Turkish Baked Rice Pudding is so easy to make and only needs 5 ingredients. It’s also gluten-free and can be made vegan. In this recipe, I will show you how to make classic baked rice pudding from Turkey. With a sweet, creamy center and nutty roasted top, this comforting dessert is nostalgic yet memorable in its own way, and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you.
An Easy and Delicious Turkish Dessert Recipe
You’ve probably heard of the famous Turkish delight before, but there are many other wonderful treats from Turkey that are worth your attention. Speaking of Turkey, did you know that Turkey is partly in Europe and partly in Asia? That explains their wonderfully unique culture!
Today I’ll be talking about Turkish Baked Rice Pudding, known as Fırın Sütlaç (fur-UHN’ soot-LAHCH’), a classic rice pudding with a little twist – it’s baked to create a golden-brown crust on top that adds a roasted flavor and slight crunch that really brings the dessert to life.
A Gluten-Free Rice Pudding
When we think of gluten, we usually think of almost anything that has grains right? So you might be surprised to know that this satisfying rice pudding is actually gluten-free! Not all grains are full of gluten. Some, such as rice and quinoa, don’t contain gluten at all. So feel free to enjoy this delicious rice dessert – and other rice dishes – even if you’re on a gluten-free diet!
How to Make Turkish Baked Rice Pudding
To make the rice pudding, start by giving the rice a quick rinse. Not too much, because we need to keep the starch. Bring rice and water to a boil at a 1:4 ratio, then let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the water has evaporated and the rice is very soft.
Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get started on the milk mixture for the pudding. Whisk your milk together with sugar and cornstarch. Add this into the cooked rice and mix until everything is well-combined. Pour the pudding into individual ramekins and let them bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are beautifully golden brown.
While waiting, you can also crush some hazelnuts for a traditional topping with some added crunch.
Once the individual rice puddings are done, you can eat them warm or – if you want to stay true to the dish’s Turkish heritage – let it cool to room temperature then refrigerate for 3-4 hours and eat it chilled.
Vegan Turkish Baked Rice Pudding
This gluten-free rice pudding can be vegan, too! All you have to do is substitute the milk with plant milk. Oat milk, almond milk, and coconut milk are some of the wonderful options you can try.
Tips for the Best Turkish Baked Rice Pudding
Here are a few tips you can keep in mind to get the most out of this simple rice pudding recipe:
- Try to stick to fresh or organic ingredients, especially when it comes to the milk.
- For a custard-like finish, combine an egg yolk with a few tablespoons of milk mixed with sugar. Pour it evenly on top of the rice pudding before baking.
- This recipe works best with white rice. If you want to try other varieties of rice, you may have to experiment with the cooking time and amount of liquid.
Turkish Baked Rice Pudding Recipe| Fırın Sütlaç
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Rice
- 2 Cups Water
- 4 Cups Milk
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 1 TBSP Cornstarch
Instructions
- Wash and rinse the rice once. Do not wash too thoroughly as you do want to keep some of its starch.
- Bring rice and water to a boil. Then let it simmer over low heat until all water has evaporated, and the rice is very soft. This should take approximately 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add sugar and cornstarch to milk and whisk.
- Now add cooked rice to milk mixture.
- Pour rice mixture to ramekin bakeware.
- Baked for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown.
- Crush hazelnuts as a topping.
- You can enjoy it warm or let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 3-4 hours and serve cold which is the traditional way.