Vegan Arroz con Leche (Vegan Rice Pudding)
This creamy-dreamy recipe for vegan arroz con leche (i.e. vegan rice pudding) comes to us from our dear friend Ellen Kanner of the Soulful Vegan. She’s got wonderfully vibrant and tasty vegan recipes on her website, and you’ll find even more in her wonderful brand new cookbook Miami Vegan. While not all her recipes are gluten-free, many are, including this one, reprinted with permission from her book. Here’s what she has to say about it:
Spanish lesson—arroz con leche means rice with milk. Lost in translation though is how rice with milk becomes greater than the sum of its parts. It’s like getting a hug from someone you love. Arroz con leche is Spanish-Moorish in origin, with versions across the globe, thanks to centuries of migration. Every country’s, every restaurant’s, every family’s is the best. This one’s pretty damn good too, and it’s vegan. The milk is plant-based, the sweetness comes from more milk—sweetened condensed coconut milk. White rice, rather than brown, is the rice of choice here.
Vegan Arroz con Leche (Vegan Rice Pudding)
How to serve: The rice pudding will need to chill a few hours before serving in order to set
properly, but can be served chilled or warm or at room temperature.
It needs no more than a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, but for a grown-up garnish, soak 1/2 cup
of raisins in 1/4 cup of rum, then drain the excess rum, and add the raisins to the pudding.
Servings 8
Calories 168 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain white rice
- 4 cups plain unsweetened oat milk or other plant-based milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 broad strip lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (15-ounce) can sweetened condensed coconut milk
- 1/4 cup evaporated cane sugar or coconut sugar optional
Instructions
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Pour white rice into a bowl and add cold water to cover. Soak white rice for 15 minutes. Rinse rice in a strainer well so the water runs clear, not cloudy. Drain and set aside.
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In a large saucepan, heat plant-based milk over medium-high heat. Drop in the lemon zest and cinnamon stick. When it comes to a simmer, add the rice, then cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Just about the time you’ve had it with stirring, the rice will start drinking up the plant-based milk. The mixture will thicken and smell really good—cinnamon-y, rich, and oddly sweet considering you’ve added no sugar.
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So add the sweetness. Pour in the sweetened condensed coconut milk, stir well to combine, and taste. It is now absolutely sweet enough for me, but if it’s still a little sugar-shy for you, pour in the 1/4 cup cane or coconut sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the vanilla. Keep stirring for another 15 minutes as the pudding thickens to prevent sticking or burning. If it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low but keep stirring until the rice yields graciously to the tooth but isn’t mush. Remove from heat, fish out the lemon zest and cinnamon stick, and allow the pudding to cool for 30 minutes. Then cover with a lid or plastic wrap to avoid a tough pudding skin from forming and refrigerate for several hours or up to 2 days before serving. The rice pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Arroz con Leche (Vegan Rice Pudding)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168
Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 0.05g0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g
Cholesterol 0.04mg0%
Sodium 68mg3%
Potassium 90mg3%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 248IU5%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 185mg19%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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