Creamy, old-fashioned rice pudding, the kind your grandmother made, gets a very modern update with caramel, then gets spooned into tender roasted apples. Using store-bought caramel candies and caramel sauce make it an easy recipe to make.

Is there a fire in the fireplace? Did someone offer a tiny nightcap of brandy? Did the cook of the house mention dessert? If the answer to at least two of those questions is yes, it’s time for caramel apple rice pudding. This recipe starts with one of the most nostalgic desserts there is, creamy stovetop rice pudding, the kind that simmered on grandmother’s stove, and gives it a thoroughly up-to-date twist: caramel, melted right into the pudding and drizzled over the top. Then it all gets spooned into roasted apple halves, turning a humble, homey dessert into a showpiece for a fall dinner.

The recipe was developed and styled by TABLE food stylist and recipe developer Anna Franklin. It’s easier than it looks, because the caramel comes straight from the pantry: soft caramel candies melt into the simmering milk, and store-bought caramel dessert topping goes on at the end.

Grandma’s Rice Pudding, Updated With Caramel

Rice pudding has always been comfort food: rice, milk and sugar cooked slowly until they turn into something creamy, sweet and spoonable. It’s the dessert of church suppers, diners and grandmothers’ kitchens, and one bite can bring back all of those wonderful memories. Caramel is what makes this version feel fresh and current. Salted caramel has become one of the defining dessert flavors of the last two decades, and its buttery, slightly bitter edge keeps the pudding from tasting one-note sweet. Paired with roasted apples, it becomes a memorable fall dessert. Get a spoon: you’ll want to eat every bit. 

The Easy Caramel Shortcut

Making caramel from scratch means watching sugar closely and risking a burnt pan. This recipe skips all of that. Soft caramel candies go into the pot with the milk and sugar and melt as the milk heats, flavoring every grain of rice with a light, toffee-like sweetness. At serving time, a drizzle of caramel sauce adds a glossy finish and a second, stronger hit of caramel. Two shortcuts, no candy thermometer, and nobody will know.

Pro Tip: A Crack of Salt

Before you drizzle the caramel sauce, give it a good crack of freshly ground salt from a grinder and stir it in. The salt adds a little savory complexity, sharpens the caramel flavor and balances the sweetness of the pudding and the apples. It’s the same principle behind salted caramel, applied in about two seconds.

The Best Apples for Baking

Choose firm apples that hold their shape in the oven, so each half is sturdy enough to be a little bowl for the pudding. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady and Northern Spy all roast well and balance sweetness with a bit of tartness. Softer apples like McIntosh tend to collapse. Use a melon baller or a sturdy teaspoon to scoop out the core, leaving a generous hollow for the filling.

Don’t forget to visit local orchards. Apples picked this week taste completely different from apples that have been in storage, and many growers around Western Pennsylvania offer varieties you’ll never see at the grocery store. Find one near you in TABLE’s guide to 17 of the best Pittsburgh apple orchards and apple-picking spots.

The Ingredients Behind the Flavor

Whole milk. The rice cooks directly in milk, not water, which is what gives old-fashioned rice pudding its creamy richness. Whole milk makes the silkiest pudding.

Long-grain white rice. Long-grain rice keeps a little more definition than short-grain, so the pudding is creamy with distinct, tender grains.

Soft caramel candies. Classic chewy caramels melt smoothly into hot milk and bring butter, sugar and cream flavors along with them.

Vanilla extract. Stirred in off the heat, so its aroma stays bright.

Butter. Drizzled over the apple halves before roasting, it helps them caramelize at the edges and turn tender.

Caramel sauce and cinnamon. The finishing touches: a glossy drizzle, a crack of salt and a dusting of warm spice.

Tips for Making Rice Pudding

Good rice pudding is about timing and patience. Keep the heat low, at a gentle simmer rather than a boil, so the milk doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan. Stir occasionally, and more often toward the end as the pudding thickens. It’s ready when it reaches the consistency of yogurt and the rice is tender but still has a little bite. Don’t push it further: the pudding thickens considerably as it cools, which is why this recipe saves the last half cup of milk to stir in just before serving.

Skip rinsing the rice. The surface starch is what helps turn the milk into a thick, creamy pudding.

How to Make Caramel Apple Rice Pudding

Simmer the pudding. Bring the milk, sugar, caramel candies and salt to a boil, stir in the rice and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.

Finish and chill. Stir in the vanilla off the heat, let the pudding cool, then refrigerate until cold.

Roast the apples. While the pudding chills, brush the cored apple halves with melted butter and roast until tender but still holding their shape.

Fill and finish. Loosen the chilled pudding with the reserved milk, spoon it into the apples, then drizzle with salted caramel sauce and dust with cinnamon.

How to Serve It

This is a dessert made for the end of a long autumn dinner. Serve the filled apples on small plates with a spoon and a knife, alongside coffee, a glass of cider or a tiny nightcap of brandy or Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy). For a warmer, cozier version, briefly warm the roasted apples before filling them, so each bite contrasts cool, creamy pudding with warm fruit.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

• Make the rice pudding up to three days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Stir in the reserved milk just before serving.
• Roast the apples up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Bring them to room temperature or warm them briefly before filling.
• Fill and drizzle the apples just before serving so the caramel stays glossy.

Caramel Apple Rice Pudding FAQs

What kind of rice is best for rice pudding?

This recipe uses long-grain white rice for a creamy pudding with distinct grains. Short-grain rice such makes a thicker, stickier pudding, so results will differ if you swap.

Should you rinse rice for rice pudding?

No. Unrinsed rice keeps its surface starch, which thickens the milk and gives the pudding its creamy texture.

Why is my rice pudding too thick?

Rice pudding keeps thickening as it cools. Stir in a splash of milk, as this recipe does just before serving, until it’s loose and creamy again.

Can I make caramel rice pudding without caramel candies?

The candies give the pudding its caramel base. Without them, you’ll have a classic vanilla rice pudding, which is still delicious under the caramel drizzle. If you opt not to use the caramel candies, consider zesting an orange into the rice and milk mixture as it simmers. 

What are the best apples for baked apples?

Firm apples that hold their shape, such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, Pink Lady and Northern Spy.

Is rice pudding served warm or cold?

Either. This recipe chills the pudding and serves it in roasted apples, but you can warm the apples first for a contrast of temperatures.

More fall desserts from TABLE: 

Try our recipes using apple cider, Halloween Coffee Cake, and Halloween Espresso Brownies.

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About the Recipe Author

Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine’s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent many years cooking in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before moving into food styling. Anna tests, plates, and styles the recipes and restaurant features in TABLE’s print and digital editions, working alongside photographers Dave Bryce and Laura Petrilla. Read more of her work at TABLE.

About the Photographer

Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.

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