Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding - A Cozy Twist on a Classic Comfort Dessert

 

If you love old‑fashioned rice pudding, you’re going to adore this fun and comforting twist. This Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding takes everything we love about the classic creamy dessert and crowns it with a buttery, golden oat topping that tastes just like a homemade flapjack. The result is a warm, nostalgic pudding with a little extra texture, sweetness, and cozy charm.

It’s the perfect dessert for chilly evenings, Sunday suppers, or anytime you’re craving something simple and satisfying. The rice pudding bakes up soft and creamy, while the flapjack layer turns beautifully crisp around the edges — a combination that feels both familiar and delightfully new.

This is comfort food at its finest: easy ingredients, minimal effort, and a dessert that brings everyone back for seconds.

 

I am an old-fashioned girl and the things which bring me the most pleasure in life are simple things and ordinary pleasures. That goes for the way I choose to live my life, dress, keep my home and, most especially, with the things which bring me joy when it comes to food . . .  cooking and eating.

A simple rice pudding falls well within the realms of what brings me lots of pleasure. Simple and milky. An almost nursery type of food.  Comfort food at its very best.

This version is a tad bit fancier than the usual in that it boasts a simple flapjack topping.  Now you North Americans might be a bit confused by that terminology.  We are not talking about pancakes here, but about a very British, very delicious oatmeal square/slice that is chewy, sticky and sweet with golden syrup.

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE FLAPJACK TOPPED RICE PUDDING

You probably already have everything you need in the house to make this right now.  The pudding itself involves very few ingredients, some pudding rice (short grained), a bit of sugar and milk, with a dotting of butter.  You might think that it seems like a very tiny amount of rice but trust me when I say it is the perfect amount!

• 50g pudding rice (short grained like arborio) (1/4 cup)
• 2 TBS caster sugar
• 600ml whole fat milk (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 TBS  butter

For the topping:

• 25g porridge oats (1/3 cup)
• 100g golden syrup (1/3 cup)

 

Pudding rice is the best rice to use for this. You want to use a short grained rice. Arborio rice is perfect for making desserts. 

In North America you can use regular granulated sugar.  

I like to use full fat milk. It gives a lovely rich flavor and consistency to the pudding.

I use salted butter as that is the only kind of butter I keep in the house. You can use unsalted if you wish but you may want to add a pinch of salt.

Do not use quick oats. You want to use something in between quick oats or large flake oats. If all you have is large flake oats, then you can blitz the large-flaked oats in a food processor for a few turns to break it into smaller pieces.

Golden syrup is a type of syrup that you can get in the U.K. It is thick and amber colored with a slight caramel flavor and citrus notes. I have a recipe here to make your own.

  

HOW TO MAKE

FLAPJACK TOPPED RICE PUDDING

This is a really simple pudding to make. I always find it quite magical the way a few simple ingredients, put together properly, can create something so delicious as this pudding. 

1. Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Buter a 1 liter/2 pint/ 4 cup shallow oven proof dish really well.  Set aside. (You will want it to be shallow so as to give you more surface area for the topping.)
2. Rinse the rice under cold water.  Dry well with paper towels.  Sprinkle over the bottom of the buttered dish.  Sprinkle the sugar overall.  Pour the milk on top and dot all over with little bits of the butter. (Rinsing the rice helps to remove some of the starch and keeps the pudding from becoming claggy.)
3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, until just golden brown and thick.  Remove from the oven and preheat the grill/broiler. (You will want the top rack of the oven to be about six inched below the grill/broiler element.)
4. Gently heat the golden syrup and oats together, just until the syrup thins out a bit.  Drizzle evenly over top of the rice pudding and then pop under the heated grill for about 5 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. (Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn.)
5. Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

As you can see it thickens very nicely. 

  

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• Read the recipe through several times before you begin. This can help to make sure that you are familiar with any ingredients, equipment or methods needed to make this dessert.
• Assemble everything you are going to need for this recipe prior to beginning. This simple step can help to prevent you from leaving out anything essential to the recipe.
• Use a shallow baking dish with a large surface, so that there is plenty of surface to spread the topping over, so that it cooks up perfectly . . .  and crispy oaty beneath the grill.
• For perfect success measure accurately as per the recipe instructions.
• Try to use the exact ingredients called for and make sure they are fresh and not out of date.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED TO USE ARBORIO RICE FOR THIS RECIPE?

You can use regular long grain rice if you want, but your pudding will be a lot nicer if you use a short grain rice. I recommend arborio rice or dedicated pudding rice for the best results.

ARE YOU SURE THIS IS ENOUGH RICE?

Yes, this is the exact amount of rice needed to make this delicious pudding. Don't worry. I know it doesn't look like a lot, but it works out perfectly.

WHY DO YOU USE WHOLE MILK?

Whole milk adds a special element of richness to the dish. You can use a lower fat milk but the density and flavor will not be quite the same.

WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF GOLDEN SYRUP?

If you cannot find Golden Syrup and you don't want to make your own you can use regular corn syrup, honey or maple syrup in it's place. It won't give you quite the same results but will still be delicious!

WHAT ARE PORRIDGE OATS?

Porridge oats are crushed or broken and not flattened. The whole oat kernel is split into small oat fragments that are inconsistent in size and shape. Porridge oats are occasionally called Scottish oats or Irish oats,

 

A FEW OTHER 

RICE PUDDINGS TO ENJOY

Rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts. I have a few different recipes for it on here. Here are a few other versions of rice pudding that you might also enjoy!

STICKY TOFFEE RICE PUDDING - Two favorite desserts rolled into one. This is a fabulous version. A deliciously creamy rice pudding, studded with sticky dates and topped with a lush toffee sauce and candied pecans. 

DANISH RICE PUDDING - This is my favorite rice pudding. I love to make this for the holidays. There are three elements to the recipe. The making of the pudding, which is rich and creamy and flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, lemon and cardamom. The making of a sweet thick cherry sauce and then finally, the making of crisp and sweet candied flaked almonds. The three together are amazing.

  

In any case you need to make this pudding.  I think in North America you can get Golden Syrup online and if you can't find it, you can use corn syrup in its place.  Golden syrup does have a lovely caramel like flavor however, so if you can get it, I highly recommend.

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Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

A delicious simple and comforting rice pudding with a fabulous Flapjack Topping

ingredients:

• 50g pudding rice (short grained like arborio) (1/4 cup)
• 2 TBS caster sugar
• 600ml whole fat milk (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 TBS  butter

For the topping:

• 25g porridge oats (1/3 cup)
• 100g golden syrup (1/3 cup)

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Buter a 1 litre/2 pint shallow oven proof dish really well.  Set aside.
2. Rinse the rice under cold water.  Dry well with paper towels.  Sprinkle over the bottom of the buttered dish.  Sprinkle the sugar over all.  Pour the milk on top and dot all over with little bits of the butter.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, until just golden brown and thick.  Remove from the oven and preheat the grill/broiler.
4. Gently heat the golden syrup and oats together, just until the syrup thins out a bit.  Drizzle evenly over top of the rice pudding and then pop under the heated grill for about 5  minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.
5. Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

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