Our Milchreis Recipe Will Make You Rethink When To Eat Rice Pudding!
There are lots of rice and milk recipes out there – but there’s something about Milchreis that makes you come back for more.
Milchreis – or German rice pudding – can be eaten as a sweet dinner dish but can also be enjoyed as a German dessert!
Literally meaning “milk rice”, our Milchreis recipe makes a creamy German sweet rice that goes well with a little cinnamon and sugar or with fruit on top!
Milchreis vs. North American Rice Pudding
Even though Milchreis is called “German rice pudding”, there are a few differences when comparing it to rice pudding typically enjoyed in North America.
For starters, in Germany, Milchreis can be eaten as a main meal whereas in North America it is almost always a dessert.
Lisa ate it as a sweet main course occasionally when growing up. She would have a sweet dinner with her family a couple of times a month.
An example of a “sweet German dinner” would be Milchreis with sugar and cinnamon (or fruit) or potato pancakes with apple sauce.
In Germany, you can buy rice that is labeled as “Milchreis” and is used to make rice pudding.
In North America – or at least in Canada – you can’t usually find rice specifically for rice pudding in supermarkets. However, short-grain rice like Arborio will work really well.
Another difference is that German rice pudding almost never contains raisins and is not made in the oven.
Eric’s mom makes a classic North American rice pudding baked in the oven with raisins so we definitely understand the differences!
How to Make Milchreis – Step by Step Instructions
If you want to make Milchreis at home, you can check out our German rice pudding recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For those interested in seeing what the recipe process photos look like, you can follow along with them as you cook. This way, you can see if you Milchreis looks like ours!
Melt a little bit of butter in a medium-sized pot on the stove.
Once melted, add the rice and sauté it for a couple of minutes until it becomes just slightly translucent.
Now add the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt.
Give everything a stir and place the lid on the pot. Bring the milk to a boil and turn down the heat to low once it is boiling.
Let the rice simmer for around 20 minutes until it is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Depending on the exact type of rice you are using, your cooking time may vary slightly.
If you want your German rice pudding to have a creamier consistency, you can add a little bit more milk.
Serve the milk rice with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top and/or with fresh fruit such as berries. Alternatively, you can also serve it with fruit salad or other fruit out of a can.
Storage Tips
In our opinion, Milchreis tastes best fresh but you can store any leftovers in a container with a lid in the fridge for a couple of days.
You can then either reheat the leftovers or enjoy them cold. Since the rice might dry out in the fridge, you might have to add some more milk to make it slightly creamier again.
Related Recipes
For more sweet German recipes, check out these classics that will definitely please:
- Bavarian Cream (Custard-like Dessert)
- Ice Cream Coffee (German Coffee Treat w/ Ice Cream!)
- Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake)
- Grießauflauf (Semolina Casserole with Cherries)
- Apfelküchle (German Fried Apple Rings)
- Franzbrötchen (Cinnamon Bun from Hamburg)
Milchreis (German Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup rice, short-grain
- 2 cups milk, more if preferred
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- sugar, cinnamon, and/or fruit for topping, optional
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot on the stove. Add the rice and sauté it for around 2 minutes until slightly translucent.
- Add the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Give everything a stir with a wooden spoon and add the lid. Bring the milk to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to low.
- Let the rice simmer for around 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Make sure to also check the packaging directions for the rice you are using and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Serve the rice with sugar and cinnamon or fruit.
Notes
- Make sure to use short-grian rice when making Milchreis.
- You can add a little bit more milk than the 2 cups mentioned above if you want the Milchreis to have a slightly more creamy consistency.
- Fruit toppings might include fresh berries, fruit salad you get in a can, or even apples peeled and slightly fried in cinnamon on the stovetop (delicious).
- You can store leftovers in a container with a lid in the fridge for a couple of days. When reheating, make sure to add a little bit more milk as the rice can get dry in the fridge.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
Moin als Deutscher habe ich ein Rezept gesucht, wie ich mir auch auf meinem Aufenthalt hier in den USA Milchreis kochen kann, da es den typischen Milchreis (Rundkorn) einfach nicht zu kaufen gibt.
Für alle die es cremiger mögen kann man noch geschlagene Sahne unterheben, wenn der Milchreis etwas abgekühlt ist.
Daher danke für dieses Rezept.
MAn muss nicht unbedingt Zucker direkt in den Milchreis geben, da man ja normalerweise in den Auflagen sowieso jede MEnge Zucker mit dazu nimmt. Und man hat so etwas mehr Kontrolle.
Und als weiteren Rezepttip kann ich gerne empfehlen den mit angedickten Sauerkirschen (gerne auch mit etwas Kirschwasser abgeschmeckt) oder Pflaumen und Zimt und Zucker zu genießen.
Und ja es stimmt, die Deutschen lieben den Milchreis, gerne auch als Hauptgericht, vor allem weil es auch überschaubare Kalorien hat. Eben weil es so einfach ist und sehr vielseitig einsetzbar.
Auch zum Beispiel als Füllung für Kuchen.
For the amricans:
Hi, as a German, I was looking for a recipe so that I could cook milchreis (rice pudding) during my stay here in the USA, as the typical “Michreis” (short-grain (round grain) rice) is simply not available to buy.
For those who like it creamier, you can fold in whipped cream once the rice pudding has cooled down a little.
So thank you for this recipe.
You don´t need to use sugar in the rice itselves, you season it afterwards with your topping with sugar. And so you will have more control how mauch sugar you wanna use.
And as another recipe tip, I can recommend enjoying it with thickened sour cherries (also seasoned with a little cherry brandy) or thickend cooked Plums added with cinnamon and sugar. you have many courses
And yes, it’s true, Germans love “Milchreis”, often as a main course by not so much calories.
Precisely because it’s so simple and very versatile.
For example, it can also be used as a filling for cakes.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Danke für deinen Kommentar, Marcel! Ich war am Anfang auch etwas überrascht, dass ich den klassischen Milchreis in den USA oder Kanada nirgendwo finden konnte. Gerade da ja auch hier “rice pudding” gerne gegessen wird. Mit Sauerkirschen esse ich Milchreis auch manchmal ganz gern. Es ist immer wieder interessant zu sehen, wie viele verschiedene Versionen es gibt. Liebe Grüße!
Such good eating memories living with Oma in W. Berlin. Love Milchreis. Thank you. ❤️
P.S.
I start with using water until it’s absorbed some and then use milk. Always creamy , even using 2% Lactose free.
I also have some amazing memories eating Milchreis at my Oma’s house. Thanks for leaving a comment, Debi! And yes, using some water is definitely an option as well. /Lisa
Thanks for sharing…now I know what the rice dish was grandma always made, it was my favorite! And now I know the right way to make it! Cool! Thanks Pixie. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! My grandma used to make Milchreis quite often as well. /Lisa
This brings back so many memories. Thanks for sharing