Zapekanka (Ukrainian Baked Rice Pudding)
Zapekanka is a Ukrainian baked rice pudding with a sweet, satisfyingly soft, and smooth texture. It's a comforting family treat.
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 6 cups whole milk
- 3 cups long grain rice
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5 large Granny Smith apples
Instructions
How to Prep Zapenkanka
- Start by rinsing the rice well. Set it aside.
- Preheat your oven to 375 ℉. Add milk to a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil on the stovetop, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning.
- Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add the rice. Let the rice boil and absorb all the milk.
- Once the rice is cooked, transfer it from the saucepan to a large glass baking pan.
- Spread the unsalted butter, cut into cubes, over the rice.
- Then, add the granulated sugar and salt to the pan. Stir everything together until it's well combined.
- Next, mix in the eggs until they are fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Wash, peel, and slice the Granny Smith apples. I find that using an onion chopper to chop the apples works well. If you don't have one, you can purchase one from my Shop categories.
- Add the chopped apples to the rice mixture and mix them in until everything is well combined.
- Add pure vanilla extract and sprinkle in ground cinnamon. Mix everything well to ensure all the flavors are evenly distributed.
How to Bake Zapekanka
- Place your Zapekanka in the preheated oven and bake it at 375 ℉ for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it's golden brown.
- Remove the Zapekanka from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before serving. This Ukrainian baked rice pudding is best enjoyed warm, served with a cold cup of milk.