Vegan Rice Pudding
This vegan rice pudding is a creamy, comforting dessert you can make in less than half an hour with just rice, plant milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and a little sugar. It comes in two versions from the same simple method: a classic vanilla one and a chocolate one, so you can make either on its own or serve them side by side as a duo. It is dairy-free, egg-free, and every bit as cozy as the version you remember from childhood.
I love rice pudding. My grandma used to make this dessert a lot when I was little, and I still enjoy it today. This time I decided to make it vegan by using my favorite brand of plant milk, Joya. Unlike the original, which is just vanilla-flavored and sprinkled with cinnamon, I wanted a chocolate version too, so I boiled a second batch of rice in chocolate-flavored oat milk. You can use any vegan milk you like.
What you need for creamy vegan rice pudding
The ingredient list is short, which means each choice matters. Here is what each one does and how to pick well.
- White round-shaped rice is the one to reach for. Short, round grains release more starch as they cook, and that starch is what gives the pudding its creamy, spoonable body. Long-grain rice stays separate and firm, so it will not thicken the same way.
- Vegan milk carries all the flavor here. I used Joya, plain soy milk for the vanilla batch and chocolate-flavored oat milk for the chocolate one, but any plant milk of choice works. Richer milks make a creamier pudding.
- Vanilla extract warms up both versions and rounds out the flavor.
- Cinnamon goes in at the end and gives that classic, cozy finish.
- Sugar keeps it lightly sweet. If your chocolate milk is already sweetened, you may want to hold back a little.
How to make it, step by step
Start by rinsing the rice under cold water to wash off surface starch and any dust. If you only want one type of pudding, simply double that batch. For the duo, with both vanilla and chocolate, boil the rice in two separate pots so the flavors stay distinct.
Add the rice to a medium saucepan along with the sugar, vanilla, and one cup of milk. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed. Then pour in the second cup and keep cooking on low, stirring now and then, so the milk absorbs slowly and the grains turn tender and creamy. After about 30 minutes the pudding will be ready. Stir in the cinnamon, mix well, cover with a lid, and let it cool at room temperature.
Tips for the right texture
The whole recipe rests on one thing: cooking low and slow while the rice drinks up the milk. Adding the milk in two stages, rather than all at once, lets the starch release gradually so the pudding thickens into that signature creamy consistency instead of staying watery or turning gluey.
- Keep the heat low. High heat scorches the milk on the bottom before the rice softens. Gentle heat and the occasional stir are what you want.
- Stir occasionally, not constantly. A few stirs keep the rice from sticking and help the starch spread evenly through the milk.
- Judge doneness by feel. It is ready when the grains are soft and the mixture looks creamy and loose. Remember that rice pudding firms up as it cools, so pull it while it is still a touch saucier than you want it to end up.
- Add cinnamon at the end. Stirring it in off the heat keeps its aroma bright.
Toppings and ways to serve it
To make it even better, I served mine with some banana slices. You can use any other fruit topping you want, but I think bananas go really well with this, especially over the chocolate version. Fresh berries, a spoon of jam, or a scattering of chopped nuts all work too. Serve it warm for coziness or chilled for a firmer, set texture.
If you love this kind of spoonable, milky comfort dessert, you will probably enjoy my semolina pudding with blueberry jam and this cozy autumn quince pudding with raisins and walnuts. And when you want something chocolatey to bake instead, my vegan chocolate muffins with caramelized walnuts are a favorite.
Make-ahead and storage
Rice pudding keeps beautifully, which makes it a great make-ahead dessert. Once it has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. It will thicken in the fridge as the rice keeps absorbing liquid, so when you are ready to eat, loosen it with a splash of your plant milk and warm it gently on the stove or in the microwave, stirring until it is creamy again. I would not recommend freezing it, since the texture tends to turn grainy once thawed.
If you make this vegan rice pudding, I would love to know whether you went for the vanilla, the chocolate, or the full duo. Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below with how it turned out and which fruit topping you chose. Happy cooking!
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Vegan Rice Pudding
Ingredients
Vanilla Rice Pudding:
- ⅓ cup white round-shaped rice
- 2 cups natural or vanilla-flavored soy milk or any other vegan milk; I used Joya milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ cup sugar
Chocolate Rice Pudding:
- ⅓ cup white round-shaped rice
- 2 cups chocolate-flavored soy milk or any other vegan milk; I used Joya milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ cup sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the rice with water. If you want to do just one type of pudding, double the quantities. If you want to do the duo vegan rice pudding, with both vanilla and cocoa, boil the rice in two separate pots.
- Add rice to a medium saucepan. Add sugar, vanilla and 1 cup of milk.
- Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the milk is absorbed. Add the other cup and let the milk absorb while cooking on low heat and stirring occasionally.
- After ~30 minutes, the rice pudding will be ready. Add the cinnamon, mix well, and cover with a lid. Let it cool at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It is made entirely with plant-based ingredients: white round-shaped rice, vegan milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sugar. There is no dairy, egg, or any other animal product, so it is fully vegan as long as the plant milk and sugar you choose are vegan too.
White round-shaped rice is the best choice. Its short, round grains release more starch as they cook, which is what gives the pudding its creamy, thick texture. Long-grain varieties stay firmer and more separate, so they will not thicken the same way.
Use the same method but boil the rice in chocolate-flavored vegan milk instead of plain. I used chocolate-flavored oat milk by Joya. If you want to make both the vanilla and the chocolate duo at once, cook the two batches in separate pots so the flavors stay distinct.
If it is runny, it likely needs a few more minutes on low heat so the rice can absorb more milk and release starch. If it is too thick, keep in mind that rice pudding firms up as it cools, so pull it off the heat while it is still slightly loose, and stir in a splash of plant milk to loosen it back up.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. It will thicken over time as the rice keeps soaking up liquid, so warm it gently with a splash of plant milk before serving to bring back the creamy texture. Freezing is not recommended because the texture turns grainy once thawed.
Banana slices are my favorite, especially over the chocolate version. Fresh berries, a spoon of jam, or a scattering of chopped nuts all work well too. You can serve it warm for a cozy dessert or chilled for a firmer, set texture.
At what point would you bake it, please?
Hi Nancy. You don’t bake this. 😉
Hi,
I would like to know if you can use vegan chocolate protein powder in place of the cocoa powder, in order to make the rice pudding protein-packed. Is there any possibility for this tweak? Any insight will be greatly appreciated
Sure! It can work just fine.
Tried this now and it blew my mind! I don’t know why I never thought about making sweet rice puddings. It was delicious, especially the chocolate-flavored one. Thanks!
Hehe! Glad you loved it! 😀