Kheer is a creamy Indian rice pudding made with just rice, milk, and sugar, gently flavored with saffron and cardamom. It's one of the most-served desserts at Indian celebrations and one of the easiest, especially when you make it in the Instant Pot.
This recipe gives you both options: a hands-off Instant Pot method (20 minutes, zero stirring) and a classic stovetop method for anyone who prefers the traditional way. Either way, you get a rich, spoonable pudding with a perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess.
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What Is Kheer?
Kheer is an Indian pudding made from milk, rice, and sugar, flavored with cardamom, saffron, and nuts like almonds and pistachios. It's the dessert I grew up eating at nearly every family gathering, my mom made it often, and it's still one of the simplest, most comforting sweets in Indian cooking.
Rice is the classic base, but kheer is also made with vermicelli, semolina, tapioca, lentils (moong dal or chana dal), or vegetables like carrots and bottle gourd. If you want to branch out, try my Basundi or Lauki Ki Kheer.
8 Ways to Flavor Kheer
Flavoring is optional, kheer tastes great plain, but any of these add a nice layer of complexity:
- Green cardamom - the most common flavoring in Indian desserts.
- Saffron - not traditional in every household, but I always add it.
- Rose essence - a few drops go a long way for a floral note.
- Fennel seeds - an unexpected but pleasant, mildly sweet spice.
- Cinnamon - warm and comforting, especially in winter.
- Vanilla - a few drops for a gentle, rounded flavor.
- Nuts - almonds, pistachios, and raisins each bring their own flavor and texture.
- Fruit - apples and cinnamon in winter; fresh berries or mango in summer.
How to Make Kheer in the Instant Pot
This is the easiest way to make kheer, dump the ingredients in, walk away, and come back to a perfectly creamy pudding.
- Soak the rice. Rinse basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak for 30 minutes. Drain. This is the only slow step, soaking improves both texture and flavor.
- Add water first. Pour water into the inner pot before anything else, this prevents sticking at the bottom.
- Add milk, rice, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Mix well. Don't add condensed milk or almond flour yet, they go in later.
- Seal and cook. Close the lid, set the vent to sealing, and cook on Porridge mode for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally (about 10 minutes).
- Whisk (optional). A quick whisk breaks up the rice grains and makes the kheer creamier.
- Finish on sauté mode (optional). Stir in condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts. Cook 2-3 minutes, then turn off.
- Garnish and serve. Top with nuts and enjoy warm or chilled.
Stovetop Method
Prefer the traditional route? Use the same ingredients and ratios above.
Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven (at least 8 quarts), then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is fully cooked and the kheer has thickened, about 30-40 minutes. Add condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts in the last few minutes, then garnish and serve.
Tips for Perfect Kheer
- Use full-fat milk. The creaminess in kheer comes from the milk fat, low-fat milk works, but the result won't be as rich.
- Water + milk prevents scorching. The splash of water at the start of cooking keeps the bottom from burning.
- Almond flour is optional. Swap in crushed almonds, or skip it entirely for a nut-free kheer.
- Condensed milk adds caramelized sweetness but isn't required, adjust with sugar instead if you skip it.
- Kheer thickens as it cools. Stir in a splash of milk when reheating to loosen it back up.
How to Serve Kheer
Kheer is delicious warm or chilled, both are traditional, so serve it however you prefer. I often pair it with Gulab Jamun for a two-dessert spread at celebrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Basmati rice is traditional and gives the best aroma, but any good-quality, aromatic rice works.
Kheer thickens as starch releases from the rice and the milk reduces, this takes time. If it still looks thin after 20+ minutes of simmering (stovetop) or after the whisking step (Instant Pot), cook a few more minutes on low heat or sauté mode, stirring constantly. It will also continue to thicken as it cools.
Yes. Return it to low heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until it reduces to the consistency you want. A tablespoon of almond flour or rice flour mixed with a little milk, stirred in, will also thicken it quickly.
Yes, kheer actually tastes better after a few hours as the flavors settle. Make it up to a day ahead, refrigerate, and add a splash of milk when reheating since it thickens in the fridge.
Substitute full-fat milk with almond milk or full-fat coconut milk.
Skip the nuts and almond flour. Pumpkin seeds or chia seeds work well for garnish instead.
Use your preferred sweetener instead of sugar and condensed milk, added at the end once the kheer is cooked.
About 4-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, adding milk as needed to loosen it.
More Indian Desserts
Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Basmati rice
- 6 cups full fat milk
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup sugar, (as per taste)
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder, (around 5-6 green cardamom pods)
- 15-20 strands of saffron
- ¼ cup almond flour (optional)
- 2 tablespoon condensed milk (optional)
- 8-10 almonds, chopped
- 1 tablespoon raisins
For Garnish:
- Handful of silvered almonds, pistachios, (nuts of choice)
Instructions
Instant Pot instructions
- Rinse rice until water runs clear; soak 30 minutes, then drain.
- Add water to the Instant Pot inner pot first (prevents sticking).
- Add milk, rice, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Mix well. Do not add condensed milk or almond flour yet.
- Seal the lid (vent to sealing). Cook on Porridge mode, high pressure, 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally, 10 minutes.
- Optional: whisk to break up rice for a creamier texture.
- Sauté mode: stir in condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts. Cook 2-3 minutes. Turn off.
- Garnish with nuts and serve.
Stovetop instructions
- Bring milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven (8+ qt).
- Reduce heat, add soaked rice, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes until thick and rice is cooked.
- Stir in condensed milk, almond flour, and nuts in the last few minutes.
- Garnish with nuts and serve.
Notes
- If you are not using almond flour and condensed milk you can reduce the milk by a cup. Use 5 cups of milk instead of 6 cups.
- Please refer to the post for the following:
- Tips for making delicious Kheer (Rice Pudding)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to make Kheer vegan / dairy-free? substitute full-fat milk with nut milk like almond milk or full-fat coconut milk.
- Nuts: Some like to use roasted nuts in the kheer. To roast nuts, turn on Instant Pot on sauté mode, and add 1 tbsp. of ghee (or For vegan use oil) and sauté the nuts for about a minute. Remove the nuts and save them for later. Continue with the recipe.
- How to make Kheer nut-free? For a nut-free rice pudding, simply skip all the nuts and the almond flour. Instead, you can use some pumpkin seeds, or chia seeds for garnish. It will still taste delicious.
- How to make Kheer sugar-free? For a sugar-free Kheer, substitute the sweetener of your choice instead of refined sugar and condensed milk. Add the sweetener after the kheer is cooked, at the end.
- Kheer stays fresh in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
- Kheer thickens significantly as it cools, thin it with a splash of milk when reheating.
- If kheer looks too thin after cooking, simmer a few more minutes on low heat (or Sauté mode) to reduce further.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Priya S. says
Made this for Diwali and it was a huge hit! Used the Instant Pot method and it came out perfectly creamy. Question- can I double the recipe in a 6qt Instant Pot?
Jyoti Behrani says
So glad it was a hit, Priya! Yes, you can double it in a 6qt, just make sure the liquid stays under the max fill line, and add a couple extra minutes of natural release since there's more volume.
Sameer says
Mine turned out a little too thin even after the porridge cycle, any tips?
Jyoti Behrani says
That happens sometimes depending on the rice! Just turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and simmer for a few more minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to where you want it. It'll also thicken more as it cools.
Anita R says
Love that this has both methods in one post, I usually do stovetop but tried the Instant Pot version this time and it saved me so much time.
Jyoti Behrani says
That's exactly why I wanted to include both, Anita! The Instant Pot version really is a game-changer for busy days. So happy you enjoyed it.