Traditional Greek Rice Pudding – Rizogalo

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This Traditional Greek Rice Pudding (Rizogalo) comes straight from my book, Athens: Food, Stories, Love, and is inspired by the iconic sweet shops of Athens—think Varsos in Kifissia and Stani near Omonoia Square. It’s lush and creamy, yet beautifully simple, blending rice, milk, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla for a nostalgic dessert dusted with cinnamon.
Rizogalo is a favorite comfort food in Greece, perfect served chilled after a family meal or as a treat from the neighborhood pastry shop. Discover more timeless classics like Baklava Oatmeal Greek Cooked Breakfast, or traditional sweets such as Greek Yogurt with Quince Spoon Sweet, all inspired by Athens and the Mediterranean diet and great for breakfast! You can buy my Athens book HERE!

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Traditional Greek Rice Pudding – Rizogalo

By Diane Kochilas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Athens Book, Greek Breakfast, Recipes, Rice, Sweets & Desserts

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Athens Book, Greek Breakfast, Recipes, Rice, Sweets & Desserts

Ingredients

2/3 cup Arborio Greek Carolina, or glacé rice
8 cups whole milk divided
2/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Ground cinnamon for serving

Instructions

In a large saucepan, cover the rice with water by ½ inch and add ½ cup milk. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes until rice softens.
Add 7 cups of the remaining milk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Return to a simmer.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup milk until smooth. Stir this slurry into the rice mixture.
Simmer 15–20 minutes longer, until thick, creamy, and porridge-like.
Remove from heat and ladle into individual bowls. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Serve sprinkled with ground cinnamon.

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You can find more beloved Greek recipes and order my Athens: Food, Stories, Love cookbook for a deeper dive into Athens’ food culture and heirloom desserts.

Diane’s Greek Single-origin Artisanal Foods

Visit my online shop for a wide selection of Greek single-origin artisanal foods, from honeys to wild herbs, olives, olive oils, pistachios, heirloom grain products, fruit preserves and more.

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Diane Kochilas is one of the world’s foremost experts on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. She is the host, creator and co-producer of My Greek Table, the award-winning 13-episode per season cooking-travel show about Greece that airs nationally on Public Television. The series is in its third season.

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Traditional Greek Rice Pudding – Rizogalo