Vegan Rice pudding is creamy and delicious, and you’d never know it is dairy-free. If you follow me and read about all my shenanigans, you know I have some dairy and gluten-free neighbors. I am always trying to figure out new things they can have at various gatherings here in my neighborhood. They hosted a BBQ for Memorial Day, and I had to come up with something to bring to their house. I wanted to make something that was delicious and satisfying. So I came up with this vegan rice pudding that turned out fantastic. You would never know it is dairy-free. It is creamy, and the nutmeg reminds me of a rice pudding my grandmother from Michigan made that I used to adore as a kid. This vegan rice pudding is excellent warm or cold and travels beautifully.
This vegan rice pudding is absolutely fabulous. It is easy and quick to make. It doesn’t require anything you can’t find at your local store, and it may be simple, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be gussied up to make a special dessert that almost anyone can eat. If you follow my directions, it calls for letting the rice absorb in a covered saucepan, making the actual work minimal without the risk of scorching the pudding. There are two camps for rice pudding. One camp loves to add raisins, and the other likes it without. I personally don’t like raisins in my rice pudding. But I have added instructions on when to add them if you desire.
The secret to the creaminess in this vegan rice pudding is the coconut crème. It adds just the right amount of richness that makes it seem like it has heavy cream in it, and yet this rice pudding doesn’t taste like coconut. Also, the difference in using freshly grated nutmeg to bring out the flavor of the rice pudding I grew up with really gives this recipe its bang. If you don’t have a Microplane grater for grating whole nutmeg, they are worth buying. (I get a small commission at no cost to you from Amazon. If you use any link on this page, please consider helping fund my food journey.) Whole nutmeg keeps for a long time, and the flavor you get with grating it freshly each time is far superior.
Ok, that is all for this week. I hope you are all staying safe and healthy out there in these crazy times. Please think of others in your choices. We all need to get through this world together. Until next time!
- 2 ½ cups almond milk or similar dairy-free milk
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- optional 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
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Bring the almond milk or other dairy-free milk to a boil in a medium saucepan with a lid.
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Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the uncooked rice.
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Bring again to a boil.
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Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to simmer.
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Let the rice simmer for 15 minutes,
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Turn off the heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes until most of the moisture has been absorbed.
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Stir in the coconut cream, sugar, remaining salt, cinnamon, and the nutmeg.
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Stir in the optional raisins or cranberries if desired.
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Bring the pudding again to a boil, stirring constantly.
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Take the rice pudding off the heat and let sit, covered for 20 minutes. Most of the moisture will have been absorbed, but some should be left to create a thick creamy pudding. If you need to, add a little more coconut crème or almond milk to achieve the desired creaminess.
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Stir in the vanilla.
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Serve warm or cold with some more grated nutmeg over the top or with some berries.
