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You are here: Home / Dessert / Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

Updated 11 December 2024 Published 16 December 2019 79 Comments

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A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish. Pinterest image.
Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. Pinterest image.on a traditional Danish table cloth.

Traditional Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce is a creamy and delicious rice pudding laced with sherry and almonds, served with a sweet, warm cherry sauce.

The History of Risalamande

Risalamande finds it origins in the French Ris à l’amande and  has been served on Christmas Eve in Denmark since around 1900.

A Personal History of Risalamande

As I am half Danish I remember always feeling quite lucky as a child to have two Christmas celebrations!

The first was on Christmas Eve where we had a traditional Danish meal usually with goose or duck and Risalamand.

This was followed by singing Danish songs (mum playing piano) and dancing around the Christmas tree which was lit with traditional white candles (never a problem)!

Then we’d open our presents and often go off to the midnight service (when I got a bit older).

The next day we’d go to my English grandparents and have a traditional English Christmas meal (always turkey and my gran’s homemade Christmas Pudding) and more presents.

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.

As a child, I didn’t like rice or semolina-based desserts but the thing that got me eating Risalamande was the hidden almond. If you found that you won a prize!

I remember one particular Christmas Eve at one of my aunt’s houses in Denmark one of the prizes was a gorgeous marzipan pig! 

Being the world’s No 1 marzipan fan I’d have done anything to win it.

I must have eaten 3 bowls of Risalamande but to no avail.

Sadly my morfar (grandad) was the lucky winner.

I remember he didn’t even choose the pig as his prize but a box of cigars!

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. on a traditional Danish table cloth.

As I grew older I learned to appreciate this Danish rice dessert with cream and almonds and usually left it to my mum to make.

This year I decided to make my own interpretation of my mother’s recipe from a few scribbled notes I’d made many years ago.

My observations on making Danish Rice Pudding with Cherry Sauce

After a couple of trials, I am happy with this version as my hubby was a great critic telling me that my first attempt wasn’t like my mother’s version!

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.

It also didn’t help that the frozen cherries I bought for my first attempt were sour (which I didn’t notice until after I’d cooked them). So check the packaging when purchasing, you need sweet cherries!

Every Dane has their version of Risalamande. The two stipulations that my mother has are that there aren’t too many chopped almonds in the rice pudding (otherwise too bitty) and that it isn’t too sweet as the cherry sauce provides the sweet contrast to the creamy rice pudding.

How long will Risalamande keep for?

As long as your cream is very fresh, then Risalamande and the cherry sauce will keep for 2 – 3 days in the fridge. Check the use-by date on your cream.

More Scandinavian Christmas Recipes

Here are some more Danish recipes that are made at Christmas:

Danish Apple Cake (Æblekage) is a traditional Danish dessert made with apples, toasted oats and cream although there are variations! #apple #dessert #danish #oats #pudding #Christmas
Danish Apple Cake (Aeblekage)
  • Danish Apple Cake (Aeblekage) 
  • Cheat’s Danish Apple Cake (Gammeldags Æblekage) 
  • Danish Vanilla Wreaths (Vanille Kranse)
  • Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread)
  • Danish Fedtebrød – Coconut Cookie Slices with Rum Glaze
  • Hallon Cookies 
  • Bestmore’s Kransakake

Pin for later!

Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in glass serving dishes. Pinterest image.on a traditional Danish table cloth.

It just remains for me to wish you all a very Happy Christmas or Glædelig Jul! 

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

A portion of Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) and cherry sauce in a glass sundae dish.
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Risalamande (Danish Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce

Traditional Risalamande (Dansih Rice Pudding) with Cherry Sauce is a creamy and delicious rice pudding laced with sherry and almonds served with a contrasting sweet cherry sauce.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Danish
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings 6
Author Camilla Hawkins

Ingredients

  • For the Risalamand:
  • 1 L Full fat milk
  • 100 g Pudding rice (or arborio rice)
  • 2 tablespoon Caster sugar I keep a vanilla pod in mine
  • 2 tablespoon Sherry
  • 15 g Flaked almonds chopped
  • 1 whole almond
  • 250 ml Whipping cream
  • Flaked almonds to decorate optional
  • For the Cherry Sauce:
  • 350 g Frozen cherries
  • 400 ml Water
  • 80 g Caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoon High juice blackcurrant squash or cordial
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Potato flour or cornflour
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Ice cold water

Instructions

  • For Risalamande:
  • Put milk into a non-stick pan and bring to almost simmering point – add the rice.
  • Keeping the heat low (probably lowest setting) cook the rice for 30 minutes with the lid on stirring at regular intervals. (Very important not to burn).
  • Then remove lid and cook for further 15 – 20 minutes simmering and stirring until rice is cooked and porridge like.
  • Once cooked stir in the caster sugar, sherry and chopped almonds into the rice porridge.
  • Put in a bowl to cool and then refrigerate until chilled. (Overnight is fine).
  • Whip the cream into soft peaks
  • Fold a little cream into the rice porridge to loosen it and then carefully fold the rest of the cream in, then add the whole almond.
  • Place in a glass serving dish and decorate with a few flaked almonds if wished and put back in fridge to thoroughly chll..
  • For Cherry Sauce:
  • Put the cherries, water, sugar and blackcurrant squash in a pan, bring to the boil then turn down heat to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  • Mix the potato flour and 2 tbsp ice cold water together to form a paste and lowering the heat stir into the cherries cooking for another minute to thicken.
  • Take off the heat, put in a bowl and serve with the Risalamande warm or cold (any leftover sauce can be re-heated)..

NB: Previously published Dec 2014.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kirsten Merchant

    18/12/2023 at 6:07 am

    The almond gift was traditional a macipan pig with a coin in its back. Symbolising the winner would have food and money enough for the coming year

    Reply
    • Camilla

      18/12/2023 at 11:39 pm

      Awesome, I never won the pig so didn’t get to see it up close. I saw my mum today and told her about the families where each child was given an almond in their portion and how I felt short changed by my Danish relatives LOL:-)

      Reply
  2. Sheila Grosgebauer

    14/12/2021 at 12:20 am

    What is the thinking about adding 1 whole almond?
    Thank you. I know it must have a meaning.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      14/12/2021 at 7:33 pm

      I assume someone had the idea one day and that it caught on as almonds are an ingredient. Just like the Advent Candle was a Danish invention:-)

      Reply
    • Sandra Armes-Harris

      24/12/2021 at 7:14 pm

      The person who gets the whole almond wins a prize. Like the lucky sixpence in Christmas pudding

      Reply
  3. Janice Pattie

    22/12/2019 at 2:26 pm

    What a lovely tradition to share with your family. It looks so delicious Merry Christmas.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2019 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you Janice, have a very Merry Christmas too! xx

      Reply
  4. Amy Fidler

    21/06/2017 at 7:29 am

    Bet this is delicious x

    Reply
    • Camilla

      21/06/2017 at 9:39 am

      Thanks Amy, it really is:-)

      Reply
  5. Josefine

    14/12/2016 at 9:44 pm

    Oh yay I love Risalamande ๐Ÿ˜€ and I loved reading about your Danish traditions and your childhood memories. In our family we also play the almond game in our family! I used to love it when I got it and my sisters where green with envy! Hehe #beinspired

    Reply
    • Camilla

      14/12/2016 at 11:11 pm

      Aaw, just me who never won the almond then LOL:-) Do love Risalamande and usually rely on my mum to make it:-)

      Reply
  6. Martina Evans

    26/10/2015 at 11:15 am

    Brilliant! I would love to make this for Christmas. My family and I love rice pudding and cherries so this should go down a treat ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      26/10/2015 at 10:20 pm

      Thanks:-) I’ve never liked rice pudding and didn’t like this either as a child but I love it now:-)

      Reply
  7. Ursula Hunt

    04/07/2015 at 12:23 pm

    This has become a favourite dessert in our house

    Reply
    • Camilla

      04/07/2015 at 2:04 pm

      Fabulous Ursula, so glad to hear that:-)

      Reply
  8. Paul Wilson

    25/06/2015 at 12:14 am

    Looks great for a summer’s eve.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      25/06/2015 at 3:59 pm

      Well it’s traditionally a Christmas dish but if you’d like it in summer then who am I to argue:-)

      Reply
  9. tiggerific1973

    13/05/2015 at 2:56 pm

    I love the sauce idea!

    Reply
  10. Kirsty Fox

    17/04/2015 at 9:36 pm

    That cherry sauce looks absolutely delicious and a gorgeous colour

    Reply
  11. brenda heads

    08/04/2015 at 10:35 pm

    It look delicious I will have to give it a try.

    Reply
  12. Heather Haigh

    28/03/2015 at 5:20 pm

    Looks simply delicious!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/03/2015 at 11:49 pm

      It really is Heather:-)

      Reply
  13. Sarah Cooper

    20/03/2015 at 1:50 pm

    Haven’t tried anything like this before. Must try this. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      20/03/2015 at 10:35 pm

      It’s well worth the effort:-)

      Reply
  14. Lynn Fancy

    16/03/2015 at 10:16 pm

    Sounds delicious! Yet another for my list – you really should do a book you know!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      16/03/2015 at 10:38 pm

      Aaw, how lovely of you to say. When I was 18 that was my ambition to be a cookery book writer but blogs didn’t exist back then so I’m making up for lost time doing this now:-) Authors need to be “showmen” too these days, gone are the days of the reclusive writer so I’m not sure that’s me LOL:-)

      Reply
    • Mette

      15/12/2020 at 8:01 pm

      Looks like a real Danish ris a la mande – so delicious. I can recommend to add a vanilla pod to the rice and milk from the start when you cook it. Wish you a merry Christmas – and thanks, youโ€™re blog is always such an inspiration to me.

      Reply
      • Camilla

        15/12/2020 at 9:40 pm

        Thanks Mette, have a very Merry Christmas too:-)

        Reply
  15. Ursula Hunt

    13/01/2015 at 12:50 pm

    Didn’t have any cherries but used raspberries and it was delicious

    Reply
    • Camilla

      13/01/2015 at 6:10 pm

      Oh fabulous – so glad you enjoyed it. I’m sure raspberries equally good:-)

      Reply
  16. Jacqueline Meldrum

    01/01/2015 at 3:43 pm

    I do love rice pudding Camilla and I bet it tastes great with that cherry sauce. Thanks for submitting it to No Croutons Required festive round. The roundup is now live

    Reply
    • Camilla

      01/01/2015 at 5:17 pm

      Thanks Jacqueline – I beat you to it and left a comment in the small hours LOL:-)

      Reply
  17. Maya Russell

    30/12/2014 at 6:53 am

    The sauce looks rich and delicious.

    Reply
  18. Carole Cambridge

    29/12/2014 at 4:40 pm

    Looks divine… a real step up from my usual rice pudding! I’ll definitely give it a try x

    Reply
    • Camilla

      29/12/2014 at 5:31 pm

      Fab:-)

      Reply
  19. Ursula Hunt

    29/12/2014 at 9:11 am

    Showed my sister this recipe who got very excited, she really loves rice pudding but unfortunately usually out of a tin, you never know it might tempt her to start cooking ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      29/12/2014 at 12:44 pm

      This is like a super pimped up rice pudding and nothing like the usual rice pudding – I’m sure she’d love it:-) I must admit I never usually make ordinary rice pudding but buy the odd tin for hubby – shocking I know but it just doesn’t get me excited, must make more effort as I have the rest of the pudding rice to use up now!

      Reply
  20. Alica

    29/12/2014 at 12:57 am

    I must try this, it looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      29/12/2014 at 12:47 pm

      Thank you:-)

      Reply
  21. Hayley Mulgrove

    28/12/2014 at 11:33 pm

    Oh wow now this look so yummy, mmmm need this in my life, lol

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 11:35 pm

      Thank you:-)

      Reply
  22. Susan Joyce Rogers

    28/12/2014 at 9:35 pm

    Looks great !Interesting to learn about other countries Christmas traditions in cooking

    Reply
  23. Ursula Hunt

    28/12/2014 at 12:22 pm

    This looks truly delicious

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 1:34 pm

      It really is:-)

      Reply
  24. Magda

    28/12/2014 at 11:32 am

    I have a Danish friend and she was always raving about the Christmas rice pudding. That was probably the dish she looked most to ๐Ÿ™‚ She even brought me a proper pudding rice, but I must admit I only used it once. Maybe it is about the time to make some more ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 11:42 am

      Yes there can’t be a Dane who doesn’t like this pudding:-) Hope you manage to give it a go:-)

      Reply
  25. Samantha Wesley

    28/12/2014 at 12:47 am

    This looks gorgeous – a must make over Christmas ๐Ÿ™‚ Haha loving the fact you have had two Christmases! #niceone

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 11:19 am

      Thanks – enjoy:-)

      Reply
  26. sandy ralph

    27/12/2014 at 9:01 pm

    this looks Delicious i must try this one

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 12:14 am

      Thank you, hope you enjoy it:-)

      Reply
  27. Barbara Handley

    27/12/2014 at 1:19 pm

    I have not heard of this dish before but as soon as all the Christmas food is finished I want to have a go at making it. Looks and sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2014 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Barbara, glad to enlighten you:-)

      Reply
  28. Lisa H

    26/12/2014 at 8:09 pm

    I love rice pudding and this is fab recipe many thanks

    Reply
  29. sam

    25/12/2014 at 5:57 am

    super Becca ๐Ÿ™‚ the recipe is so nice

    Reply
    • Camilla

      27/12/2014 at 12:29 am

      Becca?

      Reply
  30. Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry

    24/12/2014 at 12:25 pm

    Just dropping in to wish you a merry xmas.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      24/12/2014 at 8:04 pm

      Aah thank you and a Happy Christmas to you too Bintu:-)

      Reply
  31. Charlotte Arnott

    24/12/2014 at 12:09 pm

    This looks like a lovely traditional dish. I’m tempted to try it in the New Year when all of the biscuits and chocolates have been eaten!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      24/12/2014 at 8:06 pm

      Thank you:-)

      Reply
  32. Sarah Maison Cupcake

    24/12/2014 at 10:55 am

    Wow I love cherries, this looks so festive!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      24/12/2014 at 8:07 pm

      Thanks Sarah:-)

      Reply
  33. William Gould

    23/12/2014 at 11:39 am

    Wow it looks good! Reminds me of a hot cherry pie and ice cream I had in an American-style diner many years ago, and never since!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      23/12/2014 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks:-)

      Reply
  34. Paul Wilson

    23/12/2014 at 4:20 am

    Looks great.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      23/12/2014 at 4:29 pm

      Thanks Paul:-)

      Reply
  35. Sarah (@tamingtwins)

    22/12/2014 at 7:36 pm

    This made me smile so much Camilla. I have a very vivid memory from when I was probably only 6 or 7 of our lovely Danish neighbour (who died many years ago now) coming to call on my Mum on Christmas Eve in a total panic needing a single whole blanched almond. I never quite understood why and it remained a mystery until now! The pudding looks beautiful and sounds delicious. Thanks for linking to #festivefoodfriday and happy Christmas!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 8:23 pm

      LOL Sarah so glad to finally lay to rest that “almond mystery”! Thank you for your kind words and have a lovely Christmas too:-)

      Reply
  36. Janice

    22/12/2014 at 6:28 pm

    ooh all that cream would make it really lovely. I like rice pudding, but would always bake it as I like the toffee like skin. Love that you had two Christmasses, the more the merrier when you are a child!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 8:26 pm

      Thanks Janice – have a very Merry Christmas:-)

      Reply
  37. Jeanne Horak-Druiff

    22/12/2014 at 4:43 pm

    Hahaha – the marzipan pig! At the Norway Seafood event earlier this month there was a marzipan pig in our goodie bags which baffled many until it was explained that marzipan pigs are “a thing” in Scandi countries ๐Ÿ˜‰ Not a massive fan of rice pudding but I would eat this for the cherry sauce alone… Thanks for linking to me!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 8:28 pm

      LOL Jeanne! It’s completely a million miles away from traditional rice pudding as it’s so very creamy and the cherry sauce is just a delicious sweet contrast to the creaminess:-)

      Reply
  38. Rajveer

    22/12/2014 at 11:04 am

    It is amazing recipe. I have bookmarked it. I ll try it.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 2:27 pm

      Thank you, hope you enjoy it:-)

      Reply
      • Rajveer

        23/12/2014 at 6:24 am

        Hey Camilla,
        your recipes are really nice. Writing about food is extremely awesome. I usually like to taste worlds best foods.
        Thank you so much! I want to cook different types of recipes.

        Reply
        • Camilla

          23/12/2014 at 4:30 pm

          Thank you:-)

          Reply
  39. Elizabeth

    22/12/2014 at 10:36 am

    What a super read! Lucky you to have had two Christmases every year! ๐Ÿ˜€ Lovely sounding recipe and your photos are lovely!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 2:28 pm

      Aah thank you Elizabeth:-)

      Reply
  40. Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche

    22/12/2014 at 8:43 am

    This looks lovely! That cherry sauce looks absolutely irresistible. I love the idea of having two Christmases ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/12/2014 at 9:48 am

      Thanks Becca:-) Yes I had the best of both worlds as a kid:-)

      Reply

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