Looking for a healthy, filling dessert? Try my Brown Rice Pudding! It contains all the best flavors of traditional rice pudding with a healthy twist. Warm spices and just the right amount of sweetness make this recipe extraordinary. Like all of our recipes, this pudding features low-glycemic sweeteners and is dairy-free. We promise we won’t tell if you eat dessert before dinner!
Table of Contents:
- The Case for Carbohydrates
- Healthy Pudding Ingredients 101
- How to Make Brown Rice Pudding
The Case for Carbohydrates
In a world of extreme diet culture, allow us to be a voice of wisdom: There’s no need to deprive yourself of carbohydrates! Does this mean you should chow down on a loaf of white bread? Absolutely not. But healthy carbohydrates close to God’s original creation can benefit your body and help it be at its best.
Carbohydrates are sadly misunderstood. Many diets eschew them entirely, while others put them on a pedestal. The best approach? Balance.
Include decadent fats and light carbs in your meals. Carbohydrates are easy for your body to process into energy, and a diet rich in them can put a pep in your step! (1) Healthy carbohydrates can even lead to an increase in serotonin in the brain. (2) Wondering what carbohydrates are suitable for your body? Here are some of our favorite sources.
- Brown rice (of course!)
- Lentils
- Sweet potatoes
- Quinoa
- Brown rice pasta
- Fruit (apples, bananas, peaches, melons)
- Beans
- Carrots
- Chickpeas
- Oatmeal
Get creative and try a new carb source! We regularly include these ingredients in our recipes and have experienced the blessing of good health. Not only that, but we’ve also seen what healthy carbohydrates can do for our Natural Living Family.
Healthy Pudding Ingredients 101
This recipe uses healthy ingredients to create a creamy, decadent brown rice pudding. The best part? None of these ingredients are difficult to find! Who said healthy eating has to be a hassle?
Brown or Basmati Rice: White rice has the same detrimental effect on your health that white flour does. Those that eat a large amount of white rice are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. (3)
Brown and basmati rice are both whole grains, which are always better for your body. Brown rice has a better texture than white, in my opinion, and it is less likely to get mushy.
Butter or Coconut Oil: This recipe contains one of my best kitchen hacks: Cover your rice with water AND a pat of butter when cooking it. It adds such a wonderful flavor and makes your rice silky smooth. Try it! You’ll never go back to using plain water again.
We use coconut oil in our pudding as well. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides that your body converts into energy! MCTs also help your body burn more calories, which means coconut oil is a fantastic ingredient for weight loss. (4)
Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Instead of dairy-filled cream, we use coconut milk. Coconut milk is a fantastic alternative as it creates a creamy, decadent pudding without lactose.
When purchasing coconut milk, be sure to grab the full-fat variety. The “lite” varieties don’t contain coconut cream, where all the goodness lies.
Raisins or Currants: You can’t have rice pudding without raisins! Fun fact: Raisins are fantastic for oral health due to their anti-microbial properties. (5) They add lovely pops of sweetness and make the pudding look prettier.
Sea Salt: Traditional table salt is stripped of most benefits during a rigorous harvesting process. We encourage you to use Colima sea salt. This great salt has been hand-harvested and is close to its original form. Colima sea salt contains all of the minerals your body needs to thrive!
Pumpkin Pie Spice: This cozy blend of spices is used in well, everything once the first leaf falls. I’m not ashamed to say the Z’s are huge fans of it as well! Friends from other countries, pumpkin pie spice, consists of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Create your own mix if you can’t find it in a store near you!
Sweetener: To keep this recipe sugar-free, we use liquid stevia. Liquid stevia is free of fillers that you sometimes find in powdered forms. I love how this sweetener blends into drinks, soups, and desserts.
If you don’t have liquid stevia, you can use Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup or coconut sugar. Both are fantastic options that are also low-glycemic.
Egg Replacer or Eggs: If you have allergies or follow a vegan diet, I recommend looking into egg replacers. It helps bind baked goods just as well as regular eggs and adds moisture. I love using this product in my baked goods.
How to Make Brown Rice Pudding
This recipe requires little prep work, making it the perfect dish for busy chefs.
Brown Rice Pudding
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Mama Z
Serves: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked organic brown rice or brown basmati rice
- Grass-fed butter or raw organic coconut oil
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup raisins or currants
- ¼ cup raw organic coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon egg replacer, or 2 large pasture-raised organic eggs
- 1 tablespoon organic pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon organic ground Ceylon cinnamon, plus extra for topping
- ½ teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice, plus extra for topping*
- 3 to 4 dropperfuls vanilla-flavored liquid stevia, or 1 tablespoon Grade A Dark Amber or C maple syrup, or 1 ½ teaspoons organic coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup chopped raw walnuts or raw pecans(optional)
- Supplies:
- Saucepan
- 1½-quart baking dish
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and add the brown rice and some butter.
- Cover and cook the rice for 20 to 30 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy; brown basmati rice will take 10 to 14 minutes. (It can be slightly undercooked as it will absorb more liquid when baking in the oven.)
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add the coconut milk, raisins, coconut oil, egg replacer, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, stevia, and walnuts (if using) to the cooked rice in the saucepan. Mix well.
- Transfer the rice mixture to a 1 ½-quart baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- Bake for about an hour or until the pudding is firm.
- Let the pudding cool for 30 minutes, or serve warm with Mama Z's Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream.
Step One: Prepare the Rice
In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and add the brown rice and a pat of butter. Cover and cook the rice for 20 to 30 minutes until the water has been absorbed, and the rice is fluffy.
Cooking times will vary based on the rice you choose. Brown basmati rice usually only takes 10 to 14 minutes. Your rice can be a little undercooked as it will absorb more liquid during baking.
Step Two: Mix the Brown Rice Pudding
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the coconut milk, raisins, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, stevia, and walnuts (if using!) to the cooked rice in the saucepan. Mix until well combined.
Step Three: Bake the Rice Pudding
Transfer the rice pudding mixture to a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Bake for about an hour until the pudding is firm.
Let the pudding cool for 30 minutes, or you can serve it warm with my Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream. Enjoy!
