← Back to Recipes

Genmaicha Rice Pudding

By • Updated September 2026
Jump to Recipe ↓

Genmaicha—the toasted rice and green tea blend—brings nutty, popcorn-sweet warmth to this creamy stovetop rice pudding. The tea's roasted grain notes echo beautifully through the soft, milky rice, making this dessert feel both familiar and quietly exotic. A heavy-bottomed saucepan is essential here: it distributes heat evenly, prevents scorching, and gives you the gentle, steady simmer needed for pudding-rice to swell without sticking.

This recipe steeps genmaicha directly in whole milk, then simmers the rice low and slow until each grain is plump and suspended in vanilla-scented custard. The result is comfort in a bowl—lightly sweet, fragrant with toasted rice, and silky enough to eat warm or chilled.

Genmaicha Rice Pudding
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time45 mins
ServingsServes 4
DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

  • 600 ml whole milk
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 3 tbsp genmaicha tea (loose-leaf)
  • 100 g pudding rice (short-grain)
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Extra cream or honey, to serve (optional)
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 385
Fat: 18g
Sugar: 22g
Protein: 8g

Instructions

1
Infuse the milk: Pour the milk and double cream into your heavy-bottomed saucepan and add the genmaicha. Warm gently over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling, then remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the leaves gently to extract all flavour; discard the tea.
2
Add rice & sugar: Return the infused milk mixture to the heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the pudding rice, caster sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3
Simmer low & slow: Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 40–45 minutes, stirring every 5–7 minutes to prevent sticking. The rice should swell and the liquid thicken to a loose, creamy consistency. If it looks too thick, add a splash more milk.
4
Rest & serve: Remove from the heat and let the pudding stand for 5 minutes; it will thicken further as it cools. Spoon into bowls and serve warm, or chill for 2 hours. Top with a swirl of cream or a drizzle of honey if you like.

🫖 Equipment You'll Need

A heavy-bottomed saucepan is the secret to silky, scorch-free rice pudding. The thick base spreads heat evenly and prevents hot spots that can catch delicate milk and sugar, giving you the gentle, forgiving simmer you need for tender, creamy grains every time.

See our heavy-bottomed saucepan picks →

Expert Tip: Save the Tea Leaves

If you're short on genmaicha, you can reuse the strained tea leaves in a second batch—just steep for 12–15 minutes. The toasted rice flavour holds up better than the green tea itself.

Continue Your Journey

Affiliate disclosure: TeaTrade is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission by linking to Amazon.co.uk. We may earn a small commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability shown on Amazon are current at the time of click.

Comments