Baked Rice with Apples and Cinnamon Recipe
Baked rice with apples and cinnamon is a classic Polish sweet casserole, often served as a Friday main course or a warm dessert. Layers of vanilla-scented, creamy rice alternate with soft, cinnamon apples, and the top is buttery and lightly browned. This version makes great use of leftover rice and doesn’t require any fancy add-ins.
This is a homely Polish classic, often appearing as a Friday sweet main course instead of meat, or as a warming dessert on colder days., It combines familiar flavours of rice pudding and apple pie in a simple baked form that many people associate with school canteens and family kitchens., Because it uses basic pantry ingredients and leftover rice, it reflects the thrifty, no‑waste approach common in traditional Polish home cooking.
This casserole combines the flavour of apple pie with the comfort of rice pudding, but without making pastry or a crust., Thanks to the layered assembly, every portion has clearly defined apples, creamy rice and a golden, buttery top that resembles a simple crumble., It’s a typically homestyle dish that makes excellent use of previously cooked rice and turns it into a cosy, oven‑baked comfort food.
Why this version works
- The rice is cooked directly in milk, so after baking it stays creamy rather than dry.
- The apple layer in the middle lets the fruit soften and release juice while leaving the top free to brown nicely.
- Butter in the rice and on top adds a rich aroma and helps create a golden, lightly crisp crust without needing a complicated crumble topping.
Chef's tips
If you’re using rice that has already cooled from a previous meal, warm it briefly with a splash of milk until it’s soft and creamy again, without hard edges on the grains., Be careful not to make the apple layer too thick – if it releases a lot of juice, the bottom rice layer will be wet and compacted., The top is ready when it’s golden and the edges are gently bubbling with butter and apple juice – don’t wait until it gets very dark, as it can quickly turn bitter.
How to serve
Serve warm with a spoonful of thick cream, plain yogurt or a dollop of sour cream to balance the sweetness., It pairs perfectly with a glass of tea with lemon, cocoa or apple or plum compote; it’s ideal for a Friday sweet lunch or a late, warming supper after a walk.
Watch out for
- Don’t overcook the rice in milk – once it’s soft but still slightly springy, take it off the heat, otherwise after baking it will turn to mush.
- If the apples are very juicy, lightly squeeze out the excess juice so the bottom rice layer doesn’t become watery.
- Don’t oversweeten in advance – taste the apples first, because with sweet varieties it’s easy to add too much sugar.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the milk with 30% cream if you want a richer, more dessert‑like version.
- Raisins can be swapped for dried cranberries to add a light tartness.
- Instead of vanillin sugar, use vanilla extract or seeds from a vanilla pod.
- You can replace white rice with arborio rice for a more creamy, almost custard‑like texture.
Ingredients
- rice white (e.g. jasmine or long‑grain) - 200 g
- milk - 500 ml
- water - 200 ml
- sugar - 3 tablespoons
- vanillin sugar - 1 teaspoon
- apples - 4 pieces
- ground cinnamon - 1.5 teaspoons
- butter - 40 g
- breadcrumbs - 2 tablespoons
- raisins - 40 g
- salt - 1 pinch
Preparation
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs almost clear and the grains no longer clump together. This way, after cooking they’ll be soft but not compacted.
- Pour the milk and water into a pot, add the sugar, vanillin sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat, stirring, until the liquid starts to gently bubble around the edges but does not boil over.
- Pour the rice into the hot liquid and stir. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for 15–18 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is soft and the mixture is thick and creamy, with no runny milk at the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease an ovenproof dish with butter and dust with breadcrumbs so the bottom and sides are evenly coated with a thin, dry layer.
- Peel the apples, remove the cores and grate them on a coarse grater. Immediately mix with the cinnamon and raisins until the apples release a little juice and are evenly coated with the spice.
- Add half of the butter to the hot, thick rice and stir until completely melted. The rice should be glossy, soft and easy to spread with a spoon, with no noticeably hard grains.
- Spread half of the rice over the bottom of the prepared dish and smooth it out with a spoon, pressing it against the sides so there are no gaps down to the bottom – the layer should be even and compact.
- Spread the cinnamon apples over the rice, pressing them down lightly so they don’t form high mounds. Cover with the remaining rice, again smoothing the surface.
- Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the top of the casserole. After baking, these spots will be golden, slightly crisp and delicately browned.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is clearly browned and small bubbles of butter and apple juice appear around the edges.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 5–10 minutes to set slightly. Serve warm, cutting into squares or scooping with a spoon – the centre should be soft but hold its shape, not completely runny.
Storage
As it cools, the rice thickens and becomes more compact. When reheating in the oven or microwave, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk per portion to bring back a creamy consistency; after freezing, the apples will be noticeably softer.
I like this casserole best with tart apples, such as grey renette, and a little lemon zest in the rice – I often make it on Friday evenings using rice left over from lunch.
