Pour this 1 mixture over rice into a slow cooker for a creamy bowl that keeps you coming back for more

 This slow cooker coconut rice pudding is my kind of comfort dessert: you literally pour one creamy mixture over rice, walk away, and come back to a cozy bowl that tastes like you fussed over it all afternoon. It leans on pantry staples—coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cardamom, and sugar—to create a rich, lightly spiced pudding that feels a little tropical but still very Midwestern potluck-friendly. I love throwing this together before dinner so it’s warm and ready when we’re done eating, and the slow cooker keeps it hands-off, which is perfect on busy work nights.

Serve the rice pudding warm, straight from the slow cooker, with an extra splash of coconut milk or regular milk to loosen it if it’s thickened. I like to top mine with fresh berries, sliced bananas, or a spoonful of jam from the fridge. A sprinkle of toasted coconut or chopped nuts adds a nice crunch. It’s great on its own as a cozy dessert, but it also works as a special weekend breakfast with hot coffee or chai on the side.

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Slow Cooker Coconut Rice Pudding

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 cup arborio rice, uncooked and rinsed
1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whole milk (or 2% milk)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional for serving: extra milk or coconut milk, fresh fruit, toasted coconut, or chopped nuts

Directions

Lightly coat the inside of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray or a thin layer of butter to help prevent sticking.

Rinse the arborio rice under cool running water until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well, then spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.

In a large mixing bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cardamom, and salt until the mixture is smooth and the sugar is mostly dissolved. This is your one creamy mixture.

Pour this one mixture evenly over the arborio rice in the slow cooker, making sure all the rice is submerged. Give a gentle stir to distribute the rice without splashing.

Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, stirring once about halfway through, until the rice is very tender and the mixture has thickened to a loose pudding consistency. The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.

Once done, turn off the slow cooker and let the pudding sit, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes to set. If it looks too thick, stir in a splash of milk or coconut milk until it reaches your ideal creaminess.

Serve the coconut rice pudding warm, topped with fresh fruit, toasted coconut, or nuts if you like. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat gently with a bit of extra milk to loosen.

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Variations & Tips

For a slightly lighter version, swap the whole milk for 2% and use light coconut milk; the pudding will be a bit less rich but still creamy. If you’re not a cardamom fan, you can replace it with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or use 2 to 3 whole cardamom pods instead of ground, then fish them out before serving. Add 1/2 cup of golden raisins or dried cranberries to the rice before pouring the mixture over for little pops of sweetness. To make it dairy-reduced, use canned coconut milk plus an unsweetened non-dairy milk (like almond or oat) in place of the whole milk, and reduce or omit the extra sugar since the condensed milk is already sweet; just know it won’t be fully dairy-free unless you also swap the condensed milk for a dairy-free sweetened condensed coconut milk. For extra coconut flavor, stir in 1/2 cup toasted shredded coconut at the end. If you like your pudding thicker and almost sliceable, cook closer to the higher end of the time range and let it cool longer; for a looser, more spoonable pudding, stir in extra warm milk right before serving. This also works as a make-ahead dessert: cook it earlier in the day, chill, then reheat in the slow cooker on WARM with a splash of milk while you eat dinner.