Growing up, rice pudding was relatively frequent dessert in our house, although it was never a planned one. It was always the result of my Dad’s heavy hand when making rice. He’s not much of a measurer, so every time he made us rice, he’d pour a couple of cups of dried rice in the pot and by the end, we’d have a gallon or so of rice. Even though we only needed enough for three or four.
We couldn’t let all that rice go to waste.
So after dinner, we’d head back to the kitchen and mix the remaining rice with milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. We’d stuff ourselves silly on the sweet, warm rice. We didn’t always have desserts in the house growing up (my parents mastered the whole healthful moderation thing way before it was hip), so rice pudding nights were a real treat. It was so simple, but that was part of the beauty of it. I guess, technically, we were eating the rice as more of a cereal, but the results were the same—wholesome, sweet and a perfect way to use up an extra boatload of rice.
This recipe is a bit different from the one we had growing up. This rice is cooked with the sole-purpose of pudding. Instead of cooking the rice in just the standard water, I added creamy coconut milk and a full cup of flake coconut. And then, once the rice has absorbed all the coconutty yumness, I stirred in a little bit of evaporated milk, some pure maple syrup, and cinnamon. The end result is a creamy, smooth, chewy pudding that reminds me so much of my childhood, it’s ridiculous.
Because this weekend was so chilly and Fall-like, I served this hot out of the pan, but this pudding is equally delicious if it’s allowed to cool. If you can’t decide how you like it, do like I do. Have some hot out of the pan, and then squirrel some away in the back of the fridge to have the next day cold. Just make sure you hide it well enough that none of your family members will sneak in and gobble it up. It’s that good.
Maple Coconut Rice Pudding
This maple coconut rice pudding is a creamy, smooth, chewy pudding that reminds me so much of my childhood it's ridiculous.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (can sub half and half or full-fat coconut milk)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine rice, coconut milk, water and coconut. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, maple syrup, cinnamon and evaporated milk. Spoon in serving dishes and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, coconut and drizzle of maple syrup if desired. You can also chill the pudding and serve cold if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
This is INCREDIBLE! I just made a batch for a dinner party I’m going to tonight, and I couldn’t be happier with how delicious it is. Thanks!
Oh my goodness this looks so good. I never had rice pudding as a kid(my mom said I tried it once and didn’t like it but I don’t remember that :P) Now that I’m older I cannot get enough of the stuff. So good! Love your coconut version, I haven’t tried that before but I will soon 🙂
I thought my family was the only one that made dessert out of leftover dinner rice! It was something my grandmother used to do for my father when they were young that he passed onto me.
Although I adore rice pudding I haven’t tried making a proper one but this looks super easy and delicious!
i love rice pudding! this sounds awesome i will definitely try!
I love rice pudding! I used to hate it growing up, but then I learned to make it myself. I did a recipe quite similar to this one a couple of years ago (with coconut milk and maple syrup – great minds think alike!), but mine is done in the crock pot. Nice and easy – and still delicious! http://lublink.org/alison/?p=228
Your timing is brilliant. I have a jar of rice in my fridge that didn’t get used as planned, and I was just thinking, “I need to use that soon!” As it’s already cooked, I’ll have to look up another recipe (ala your dad) and combine it with yours. Thanks for the idea!
Off to Google and then the kitchen…. 🙂
Love rice pudding yum. My mom baked a great deal when I was a kid so there was usually something sweet in our home.
Never thought about making rice pudding with coconut milk. Gonna give that a try this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
YUM!! this recipe sounds delicious!