Creamy, dreamy, and bursting with sweetness and a hint of cinnamon! This luscious vegan rice pudding is easy to make and delicious hot or cold. You’d never guess it was dairy-free!
I waited tables at a few different restaurants when I was in college. I was a vegetarian by then, and most of the places I worked at had very little available for me to eat.
One restaurant in particular though, literally had nothing vegetarian on the dinner menu. Not even a salad! All their salads had shrimp or chicken or something else I couldn’t eat.
What’s a girl to do? I guess in hindsight I could have made a salad myself without the chicken or shrimp. But I chose the more sensible thing: I ate dessert.
Seriously, I ate dessert for dinner many nights back then. Of course, I didn’t eat death by chocolate. I went for, what seemed to me, to be the healthiest dessert, which was rice pudding.
Honestly, that rice pudding was far from healthy. It was loaded with sugar and heavy cream and who knows what else. But it was gooooooood. I had previously thought that rice pudding sounded kind or boring, but this stuff was anything but.
I decided it was time to create a vegan rice pudding that was as rich and creamy and delicious as my old dinner favorite.
Vegan Rice Pudding Ingredients
So, how do you make dairy-free rice pudding that’s just as rich and creamy as the non-vegan stuff? Use the right ingredients!
Coconut milk. This is what we’ll use in place of the heavy cream that was in my old favorite. You want the full-fat variety, from a can.
Non-dairy milk. We don’t want to use all coconut milk, or our pudding would be too heavy. So we’re also including some soy or nut milk to balance things out. Go for an unsweetened and unflavored variety.
Maple syrup. For sweetness and a touch of maple flavor.
Rice. I like to use a medium grain white rice for this recipe.
Raisins. For little bursts of sweetness! Feel free to leave them out if you’re not a fan of raisins in your rice pudding.
Spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg for that deliciously cozy flavor.
Vanilla. This goes so nicely with the spices.
Orange zest. For a burst of bright flavor.
Salt. Often overlooked, but so necessary. This will bring out the flavor in your pudding.
Vegan butter. This is totally optional, but it’ll give your pudding that perfect silky texture.
How to Make Vegan Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is one of the easiest things in the world to make! Place all of your ingredients except for the salt and butter into a large pot. Heat it up slowly and bring it to a simmer.
Let everything cook at a low simmer. Stir the pot often and make sure to scrape the bottom with your spoon when you do, otherwise you’ll end up with burned bits of rice stuck to it.
Cook the pudding until it gets thick — as thick as you like your rice pudding! It should be done somewhere around the 20 minute mark.
Let it cook a bit and either serve it warm, or chill.
Vegan Rice Pudding FAQ & Tips
- Can you taste the coconut from the coconut milk? I could not, but if you’re sensitive to the flavor of coconut you may be able to.
- Can I substitute another variety of milk for the coconut milk? Yup! Feel free to simply use an extra cup of whatever other non-dairy milk you’re using.
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It sure is!
- Can I use a different type of rice? You can, but it may alter the texture of your pudding. You also may need to change the cook time and possibly use some extra milk. Varieties such as brown rice generally take longer to cook, and since the liquid will continue to reduce over time, you’ll need to use a bit more of it.
- This rice pudding will keep for about 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Feel free to play around with the flavors. Add your favorite spices, swap out the orange zest for lemon, or try including different types of dried fruits and nuts.
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Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
Creamy, dreamy, and bursting with sweetness and a hint of cinnamon! This luscious vegan rice pudding is easy to make and delicious hot or cold. You'd never guess it was dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 3 cups unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)
- 1 cup medium grain white rice
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
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Place the non-dairy milk, coconut milk, rice, raisins, maple syrup, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a large pot.
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Stir the ingredients together and place the pot over medium heat.
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Bring the liquid to a boil.
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Lower the heat and allow the mixture to cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to remove any rice that sticks.
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Allow the mixture to cook for about 20 minutes, or until it reaches your desired thickness.
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Remove the pot from the heat.
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Stir in the vegan butter, if using, and salt.
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Taste test and add more maple syrup if desired. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
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Let the pudding cool for a bit. Chill for later or serve warm.
This sounds so delicious, can you use already/leftover cooked rice to make this recipe. If so, would you cook the milks and other ingredients then add the rice???
Thank you! I’m sure you could, but I can’t say exactly how to go about it without doing some experimentation. I’m thinking you’d need cut back on the non-dairy milk by a cup or two, and reduce the simmer time quite a bit.
Wow, Thanks for sharing a great recipe. your recipe is amazing. I like it. Thank you so much
I’m glad you like it!
This is a Puerto Rican typical Christmas dessert that has been made forever. It is called “Arroz con dulce”.I make it every year and my family and friends love it.We put more coconut milk and a few minor changes in the cooking process.
I didn’t know that! But I can see why this would be great for the holidays. Thanks for sharing!
This is so good! I’m enjoying a bowl right now and it tastes very close to my mom’s rice pudding.
I’m so glad you like it!
Made this for my family and even the non vegans loved this! Great flavor, great recipe!
Can it be cooked in a slow cooker?
I’m sure it can, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say what setting to use or how long to cook it for.
Made this for my Fam, most of them are non-veg and glad they liked it
This was amazing and so easy! For high altitude (I live outside of Denver) you’ll need to increase the liquid amount- I’d say maybe a 1/2 cup more of vegan milk and cook a little longer. I love the orange zest in this recipe.My picky kids loved it too. I’ll definitely make it over and over again.
Will using reduced fat coconut milk be a problem? We are trying to use ingredients we already have. Thanks!
I think that should work just fine! Enjoy!
Can this be frozen and reserved? If so, how is best?
I haven’t tried, but I can’t see why not! I’d just seal it up well in a freezer container. My guess is that it would be good for 2 or 3 months.
First time making any type of rice pudding. The only thing I did different was blend coconut milk that had already been in the fridge, that I had left over from a can. I think I will continue to use it cold this way. It made it super creamy. I also did half of every ingredient except the coconut milk, I used 1 cup instead of half of a cup. It’s was perfect and delicious and simple! Thank you!
Nice recipe! I am a bit confused about how this falls under ‘American cuisine’ though. Rice pudding was already served in Europe during the late middle ages.
Great recipe!! I added cardamom and tasted delish!!
Just to confirm, it’s cooked uncovered and without the lid, right?
Glad you enjoyed it! Uncovered and without the lid is correct!
This recipe is amazing 😋 I added raisins and orange zest for the first time and it made all the difference in the world. Thanks for sharing!
Could you use instant rice? Or does the standard rice work best?
I’m really not sure! If you were to use it you’ll probably need to cut down on the cook time and amount of liquid in the recipe because the rice would cook so quickly.
Hi! Looks so good! Can you use Japanese sticky rice? Thanks!
Thank you! I’m afraid I’m not sure, as I haven’t tried. I’m guessing it would work though. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Recipe worked out great even though I accidentally doubled the cinnamon. Instead of raisins, I added frozen peach slices when there was about 10min left of cooking time.
Omg that sounds amazing!! I’ve never heard of peaches and I’m definitely doing this!!
Have not tried this yet, but am so excited to! I am using Kalifia Coconut milk and substituting white rice for some brown rice (I am hoping I can pull it off with the longer cook time- let me know if you have suggestions).
I am also curious about adding hemp and chia seeds into it, two things I love to add to my smoothies usually. I know they make chia pudding, so I was wondering if I might just add it into this mix! I will keep you updated on how that turns out. I am also adding an egg for protein (adopted from an old rice pudding recipe I used to use)
I think chia or hemp seeds would be an excellent addition! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Phenomenal recipe! I am in love! My children love it too.
Hi, just checking that you start with *uncooked* rice?
Yup, uncooked!
Can brown rice or quinoa be used instead of the traditional white rice?
Quiona probably isn’t starchy enough, but brown rice should work – you just might need to extend the cook time and add a little extra liquid if it reduces too much while cooking.
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Yum. Looked up this recipe for my daughter Aisla. We’re from NZ so love your name!!
Hi, i am using quickcook brown rice. it has a cooking time of 20 mins as opposed to regular brown rice at 40 mins. I think it should work, however i just want to be sure i am not supposed to cover the pot while it’s cooking?
i only ask because even rice typically needs to be covered for at least 30 mins while simmering.
You don’t need to cover the pot for rice pudding. You might need to make other adjustments for quick cooking rice, but I can’t say what they are without having tried it myself. I’m thinking less liquid since the cook time will be less (and therefore less time for reduction).