Cooking rice pudding on the stovetop is labour intensive. Most recipes call for slow simmering and stirring over a stove on low heat. A slow cooking process is especially important when using Arborio (Italian) rice. Arborio rice is also known as risotto rice. It has a starchy outer coating that, when it breaks down, thickens the pudding and makes it even creamier.
Because Arborio rice absorbs liquid slowly, a long cooking time is necessary. By putting it in the oven, this pudding saves you time – time to finish cooking the main course, have an appetizer or put up your feet. However you spend your time, rice pudding can be ready and waiting when you’re done. When the pudding is removed form the oven, most of the liquid should be absorbed. If not, let it cook longer, until slightly browned on top and thicker in consistency.
What to Serve with Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is an excellent dessert for main courses that are not particularly carbohydrate-heavy – vegetable stew, or soup, for example. Serve it hot in the winter, with plenty of raisins and spices. In the summer, serve it cold with fresh fruit. Some people like rice pudding for breakfast or a midnight snack. Top with sliced almonds and a dollop of jam or maple syrup for a decadent treat.
Brown rice syrup is a gluten-free, vegan sweetener made from brown rice. It’s less sweet than granulated sugar, but more expensive. Feel free to substitute granulated sugar (brown sugar, white sugar, or natural cane sugar) instead. Liquid sweeteners like honey (not vegan) or maple syrup (vegan) would also work in this recipe, but use less as both are sweeter than granulated sugar.
Vegan Rice Pudding Recipe
Serves 6.
Preparation time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup short-grain Italian Arborio rice (risotto rice)
- ¾ cup brown rice syrup (or ½ cup granulated sugar)
- ¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 cups plain soy milk*
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
*Plain soymilk is usually sweetened. If using vanilla or flavoured soymilk, decrease the sweetener in this recipe. If using plain (unsweetened) soymilk, increase the sweetener, or top with brown sugar before serving.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C)
- In a 2 1/2 quart (litre) baking dish, spread out the rice.
- Top with brown rice syrup or sugar.
- Sprinkle the nutmeg over top.
- Slowly pour the soy milk into the dish and gently stir everything together. Add the vanilla extract and stir again.
- Bake for about an hour or until most of the soy milk has been absorbed.
- Serve in ramekins or parfait glasses.
- Enjoy hot, or chill before serving.
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