This velvety, vegan rice pudding is seriously the creamiest rice pudding you’ll ever taste. Rice pudding is the ultimate, nostalgic, comfort food that brings back all those warm and fuzzy childhood memories. Honestly, it had been ages since I last had rice pudding, until I whipped up this recipe. One taste and I was instantly reminded why I used to go love it as a child. And if you want to take it to the next level, serve it with a dollop of tangy mixed berry sauce for a creamy, sweet-tart bite with every spoonful.
Recipe tips:
How to make a supremely creamy rice pudding:
The rice:
When it comes to creating the perfect rice pudding, using the right kind of rice is absolutely crucial! Be sure to opt for a short grain variety like Arborio or sushi rice. Short grain rice is starchier and stickier than long grain rice (such as Basmati, Jasmine, and regular white and brown rice). These tiny little grains are bursting with starchiness and stickiness, and are the ultimate choice for achieving that incredibly luscious and creamy texture that a truly exceptional rice pudding should possess!
The milk
When it comes to choosing a plant-based milk, go for the creamiest option out there. I personally recommend Oatly’s full fat oat milk, which is incredibly creamy. If you use a thin, watery milk, your pudding will not turn out as rich and creamy. Plus, using a creamy milk means you won’t need to add extra heavy cream and butter to your rice pudding.
There should still be liquid left in the pot when you stop cooking the rice pudding, (if your rice pudding seems to dry at this point, add another 1/4 cup milk). Then just cover it and allow it to cool. The rice will continue cook, will absorb the extra milk and get super thick and creamy as it cools.
No matter what kind of milk you go for, it has a sneaky habit of boiling over. To prevent a messy situation, use a larger pot than you think you need, keep the heat at a medium-low setting and don’t slap a lid on the pot while your rice pudding is bubbling away. Give it a stir every now and then while it’s cooking to prevent the rice from sticking and a skin from forming. That should keep things under control!
Enjoy!
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The Creamiest Rice Pudding
Ingredients
Rice Pudding:
- ½ cups short grain rice such as Arborio or sushi rice
- 3 ½ cups unsweetened plant based milk I use full fat Oatly oat milk
- ¼ cup dark maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the plant based milk, maple syrup, salt and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Stirring occasionally, to keep the rice from sticking and a skin from forming, allow the rice pudding to simmer for 30 minutes, until the rice is tender, and the liquid has thickened but is not fully absorbed. To avoid the milk bubbling over, don't cover the pot while it's on the heat.
- Remove from heat, and remove the cinnamon stick. If the rice pudding seems to dry at this point, add another ¼ milk.Add the vanilla extract. Cover the pudding and allow it to cool.The rice pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Can be served warm, or cold. Reheat in a saucepan, over low heat. Loosen with additional milk as needed, to get the desired consistency.Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days.
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