Vegan Rice Pudding (proper comfort food recipes!)

There’s not much more of a comfort dessert than rice pudding. Pure childhood nostalgia, it’s surprisingly easy to make. So you don’t have to worry about buying tins made with factory-farmed dairy milk. Try this Rice Pudding with Berry Compote (Veggie Desserts).

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (vanilla, nutmeg and citrus are unsafe near animal friends). Bin citrus scraps, as acids may harm compost creatures (same with rhubarb, tomato and alliums – onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives). It’s okay to put them in food waste bins (made into biogas).

For tinned foods, fully remove lids (put inside) or pop ring-pulls back over holes (and pinch top opening closed) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Tips for making good vegan rice pudding

• To make rice pudding, you ideally use Arborio or pudding rice for a creamy consistency. Look in stores for Biona Organic Pudding Rice (sold in plastic-free paper packs). Never eat cooked rice after 24 hours (a food poison hazard).
• Rice pudding is creamy, so you need a rich plant milk (so ironically, that means avoiding rice milk, as it’s too thin and watery). Oat drink is good, as is coconut milk if you like the taste.
• Sweeten rice pudding with cane sugar, maple syrup or agave syrup.
• Use real vanilla (fake vanilla tastes vile). Although it’s rare to be made any more with castoreum (a urinary ingredient from beavers that’s also used in some perfumes), the synthetic ingredients are just as nasty.

Spicy orange rice pudding (for winter nights)

This orange rice pudding (Quite Good Food) is ideal for a cold winter’s night. It’s spiced with ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.

Juicy plum and vanilla rice pudding

This recipe for baked plum rice pudding (Vibrant Plate) uses coconut milk, with juicy fruits, a cinnamon stick and real vanilla.

A quick hob-method vegan rice pudding

• Mix 100g pudding rice, 800ml oat drink, 30 to 60g of cane sugar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon in a medium pan. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring often.
• When you see bubbles around the edge, turn the heat down and cook gently to thicken, stirring every few minutes for up to half an hour.
• Then add 1 teaspoon of natural vanilla, simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Top with raspberry jam or cinnamon with orange zest. To make a ‘salted caramel’ rice pudding, add date syrup and an extra pinch of salt.

Petit Pot (inspiration from abroad)

It’s surprising considering the dessert’s popularity that the big brands have not got on board to release a plant-based version. Petit Pot (USA) shows that with a little vision, brand names can make good plant-based rice puddings.

This organic rice pudding is made with coconut milk and real vanilla, sold in sweet little pots for a nice end to a meal. The puddings are also perfectly portioned in reusable glass jars.