ Cookistry says

    November 25, 2011 at 11:49 pm

    That rice pudding is such a pretty color – great use of cranberries.

    Reply
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