Vegan Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is one of those classics that holds a special place on many Portuguese tables, and my family is no different. My mom loves rice pudding, and sooner or later, I knew I would have to try making a version of it without eggs and milk.
My mom’s rice pudding is always highly praised – she doesn’t use eggs but instead uses condensed milk, which makes it irresistibly creamy and sweet. Although I love sweets, I’m not a fan of overly sugary desserts, so condensed milk wasn’t something I sought to replace.
Even though it’s simple and easy to make, this rice pudding turns out very creamy thanks to the soy milk, and the flavor always wins over the whole family.
And of course, if you’ve been following the blog for a while, you already know that plenty of lemon won’t be missing from this little rice dessert! 🍋
📝 The ingredients for this vegan rice pudding
To make this rice pudding, you only need 7 ingredients, all easy to find in any supermarket:
- Water: 2 cups of water (500ml) to cook the rice.
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Cinnamon: 2 cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon for decoration at the end.
- Lemons: peel of 1 lemon and zest of 1 lemon, which will give a wonderful flavor to the rice.
- Rice: 1 cup of short-grain rice, such as Arborio rice (220 grams). In Portugal, I usually use carolino rice.
- Soy milk: 1 liter of soy milk. Soy milk is great for replacing milk in this recipe, as its composition is similar to that of milk, making the rice pudding nice and creamy. I’ve tried it with oat milk, adding a bit of margarine, and although it’s acceptable, it’s not as good as with soy milk. I usually use unsweetened soy milk with very few ingredients and then adjust the sweetness to my liking.
- Sugar: I added 160 grams of white sugar (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon). The rice ended up being sweet, but not overly so, so I recommend you taste and adjust the sugar to your liking.
You may also add a pinch of turmeric if you want the rice to have a more yellowish color — but it’s something optional.
👨🏻🍳 How to make this vegan rice pudding
This dessert is super easy to make, I promise.
In a pot, I placed 2 cups of hot water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 2 cinnamon sticks, the peel of 1 lemon, and 1 cup of rice. I mixed everything and brought it to the heat.
When it started to boil, I reduced the heat to low, covered it, and let it cook until almost all the water evaporated (about 5 to 10 minutes).
At this point, I added 1 liter of soy milk and mixed well. Keeping the heat low, I let it cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to avoid the formation of a skin on top.
Just before the 30-minute mark, when the rice was not fully cooked but almost done, I added the sugar and then removed the cinnamon sticks and lemon peels.
In my opinion, the hardest part of making rice pudding is knowing when it’s ready. The soy milk should have evaporated mostly, the rice should be creamier but still quite fluid. At this point, I turned off the stove and added the lemon zest.
I poured the rice into a serving dish and let it rest. A few minutes later, the rice was firmer on the surface but remained creamy on the inside.
When rice is overcooked, it becomes thicker and denser; I prefer it when it’s a bit looser and creamier.
To finish, I sprinkled some ground cinnamon on top for decoration, and it was ready to serve! 🙂
💬 Questions people ask
What type of rice should I use?
Rice pudding is typically made with short-grain rice, such as Arborio.
Is it necessary to wash the rice before cooking?
For rice pudding, it’s not necessary to wash the rice before cooking. Normally, rice is washed to remove excess starch and achieve a fluffier texture. In the case of rice pudding, we actually want the starch to help create that creamy texture.
Is this rice pudding gluten-free?
Yes! This rice pudding recipe is gluten-free!
How should I store rice pudding?
Store it in the fridge, either in an airtight container or covered with cling film. It will last about 3 days. I like to heat it up a bit in the microwave before eating. 🙂
Vegan Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 500 ml hot water 2 cups
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 220 grams short-grain rice 1 cup, such as arborio
- 1 liter soy milk
- 160 grams white sugar 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a pot, combine the water, salt, cinnamon sticks, lemon peel, and rice, and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat, cover, and let it cook until the water is almost fully absorbed.
- Add the soy milk and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Just before the rice is ready, mix in the sugar.
- After about 30 minutes, when the soy milk has reduced and the rice is creamy but still slightly runny, turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon peel.
- Stir in the lemon zest and transfer the rice to a serving dish or individual bowls.
- Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and it’s ready to serve.
Video
Notes
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