Kheer or Payasam is a popular Indian dessert made for festivals and special celebrations. It is essentially a rice pudding made with rice and milk, infused with saffron, cardamom, and assorted dried fruits. This Kheer made in the instant pot is a game changer. The best part about this is that there’s no stirring, and it’s ready in under 40 minutes!
Traditionally, making kheer involved keeping milk and rice on the stove for 2 hours, stirring it frequently until the milk thickened and became creamy. With the Porridge setting in the Instant Pot, the same thing happens, but you simply add all the ingredients and go your happy way to enjoy yourself!
As Diwali is approaching, I have been wanting to make some desserts that we can share with family and friends. Food, or rather desserts, is an integral part of Indian Diwali celebrations. You visit friends or have them over. But really, everywhere you go, you will find a table full of snacks and desserts laid out for you to enjoy. Oh, I love Diwali (how can a foodie not? 😉
This will be my dessert addition to Diwali potlucks this year: Instant Pot Kheer.
You will also love my other kheer recipes – Seviyan Kheer, Sabudana Kheer, Carrot Kheer, and Oats Kheer.
Table of Contents
The Original Instant Pot Kheer Recipe
I call this the original kheer recipe as I was the first recipe developer to figure out this set-and-forget method, and it quickly became popular (for very good reason). Now you will find this method shared on many food blogs. The above picture is the one I first shared for this recipe in 2017.
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Kheer
Why Make Kheer in the Instant Pot?
- It’s Easy and effortless. Just dump the ingredients, set the timer, and let the Instant Pot do the work.
- No stirring is needed—no standing by the stove or worrying about milk sticking to the bottom.
- It has the same authentic taste. It’s creamy, flavorful, and just like traditional stovetop kheer.
- It’s perfect for any occasion
Ingredients
There are just a few basic ingredients that you need to make kheer:
Rice: I use fragrant white basmati rice to make kheer. Other types of white rice work too.
Ghee: It gives a rich taste and aroma to the kheer. I prefer to use my homemade instant pot ghee.
Milk: I used whole milk. You can also use low-fat milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk.
Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar. Sugar substitutes could work; see tips and notes.
Saffron: Adds color and a delicate aroma to the kheer.
Nuts and Raisins: I like to add almonds, cashews, and pistachios to kheer. Raisins are also a great addition.
How to make Kheer in the Instant Pot?
This rice pudding is super easy, with just the addition of all ingredients to the instant pot and setting it to porridge mode. The Instant Pot does its magic, and perfectly aromatic rice kheer is ready for you in 30 minutes. If you haven’t tried kheer in an Instant Pot yet, you simply must!
Vegan Kheer in Instant Pot
Substitute ghee with dairy-free butter and milk with your preferred dairy-free milk alternative. Some readers have tried this kheer with almond milk and oat milk and enjoyed it.
Recipe Tips
This Instant Pot Kheer is super easy to make, but here are some tips that will be helpful as you try this recipe:
Clean the Instant Pot thoroughly: Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert, lid, and sealing ring thoroughly. If you have an extra sealing ring for sweet foods, use it.
Rinse Rice: Ensure the rice is rinsed thoroughly by washing it 2-4 times until the water runs clear.
Sugar Substitute: Although I have not tried it myself, some readers have suggested that if using jaggery or coconut sugar in place of regular sugar, add it after cooking on the porridge setting (otherwise, the milk can curdle).
Rose Water: If you like, you can add a teaspoon of rose water to this kheer. I recommend adding it after the kheer is cooked.
Add Water: This recipe adds some water to thin out the liquids in the Instant Pot. Do not skip this step, as otherwise, you can get a Burn sign on the Instant Pot.
Natural Pressure Release: It is essential to let the pressure release naturally, as otherwise the milk can splutter and cause a mess.
Storage: You can store kheer in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The stored kheer can get thicker and creamier. If you prefer, you can thin the consistency by adding more milk.
I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious Instant Pot Indian Dessert – Rice Pudding. Do share how it turned out!
More Instant Pot Desserts
Desserts
Instant Pot Moong Dal Halwa
Rice & Grains
Instant Pot Sweet Pongal (Sakkarai Pongal)
Desserts
Zarda Sweet Rice (Meethe Chawal)
Instant Pot Kheer (Payasam)
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee, divided
- 1/2 cup Basmati Rice, rinsed, or another aromatic white rice
- 4 1/2 cups Milk, whole
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Sugar, (adjust to taste), see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
- 1/8 teaspoon Saffron (Kesar), (optional)
- 1/4 cup Mixed Nuts, chopped or sliced (cashews, almonds, walnut, pistachios) (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Raisins, (optional)
Instructions
- Sanitize the Instant Pot steel insert, lid, and sealing ring thoroughly. If you have an extra sealing ring for sweet foods, use it.
- Rinse the rice 2-4 times until the water runs clear.
- Heat the Instant Pot in Saute mode. Add 1/2 tablespoon ghee and let it melt. Add the rinsed rice and saute for 30 seconds. (It is optional to saute the rice, but it adds richness and aroma to the kheer. If skipping, directly add the rinsed rice to the Instant Pot).
- Add the water, milk, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Give it all a good stir.
- You can add the nuts now if you like. You can also saute the nuts and raisins in ghee and then add them after cooking the kheer (see roasting nuts section).
- Close the lid with the vent in sealing position. Set Instant Pot to PORRIDGE mode for 20 minutes on high pressure. When the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the lid and mix well. Kheer is ready. It might seem a little thin in consistency, but it does thicken up as it sits in about 30 minutes. You can cook on SAUTE mode for 2-3 mte.
Roasting Nuts & Raisins
- Heat a small pan on medium-low heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon of ghee to it. Add the sliced or chopped nuts to the pan. Saute for a minute until they lightly change color. Then add the raisins and saute for another minute. Remove from the pan so they don't overcook or burn. The nuts and raisins are ready to add to the cooked kheer.
Notes
- Try boiling 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot on sauté mode, then add the remaining ingredients. Make sure the water is already steaming before adding other ingredients.
- After opening the pot, remove the instant pot steel insert from the pot so that the bottom layer does not overcook or stick to the pot.
- Add cinnamon powder and vanilla essence to get a different flavor.
- You can use brown sugar instead of white sugar, based on your preference.
How much time it takes for 10 cups of milk with 1 cup sugar ? Is it the same cooking time in porridge mode ?
Hi Manisha – I have not tried with doubling the quantity. Usually the cooking time does not change in the instant pot even if you increase or decrease the quantity. One caution I will share, please be near the instant pot if you increase the quantity in this recipe, as milk can foam when cooked under pressure and come out of the ip. It definitely works well with the quantity in the recipe.
Wonderful recipe!! I added the sugar at the end (after 20 minutes of porridge mode). The kheer did not brown! Reminds me of my moms kheer!
Hey Shallu – So happy to hear you enjoyed the kheer!
Have you tried the wild rice or red rice variation? I am thinking of trying that next time.
This recipe is really good. The best thing about your blog is that all information is neatly arranged and written in simple words. Really good!
Hi Chandrika – Thank you so much for your kind words. I have tried kheer with brown rice (30 mins porridge) and vermicelli (10 mins porridge). But not with wild or red rice. I added about 10 mins to the normal cooking time of rice to get the creamier texture. eg. brown rice cooks in 22 mins, so I did 30 mins porridge mode. You can try the same for wild rice. Please do share if you try it.
Just one word – Perfect!! Followed the recipe to the T and the result was finger-licking good!! Thanks.
Hey Aruna – So glad to hear the kheer turned out perfect!
how long to soak rice for?
Hey Aisha – I do not soak rice when making kheer. They will cook well in the instant pot. Hope you enjoy it!
Tried this recipe in insta pot today and oh my goodness it came out so well ? the kheer was super thick and creamy and the best part is it is such an easy recipe and time saving as well. Thank you so much for this recipe ?
Hey Vandhana – So glad you enjoyed the kheer. This is the best part of using the instant pot 🙂
Hello, I am planning to make this on Saturday for a diwli party. to make it creamier and richer, can I add khoa? if yes, how much and when should I add it?
Thank you, 🙂
Hey Sushmita – I have never tried adding khoa, so I am not sure how that will work. Another option is to add condensed milk after cooking on porridge mode. I would start with half a can of condensed milk and then add more as needed. If you add sweetened condensed milk, add sugar after cooking and tasting. Hope that helps!
Thanks. I will try that and let you know the verdict 🙂
Hi. Can we eat this cold? If so do I put it in the fridge right away or let it set a bit?
Hey Mariam – yes, absolutely. You can enjoy it cold or warm. Thank you!
I just made this and it’s DELICIOUS! I’ll admit I chose this recipe (out of several on the internet) because it was the easiest one that I found. But it does not does not dissappoint. To make the recipe vegan, I used a 400 ml can of coconut milk, and water for the remainder of the liquid. The pudding came out extremely creamy, so I think that was enough coconut milk. As happened to some other people, my Kheer came out a bit brown. I may try adding the nuts after cooking next time to see if they were the cause of the discoloration. But I won’t change anything else! Thanks Meeta, I can’t wait to check out your other recipes!
Hey Madeline – So glad to hear you enjoyed the kheer. My understanding is that there is some caramelization happening due to which it is turning a bit brown. I would love to hear if you try any other recipes. Thank you for sharing back your review 🙂
Tried it today exactly as mentioned, it was delicious.
Hey Sheetal – So glad to hear you enjoyed the Kheer. Thank you so much for sharing back your review!