Risalamande is a Danish Christmas dessert made by folding whipped cream and chopped almonds into chilled rice pudding, then serving it with warm cherry sauce. The creamy, gently vanilla-scented pudding can be made ahead, while its tart fruit topping keeps each spoonful from feeling too rich.

Ingredients

1 cup (200 g) short-grain white rice, such as pudding rice or arborio
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
4 cups (950 ml) whole milk
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 g) blanched almonds, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
12 ounces (340 g) pitted sweet or sour cherries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar, for the cherry sauce
1/2 cup (120 ml) water, for the cherry sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
2 teaspoons (6 g) cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water

Instructions

Start the rice. Put the rice and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water in a heavy, medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice. Cook for about 2 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed. Starting the grains in water helps them soften before the milk is added.
Simmer with milk. Pour in the milk and add the salt and 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar. If using a vanilla bean, scrape in the seeds and add the pod too. Bring the mixture just to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan so the rice does not catch.
Cook until tender. Lower the heat so the milk bubbles softly, not vigorously. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every few minutes and more often near the end. The rice should be tender and the mixture thick but still loose; it will firm up as it cools. If it becomes very thick before the grains are tender, stir in a splash of milk.
Cool the porridge. Remove the vanilla pod if you used one. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar and the vanilla extract if using it instead of a bean. Transfer the porridge to a shallow heatproof dish, spread it out, and let the steam subside for about 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly cold. Do not fold cream into warm rice, or it will melt and make the dessert soupy.
Make the cherry sauce. While the rice chills, put the cherries, 1/3 cup (67 g) sugar, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is hot and beginning to release its juices. Stir the cornstarch mixture again, pour it into the pan, and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate if you prefer a cold topping.
Prepare the almonds and cream. Chop the blanched almonds finely; small pieces distribute well, but leave a few slightly larger bits for texture. In a chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Stop when the cream holds a gentle curve rather than standing stiffly; overwhipped cream is harder to fold in smoothly.
Fold together. Loosen the cold rice pudding by stirring it with a spoon. Fold in the chopped almonds, then add the whipped cream in two additions, using a broad spatula and turning the mixture gently until no large streaks of cream remain. Taste and add a little more sugar only if needed; the cherry sauce adds its own sweetness.
Serve. Spoon the risalamande into bowls or a serving dish. Serve with the cherry sauce warm or chilled, either spooned over the top or passed at the table. If the pudding has become very firm in the refrigerator, stir in a tablespoon or two of cold milk before serving.

Tips

Choose the right rice. Short-grain rice releases starch and gives this dessert its characteristic creamy body. Arborio is an accessible substitute and works well, though the grains can remain a little firmer and more distinct than with Danish pudding rice. Long-grain rice is less suitable because the pudding tends to be less cohesive.
Keep the heat low. Milk can scorch on the base of a pan even when the surface looks calm. Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir all the way across the bottom, and lower the heat if the simmer becomes lively. A few minutes of extra gentle cooking is preferable to a scorched flavor.
Cool before adding cream. Spread the rice in a shallow dish to help it cool evenly, and refrigerate it once the initial steam has subsided. Folding cream into warm pudding makes it runny; adding the cream only after the rice is cold preserves a lighter, spoonable texture.
Adjust the sauce to the fruit. Sour cherries may need a little extra sugar, while very sweet cherries may need another teaspoon of lemon juice. Frozen cherries can go straight into the pan; they may release more liquid, so simmer the sauce until it coats a spoon.

Serving Suggestions

Serve risalamande in small bowls after a festive meal, with a generous spoonful of cherry sauce on each portion. Warm sauce creates a pleasant contrast with the cold pudding, while chilled sauce makes the dessert especially refreshing. For a tidy presentation, spoon the pudding into a shallow bowl and make a small well in the center for the fruit and its juices.

The dessert is rich, so modest portions are usually enough. If you are setting out a holiday spread, offer crisp butter cookies, plain shortbread, or coffee alongside it rather than another creamy dessert. A little grated lemon zest over the cherries can brighten the fruit without changing the pudding’s familiar vanilla-and-almond character.

Variations

For a more traditional almond flavor, use a vanilla bean and blanched almonds. If blanched almonds are difficult to find, use regular almonds and rub away their skins after briefly soaking them in hot water; the pudding will have a slightly more rustic look. Sliced almonds can also work, though chopping them gives a more even distribution through the creamy rice.

Cherry sauce is the classic pairing, but a berry sauce made from raspberries or mixed berries is a practical alternative. Cook 12 ounces (340 g) of berries with the same amount of sugar and water, then thicken as directed; raspberries break down more readily, so strain the sauce if you want to remove the seeds. A spoonful of red currant jelly stirred into the finished sauce can add tartness if the fruit tastes very sweet.

For a less rich version, replace up to half of the heavy cream with additional cold whole milk, folding it in gradually until the texture is as loose as you like. The result will be less airy and less traditional, but still creamy. For a dairy-free adaptation, use unsweetened oat milk for the rice and a plant-based whipping cream that is designed to whip; the flavor and set will vary by product, so follow its package directions.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate the rice pudding and cherry sauce separately in covered containers within 2 hours of cooking or serving. The pudding keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, and the sauce keeps for about the same length of time. Keeping them apart prevents the fruit juices from thinning and tinting the whole batch. Stir the pudding gently before serving, and loosen it with a little cold milk if it has tightened.

This dessert is served cold, so it does not need reheating. Warm only the sauce, in a small saucepan over low heat or in short microwave bursts, stirring between intervals. If you do warm any leftover portion of the rice pudding, reheat it to 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS safe temperature for leftovers, then cool it promptly if you plan to serve it chilled again. For best texture, fold in the whipped cream shortly before serving; once fully assembled, keep the dessert covered and refrigerated and use it within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is risalamande the same as rice pudding?
It begins with a Danish-style rice porridge, but it is not simply served as hot rice pudding. The cooked rice is cooled, then folded with whipped cream and chopped almonds and served with cherry sauce. That makes the finished dessert lighter and richer at the same time, with a distinct almond flavor.

Can I make the rice pudding a day ahead?
Yes. Cook and chill the rice a day ahead, keeping it covered in the refrigerator, and make the cherry sauce at the same time if convenient. Whip the cream and fold everything together closer to serving, ideally within a few hours, so the texture stays airy. If you assemble it the night before, it will still taste good but may become denser.

Why is my rice pudding too thick?
It may have cooked a little longer than needed or absorbed more milk as it cooled. Stir in cold milk a tablespoon at a time before folding in the cream, or a small splash afterward if the finished pudding is too firm. Next time, stop cooking when the rice is tender but the porridge still looks slightly looser than your desired final texture.

Can I use leftover rice?
Cooked plain rice is not an ideal shortcut for this recipe because it will not absorb milk and release starch in the same way as rice simmered directly in the liquid. The result is more likely to be a loose cream-and-rice mixture than a cohesive pudding. For the intended texture, start with uncooked short-grain rice.

Can I use frozen cherries?
Yes. Add them to the saucepan while still frozen and cook until they are hot and releasing juice. They may need a few extra minutes to come to a simmer, but there is no need to thaw them first. Taste the sauce before thickening, since frozen fruit can vary in sweetness and acidity.

Can I make this without almonds?
Yes. Simply leave out the almonds for an almond-free version, while keeping in mind that the dessert will lose its characteristic nutty flavor and little bits of crunch. Check the labels on vanilla and other packaged ingredients if you are avoiding almonds because of an allergy, and use clean utensils to prevent cross-contact.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).

Danish Rice Pudding: Risalamande