This simple rice pudding brûlée is cozy and comforting, fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and lemon. Its rich, creamy texture feels like home.
We had our first fall storm this week.
That may not seem notable if you live where cool weather and changing leaves arrive early, but in Los Angeles October is often more like a last blast of summer—hotter than usual and relentless.
Southern California weather plays tricks: May and June can be cool and overcast thanks to the marine layer, then July is warm but manageable. By August we’re lulled into thinking fall is on the way, and then—BAM—September arrives with humidity and heat that stick around. October can bring long stretches of 100-plus degree days, gusty winds, and the kind of dryness that fuels brush fires. Every year I forget and then remember all over again.
This week, finally, we got relief. Temperatures dropped, clouds rolled in, and on Thursday we had an incredible thunderstorm—lightning, hail, and thunder that rattled the walls. We pulled on slippers, lit candles, played music, and took Asher outside to see his first real rain.
When it passed, a vivid rainbow arced across the sky, every color visible and stretching from near the horizon to high above. It felt like a clear invitation to welcome fall: cool mornings, cloudy afternoons, boots, cider, thunderstorms, and soft indoor comforts.
So hello, fall. Hello to cooler days, candles, and warm food. I’m glad you’re here.
Rice pudding is the culinary equivalent of a pair of perfectly worn-in slippers: humble, familiar, and comforting. With cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and lemon peel, it becomes both fragrant and soothing.
I wanted to add a twist, so I brûléed the top—sprinkling a fine layer of sugar and caramelizing it with a kitchen torch (repeating once or twice for a stronger crackle). The result was a delicate, amber caramelized crust over the creamy rice pudding.
In a few shallow spots the rice rose above the custard and toasted slightly under the flame, creating tiny dark flecks in the caramel. If you prefer a smooth, unmarked surface, use deeper dishes so the rice stays fully submerged in the custard.
Action shot!
This rice pudding is perfect as an after-dinner treat or a rainy-day snack. It’s equally comforting served warm or, if the weather warms up again, chilled for a cool, creamy dessert.
*I wrote this a few days ago. As I finished preparing the post, the forecast flipped and we’re expecting hot weather again, so I’ll likely enjoy the remaining pudding chilled. Such is life in a fickle climate.
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Rice Pudding Brûlée
Author: Elizabeth LaBau
This rice pudding isn’t fancy, but its aromatic blend of cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and lemon makes it wonderfully cozy.
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk (or half-and-half)
- 3 cinnamon sticks, roughly broken
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 vanilla bean, split (seeds scraped)
- 2 one-inch strips of lemon peel
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups cooked white rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Add cinnamon sticks, crushed cardamom pods, lemon peel, and the vanilla bean seeds and pod. Heat over medium until the milk simmers. Remove just before boiling, cover, and let steep 30–45 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease ramekins or a baking dish.
- Whisk egg yolks, the whole egg, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Strain the infused milk through a fine mesh into the egg mixture, discarding the solids. Whisk to combine, then stir in cooked rice and salt, breaking up any clumps so the grains are separated.
- Ladle the mixture into ramekins or the baking dish. Place them in a larger pan and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides (a water bath). Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes for shallow dishes or up to 1 hour for deeper dishes. The pudding should be set with a slight jiggle.
- Carefully remove from the water bath and let cool to warm or room temperature. Refrigerate if you prefer it chilled.
- To brûlée the tops, sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar over each serving. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize the sugar in even strokes until it melts and forms a crisp crust. For a thicker layer, repeat with a second thin coating. If you don’t have a torch, place the sugared ramekins on a baking sheet and carefully broil until the sugar caramelizes—watch closely to avoid burning.
Measuring Tips
Recipes are developed using weight measurements, and a kitchen scale is recommended for accuracy. Volume measurements are provided for convenience. Note that volume and weight conversions are not always direct, so follow weights when precision matters.
Nutrition
Serving: 12 | Calories: 238 kcal | Carbohydrates: 44 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 3 g | Sugar: 12 g
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