6. Dried Fruit
Raisins are closely associated with rice pudding, and they can be an essential ingredient for traditional versions of the dessert, but raisins don’t have to be ordinary. You can opt for more flavorful and lighter sultanas to regular dark grapes.
If you are not fond of raisins or if you want something a bit different, you can add virtually any kind of dried fruit to your rice pudding. Dried apricots, craisins, dates, prunes, currants and other types of dried fruit make wonderful additions to rice pudding. If you add these fruits early in the cooking process, they may rehydrate and puff up, which may appeal to you.
If you prefer they remain fully dried, add them later on in the cooking process, but this will add less of the fruit flavor to the pudding and will be more like an addition.