Home » Vegan Rice Pudding (dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, nut-free)
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Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding is easy & delicious. Enjoy as a snack, breakfast, or sweetened for dessert! Dairy-free, vegan, oil-free gluten-free, nut-free.
Have you ever made vegan rice pudding?
I used to love snack pack puddings as a kid. Anyone remember those rice and tapioca puddings with the pull tabs, kind of like this?
Gosh I loved those! Even as a teen I loved eating them, the rice and tapioca were my favorites, but I enjoyed all sorts of puddings.
Fast forward to raising my own kids – no commercial vegan rice pudding to be found. That’s okay, it’s easy to make at home!
This BREAKFAST VEGAN RICE PUDDING is now in Plant-Powered Families. But, a few years ago, I showed how to make it in a“Dreena and Daughters”video!
Sidenote: please be forgiving of video production… one weegan is eating cereal and clinking her spoon on the bowl , and the videographer weegan got adjustment-happy with the tripod. 😆
The key to this rice pudding recipe is batch-cooking rice.
Whenever I cook rice, I make more than I need. It keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Then, it can be reused for other meals, such as this breakfast rice pudding!
You can make the version with the pureed banana for natural sweetness, or add some other healthier sweetener options to taste.
Chocolate lovers hang tight, I have a cocoa-infused version for you too, see the recipe notes.
Hope you enjoy this one, guys!
x Dreena
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5 from 3 votes
Creamy Breakfast Vegan Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups precooked brown rice loosely packed (reserve 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 – 1 cup non-dairy milk your choice, see note
- 1 ripe banana about 1/2 – 3/4 cup, sliced (optional, see note) OR 1-2 tbsp pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, or chopped dried fruits
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- few pinches nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- grated orange or lemon zest optional
- optional: 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder see note
Instructions
In a small saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups of the cooked rice (rough measure), and the remaining ingredients starting with 3/4 cup of milk (omit banana if you prefer, see note – and except the zest). Puree the mixture using a handblender (alternatively, you can puree in a blender before adding to the saucepan, but I find the handblender is quicker and easier for clean-up)! Add the remaining 1/2 cup of rice, and turn heat to medium-low. Let the mixture thicken and warm for several minutes. Add the remaining milk if desired to thin. Taste, and adjust with sweetener and orange/lemon zest if desired, and stirring through add-in’s if you like! Serve.
Notes
- Banana and Sweetener Note: The banana adds natural sweetness, and so if using it, you may not need the maple syrup or coconut sugar- it’s up to you. However, also note that if adding the banana, the mixture will turn a darker color with the banana oxidizing and being cooked – so it’s best to eat straight away rather than save leftovers. If you don’t use the banana, try adding a touch of pure maple syrup or coconut sugar. Or, you can add chopped dates or other dried fruits to sweeten.
- Milk note: If using a vanilla non-dairy milk, you may not need any additional sweetener. If using an unsweetened variety, you will probably want to bump up the sweetness with the pureed banana or other options.
- Chocolate version: Make this pudding chocolate-y with the addition of 1-2 tbsp of cocoa powder. You will need extra sweetener to balance the bitterness of the cocoa, so adjust to taste.
- Add-in’s: To add some variety and extra nutrition to this pudding, try adding in a few tablespoons of hemp seeds, a tablespoon of ground chia, 1-2 tablespoons of nut or seed butter (ex: cashew, almond, pistachio, sunflower), 2-3 tablespoons almond meal, a sprinkle of dried fruit (ex: chopped dates, goji berries, raisins, dried blueberries, etc), or some fresh fruit (ex: chopped apples/pears in the winter, fresh berries in spring/summer).
How do you enjoy rice pudding? For breakfast or a snack? Chocolate or not?!
images credit: Nicole Axworthy
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Reader Interactions
Comments
I must admit rice pudding has never really appealed to me, it seems like one of those things that divides people! But this recipe is certainly making me think again. I might have to give it a try!
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Dawn says
This was scrumptious! For my taste, the only ingredient missing was vanilla. I added this to my bowl for the absolute perfect breakfast!Thank you very much for sharing this super simple and delicious recipe!
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Jamie says
Awesome, I made the chocolate version, no banana, and added a generous dash of chili powder to keep it interesting. It is delish. Thank you so much.Reply
Dreena says
Nice! Thanks Jamie
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Bridget K. Brisk says
Am I mis-reading – or do you blend the rice in the beginning? For thickness, perhaps?
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Dreena says
Yes, you blend the rice to thicken the pudding. 🙂
Megan says
My son is horrible at eating breakfast, but rice is one of his safe grains. Going to have to try this!
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Vittoria says
Loved this recipe! It is easily adaptable to whatever you have on hand too. I didn’t have almond milk on hand, so I just made my own non-dairy milk by blending 1 c. water. 1/4 c shredded coconut, 1 TBS hemp seeds and 2 tsp chia seeds. I was going to just use coconut to make “coconut milk” but decided to add the seeds for extra nutrition for my 1-year old daughter (and myself!). I then blended the “milk” with 10 small Sayer dates, cinnamon and a pinch of sea salt. I then added the rice – arborio, in my case (I didn’t have brown). I added it back to the saucepan with the remaining cooked rice, added about 3/4 c. more water (my rice needed a bit more water, plus the chia seeds) and simmered according to the recipe. It is honestly so good! I like that it is not too sweet for my daughter, but that adults can always add more sweetness if they want. I also love how quick and easy it was – the blender ingredients came together super quickly while the rice cooked. It honestly took me about 20 minutes to make from start to finish – and now I have some quick, go-to meals/snacks for myself and my daughter that will last a few days! This is a lifesaver, thank you!
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Brandi says
I just made this but with some changes I’d like to share. First I blended the ingredients- 3/4 of a banana, 3/4 of a cup or so vanilla almond milk, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and the nutmeg and salt as described. After adding to the saucepan, I added 1/4 tap cinnamon and 1/4 cup almond milk along with the rice. I decided to try a trick I learned from watching the show hungry girl for growing oatmeal- I added 1/2 cup of water and let the mixture simmer over medium heat until the water gets absorbed, making your bowl of food ( in this case rice) HUGE!!! Then I added 2 tbsp of chia seeds and another 1/2 cup of water, stirring frequently until it reached the consistency it had at the beginning, before all my extra changes. At the end, I added a mixture of honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar to taste (couldn’t make up my mind which one i wanted to use!) and a few more dashes cinnamon, some vanilla, and the rest of the banana, sliced. This is now big enough for two breakfasts or breakfast and a post-workout snack.
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Dreena says
Nice! Great tips, thanks for sharing, Brandi.
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Amber says
How many servings does this make?
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Dorothy R says
My Mom made this when we were kids, Have you tried ABC pudding, avacodos, bananas, and cococa, blend together with vanilla and small amt of maple syrup. My husband loves it and really tastes like Choc pudding.
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TomH says
How many servings does this recipe make? I’m just beginning to explore the world of a vegan diet.
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Dreena says
Hi Tom, it’s about 2-3 servings, depends on the person and the appetite! Enjoy trying many new recipes, the world of vegan food is exciting!
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Lenore says
what are the “Natural Flavours ” in almond milk?
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Dreena says
Lenore, I’m not sure, it depends on the brand. You’d need to contact the specific companies and ask them what is used specifically.
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mj says
This looks like EXACTLY what I’m looking for! Variation question: Has anyone tried a different starch than rice? I’m thinking pre-cooked oatmeal or quinoa. Anyone had success with those?
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Dreena says
mj, I haven’t, but if you try with quinoa you may want extra sweetener/banana, b/c the quinoa has a natural bitter flavor – whereas rice is a little naturally sweeter. Good luck!
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Imola says
I’ve had great success with millet in puddings. Mild flavor, and if overcooked (I use my Instant Pot) it’s a blast whipping it up with some coconut cream, honey, and an endless variety of ingredients – carob, strawberries, vanilla, bananas, strawberries, etc
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Yulca says
I just made this (the cocoa version, sweetened with dates, no banana, with 1.5 tbsp of hazelnut butter) with mixed grains (rice, spelt, millet & quinoa). It’s delicious! It did need a bit more liquid though, maybe 1.5 cups of nondairy milk in total.Will be serving this cold to my family later – what a brilliant way to get tons of grains into a toddler! Thanks Dana, this will go into our snack rotation for sure.
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Beth says
Wow,
I thought I had the ingredients to make rice pudding but googled to be sure. I found this and just changed it up a bit. I added sliced vanilla peaches, a tiny bit of home made vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder, a drop of doterra orange essential oil and jasmine tea leaves in an infuser. I also used Jasmine rice. Ahhhhmazing. Thanks for the inspiration!
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bronwyn says
This was amazing. My fav was choc orange and also lemon. Thanks this is my new breakfast and I dont usually eat breakfast. I am cooking more rice now so I can wake up wanting breakfast. Thank you again
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This would be a great alternative to my standard oatmeal!
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Jacky says
this is delicious. Love the addition of the orange zest!!!
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I have only had rice pudding a handful of times, but never for breakfast.
This looks like a great alternative to oats.
Thanks so much for the delicious recipe and for the added information on sweeteners and mix ins…it makes all difference in the world to have options when you are trying out a new recipe.
It is that style of assistance on your blog and in your cookbooks that makes me constantly use your recipes because the wealth of information is just so handy.
I hope you are having a wonderful 2013 Dreena!
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Richa says
The pudding looks awesome! I love love all your recipes and posts. oh and i agree, you look amazing in the video!
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Dreena says
Gosh, thanks so much Richa!!
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Tiffany says
Wow, Dreena! This looks great! I will definitely have to try it sometime soon.
I’ve been making so many of your recipes and they are all hits! I made your nutty veggie burger last week and my brother who loves meat tried it and was very impressed! He is now trying to switch to a more plant based diet 🙂
By the way, I read this article (linked below) yesterday and it was so disappointing to read that the authors tried to make it look as if cows milk is better than non-dairy milk because non-dairy milk has a lot of added sugar. But the authors didn’t even mention the unsweetened variety! In addition the authors made it look as if whole grains are not beneficial toward a weight loss diet. In my view whole grains are beneficial towards our health. They are packed with fiber, protein and lots of minerals. Its just sad to read this stuff and know that the average person is getting misinformed. (Sorry I just had to share with someone who would understand.)
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/3-healthy-foods-really-arent-155000697.html
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!! xoxo
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Dreena says
Oh, so fab to read that, Tiffany! Tell your brother I told him the food is better on this side. 😉 Yes, that article is disappointing, but not that surprising. They also neglect to mention the sugars in cow milk, and the cholesterol, and the saturated fat, and the hormones… I could go on… and the fact that this “much-needed” animal protein in cow’s milk ultimately depletes our bone mass. It’s so infuriating to know these messages keep getting pushed. Also, they should be comparing the flavored/sweetened non-dairy milks to the flavored/sweetened cow milks. Most vegans aren’t drinking volumes of strawberry soy milk, it’s just ridiculous! Moreover, that study about weight-loss and whole-grains was likely still including animal products – there’s the problem. And, weight loss is not the only indicator of improved health. In short, yes, I agree with you – whole grains are healthy. That article can suck it!
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Jane says
Great looking recipe Dreena! My previous post has disappeared into the ether so I will just ask again can you grind chia seeds in a coffee grinder? My daughter hates the slimy texture of chia seeds, but I like to add them to puddings like this (and in your choc chia pudding the same issue) for extra goodness so I’m thinking how to disguise them! Many thanks for your blog – it’s so informative!
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Dreena says
Hi Jane, I don’t have a coffe grinder, but I think it should work fine, since you can grind whole spices in one. You can also buy the seeds pre-ground in many stores. I grind them in my rambo blender (Blendtec) and then keep a container filled with it ground. They are also great to add to smoothies (if using a standard blender, add them ground or they won’t pulverize), that disguises them very well! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
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Rebecca Cody says
Jane, Yes, I grind chia seeds in my coffee grinder. After grinding I store them in the fridge, to protect their omega 3 oil, which is more fragile after grinding.
Your recipe sounds great. I’ll give it a try soon.
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Amber says
Hi Jane,
I just blend all of the contents of the pudding containing chia in the blender and it comes out perfectly smooth. It works great if I want to sneak in some greens and dates instead of maple or sugar.
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Debby Sunshine says
Great video. Now I know that I have been improperly using my immersion blender. Instead of tilting the pot, I have been moving my immersion blender up and down while splattering myself at the same time. Dr. Fuhrman loves cocoa powder as a health food. He was on Dr. Oz today. So I, personally, would opt for the cocoa powder in my rice pudding.
Btw, you look healthy and glowing. Absolutely no white pasty skin at all! It must be all those veggies. Keep up the videos.
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Joy says
Yum!!! I love that this is not only vegan but not loaded with sugar. I live rice pudding (but haven’t had it in years due to the dairy and sugar) this is happening tonight
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Dreena says
oh great! Glad you are excited to make it Joy – hope you love digging in!! 😀
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urbanvegan says
Looks and sounds delish, Dreena. And you look delish, too, I might add 😉 The camera loves you. TV show time!
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Dreena says
omgosh, you are WAY too kind, Dynise… and I’ll take it! xo xo
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Beth says
That looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! I need to get out of my breakfast rut.
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Dreena says
Great, hope it gives you some new food inspiration, Beth (I get in food ruts too)!
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This rice pudding sounds so delicious! I love that you added citrus zest. I sometimes feel like grain puddings weigh me down, but I’m sure the zest makes it nice and light. I can see this as a nice dessert, too!
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Katie says
How long can rice be stored in fridge,I’ve heard it can become poisonous quite fast? That is why I am always reluctant to cook large batches of it!
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Dreena says
Hi Katie, I haven’t heard that. I’d be more concerned about rice not being refrigerated properly… then food borne illness can come into play. I keep rice in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze portions if that is a better option for you. For this recipe, you would only have to cook less than 1 cup of extra rice, about 3/4 cup. Hope that helps.
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Herbivore Triathlete says
Ooh, I love rice pudding! This looks great, thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes, it’s made my transition to veganism so much easier.
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Dreena says
My pleasure Anna,thank you for the kind note… and hope you love this version too!
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Dreena says
p.s. Great post on the veg broth!
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