Gordon Ramsay’s rice pudding is not the plain white stuff from school dinners. His fragrant spiced rice pudding uses coconut milk, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and lime zest, then finishes with mascarpone and egg yolks folded through at the end before a final 10 minutes in the oven.

I always thought rice pudding was boring, much like I thought sticky toffee pudding was too hard, until I watched Ramsay make this on his Ultimate Cookery Course. He calls the spice mix chai-inspired, and the coconut milk turns the whole thing into something closer to a Thai dessert than a British one.

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Why Ramsay Toasts The Spices First

Gordon dry toasts the vanilla pod, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon in the pan for a few seconds before adding any liquid. This opens up the oils inside the spices and gives the pudding a much stronger flavour than just dropping them straight into cold milk.

I skipped the toasting once because I was in a rush. The pudding was fine but it tasted flat, like the spices were just sitting in there doing nothing.

Fragrant Spiced Rice Pudding Ingredients

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
3 whole cloves
3 cardamom pods, cracked
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
400ml (1¾ cups) coconut milk
250ml (1 cup) whole milk
2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
Zest of 2 limes
200g (1 cup) pudding rice or arborio rice
2 large egg yolks
125g (½ cup) mascarpone

How To Make Gordon Ramsay Rice Pudding

Toast the spices: Put the vanilla pod and seeds, cloves, cracked cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick into a dry saucepan over medium heat for a few seconds until fragrant.
Add the liquid: Pour in the coconut milk, whole milk, and sugar, then bring to a boil.
Zest and rice: Grate in the zest of 1 lime, add the rice, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer: Cook on a low heat, stirring now and then, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is soft but still has a bit of bite.
Mix the mascarpone: While the rice simmers, whisk the egg yolks and mascarpone together in a bowl until smooth.
Fold through: Take the pan off the heat and fold the mascarpone mixture into the rice until it thickens.
Finish in the oven: Grate the second lime on top and place the pan in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 15 minutes until set.
Serve: Spoon into bowls warm, or let it cool and eat it cold from the fridge.

What Makes This Different From Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

A traditional baked rice pudding uses just milk, sugar, rice, and maybe a grating of nutmeg. Gordon’s version swaps half the milk for coconut milk, adds a whole chai spice mix, and finishes with mascarpone and egg yolks, which makes it richer and creamier.

If you want the old fashioned version, skip the coconut milk and spices, use all whole milk, and bake it at 150°C (300°F) for 2 hours with a knob of butter on top. Both are good, but they are completely different desserts.

What To Put On Top

Gordon serves his with extra lime zest on top and nothing else. I like adding a spoonful of mango puree or some toasted coconut flakes, which leans into the Thai flavour even more.

For something more British, stewed rhubarb or a spoonful of jam works well. This pairs nicely after a light main like a chicken curry because the flavours are already in the same family.

Gordon Ramsay Rice Pudding RecipeGordon Ramsay Rice Pudding Recipe — Gordon Ramsay Rice Pudding Recipe

How Long Does It Last In The Fridge

Rice pudding keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It thickens a lot as it cools, so stir in a splash of milk when you reheat it to loosen it back up.

I would not freeze this version because the mascarpone goes grainy when it thaws. If you want to make it ahead, stop before adding the mascarpone mixture and freeze the spiced rice base on its own.

FAQs

How does Gordon Ramsay make rice pudding? He toasts whole spices in a dry pan, adds coconut milk and regular milk, simmers the rice until soft, then folds through a mascarpone and egg yolk mixture before finishing in the oven for 10 minutes. The full recipe is from his Ultimate Cookery Course.
Can I use regular milk instead of coconut milk? Yes, but you lose the fragrant coconut flavour that makes this recipe special. Use all whole milk and add 2 tablespoons of double cream (heavy cream) to keep it rich.
What rice is best for rice pudding? Pudding rice or arborio rice both work because they release starch as they cook, which is what makes the pudding creamy. Do not use basmati or long grain because they stay too separate.

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Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 bowl, approximately 200g):

Calories: 380 kcal
Total Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 90mg
Sodium: 65mg
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fibre: 1g
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 7g