Diner-style Rice Pudding Cheesecake
When we saw Allison Robicelli’s recipe for Rice Pudding Cheesecake Pie, we knew we had to give it a try. Her version was amazing, but missing a little something. Honestly, what good is rice pudding without a bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and dried fruit? Exactly. So we added a little spice and some California Prunes, and created Diner-style Ride Pudding Cheesecake (aka perfection).
Rice Pudding…and Cheesecake???
Think rice pudding cake sounds a little out there? Consider that the Italians have been serving up both savory and sweet versions of torta di riso– a cake made of rice and custard on a crust of crushed cookies or bread crumbs – for decades.
What is Rice Pudding Cheesecake?
We’re so glad you asked! So, the base of this creative dessert is your typical graham cracker crust. Then, you pour in the filling. This is where things really get interesting. The filling is a rice pudding + cheesecake hybrid. There’s really no better way to describe it – if rice pudding and cheesecake filling had a baby, this is what you’d wind up with. Finally, this whole concoction is topped with a coffee-cake style crumble and baked. Sounds delicious, right? It is. In Allison’s own words, “These are brilliant ideas and I expect to be lavished with praise for them”. Well, here goes nothing, Allison – You’re fabulously amazing! We’re not worthy!
Was that good enough for you? We could go on….
Diner-style Rice Pudding Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 7 California Prunes minced
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- 4 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the crust:
- 3 sleeves 24 graham crackers
- 12 TBSP butter melted
For the topping:
- 8 TBSP stick butter room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- Powdered sugar to finish
Instructions
For the filling:
- Place the minced prunes in a bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Soak for 15-30 minutes then drain thoroughly allowing the rehydrated prunes to sit in a colander over a bowl or in the sink to continue draining while continuing with the next steps.
- While the prunes are soaking, fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Place the rice in a strainer and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes. Strain into the sink. Return the pot to the stove, add the milk, salt, and the drained rice then simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the cream cheese to the warm rice and milk mixture then set aside, stirring occasionally to incorporate the cream cheese as it melts.
For the crust:
- While the rice mixture is cooling make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180C) and line a 9 x 13 inch (22×33 cm) cake pan with several layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, leaving an overhang so you can easily lift the cake from the pan later.
- In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process the graham crackers into crumbs. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs until completely combined then gently press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan to make a thin crust. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the crust is in the oven, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Add the cooled rice mixture and fold until completely incorporated.
- Place the prebaked crust onto a baking sheet to make moving the pan back and forth from the oven easier. Pour the rice filling into the crust then sprinkle the soaked and thoroughly drained minced prunes across the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.
For the topping:
- Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl and knead together using your hands or the back of a fork until crumbly. After the filling has baked for 30 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven, crumble the topping evenly over the top then continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before removing it from the pan, dust with powdered sugar, and serve. Store any rice pudding cheesecake leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
We hope you loved this recipe for Rice Pudding Cheesecake! Craving a more traditional cheesecake? We’ve got you covered.
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