Traditional Greek Rice Pudding (Rizogalo)
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.
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
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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.
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Add 7 cups of the remaining milk, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest. Return to a simmer.
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In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the remaining ½ cup milk until smooth. Stir this slurry into the rice mixture.
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Simmer 15–20 minutes longer, until thick, creamy, and porridge-like.
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Remove from heat and ladle into individual bowls. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
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Serve sprinkled with ground cinnamon.
Notes
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.
