If there's one thing I know for sure about myself, it's this; I hatewinter.
SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is definitelya thing in my mind because, come winter, I go into hibernation.
On Monday I went to head out on my morning walk in my usual shorts and a t-shirt only to be hit with cold air the second I walked out the door. It's okay, I thought... it'll warm up.
Ten minutes later, I'm walking around the park covered in goose bumps... looking at the patches of sun but wondering why on earth I wasn't feeling their warmth and then it hit me...
WINTER IS COMING.
Dread. Pain. Anxiety. For a second there I thought I was going to have a full on panic attack.
If summer was a person, I'd be the one wrapped around it's heels, sitting on it's feet, BEGGING it not to leave me. Forget the promise of returning in 6 months time, DO NOT LEAVE ME!
But then I realised winter was inevitable (and yes I know, autumn comes first.. but in my world it's either summer or winter - also known as time to be a social butterfly or time to forget my own existence) and I tried to think of all the good things about winter.
And then I went home to do what every insane person would do.
I flicked the dial on the oven to heat it up and I made baked rice pudding.
Why? To get a head start on convincing myself that winter isn't really that bad... and I tell you what, friends... if winter involves steaming hot bowls of creamy rice pudding, I'll take it.... for a few months at least 😜
And northern hemisphere friends, don't let me lose you - I can assure you that this tastes delicious cold too... so you can eat it all year long.
So let me share the recipe with you >>
Easy Baked Rice Pudding Recipeserves 4 (small batch)
gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, low fat,
egg free,dairy free, nut free, kid friendly
2 cups milk of your choice (we used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup (50g) coconut sugar orbrown sugar (use more if you like things extra sweet)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Optional:1/4 cup raisins
If needed: 1/2-1 cup additional milk
- Preheat your oven to 160C/320F
- Grease a 4 cup baking dish with butter or oil.
- Add your rice to the bottom of your baking dish.
- Add your sugar and cinnamon and pour over 2 cups of milk and your vanilla extract.
- Cover your baking dish with foil and place in the oven.
- Make for 15 minutes, covered before uncovering and stirring with a spoon or spatula.
- Recover your baking dish and bake for another 45 minutes.
- Uncover your baking dish and check the texture of your rice. If the rice is still very undercooked, recover (adding an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of milk if it's looking quite dry) or if it is just cooked or almost cooked, leave uncovered and bake for a further 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Add your extra milk if your rice pudding is looking quite dry orif you prefer a creamier pudding (see my notes below for an extra creamy tip!).
- Continue baking until your desired consistency is reached, remove from the oven and serve immediately.
- This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days, however, we find it's best eaten fresh as cooling and reheating can give you a mushier texture.
Notes:
- *We've tried this recipe with all three types of rice and each work perfectly. All you'll need to do is adjust the amount of milk. After it's baked for an hour, check the texture and add an extra 1/2-1 cup of milk if needed
- **If you like your rice pudding extra creamy, mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch into your extra 1 cup of milk and stir it through after your rice pudding has baked for an hour. Continue baking uncovered until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If you don't want to bake itwell then it's not a baked rice pudding.... butit can be done. Simply take all the ingredients and put them in a medium sized saucepan on the stove. Cooked over medium-low heat until it reaches your desired consistency, stirring regularly.
But tell me, what's your favourite season?
Do you have S.A.D too?
And what's some of your favourite winter warmer recipes?
FAQs
Oven temperature is an important key to baking custards. If eggs are overheated by high temperatures over 325ºF, they curdle and get watery. Some people use a (messy and potentially dangerous) water bath to hold the baking dish of pudding.
Why is my rice pudding not thick enough? ›
However, you can add, if, if your rice pudding di or vanilla pudding didn't thicken it is not only because of the kind of milk you used, you generally you need to use some kind of a starch, either arrow root or corn starch.
How do you keep rice pudding from getting watery? ›
Don't cover when it's still hot. Do not cover when the pudding is still hot, but should be covered when the pudding has cooled. This is to avoid the presence of steam which makes the pudding runny.
What makes rice pudding thicken? ›
Rice pudding is simply rice cooked in sweetened milk. As the rice cooks, it releases starch, which thickens the milk and suspends the tender grains of rice, contributing to its creaminess.
Is jasmine or basmati rice better for rice pudding? ›
Although this dish is most commonly made using long grain White Rice (some would even use Thai Jasmine Rice, many would argue that, to achieve a balance between consistency and flavor, aromatic Basmati Rice should be used as it contains starch.
How do you keep rice pudding from getting hard? ›
As a result, the rice in the pudding can become firm and hard when it cools down. It's a natural process that occurs with certain types of rice. To prevent this, you can try adding a bit more liquid or cream to the rice pudding before refrigerating it.
Can you use normal rice instead of pudding rice? ›
Converted white long grain rice, Jasmine, Basmati or Arborio Rice all all good choices for rice pudding that starts with uncooked rice.
Why does my rice pudding taste grainy? ›
You must use pudding rice with its little fat, almost spherical, grains otherwise it'll be a disaster - it stays quite grainy, whereas normal cooking rice would just become a gluey mess. Also full fat milk MUST be used.
Why is my rice pudding gummy? ›
If your rice has absorbed too much liquid, the grains may have split and the starches may have given the rice a soft, gluey consistency. One way to fix that? Add even more liquid. Pour in some milk, a dash of vanilla, and spoonful of sugar, and suddenly your mushy rice is a rich rice pudding.
Why can't you reheat rice pudding? ›
Rice is more problematic than some other leftover foods as it may contain bacteria called Bacillus cereus, which survive some cooking processes . This bacterium is often the cause of food poisoning from reheated or cooked rice.
Method
- Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Wash and drain the rice. Butter a 850ml baking dish, then tip in the rice and sugar and stir through the milk. Sprinkle in the nutmeg and top with the bay leaf or lemon zest.
- Cook for 2 hrs or until the pudding wobbles ever so slightly when shaken.
Your best bet would be to mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of sugar with some of the beverage and add it to the warm pudding. Heat it to a bubble and stir until it thickens. You may have to adjust the seasoning, particularly vanilla.
What does rice pudding contain? ›
What Is Rice Pudding? Rice pudding is a creamy mixture of rice and milk that is cooked until it's thick and soft. It can be sweet or savory. This raisin-studded dessert rice pudding is thickened with an egg, sweetened with sugar, and enhanced with vanilla.
Is Jell-O pudding vegan? ›
The base ingredients for most Jell-O brand instant puddings are dairy-free as well as vegan. By using a non-dairy milk such as coconut, almond, or oat milk you keep this simple instant pudding dairy-free/ vegan.
Is there such thing as vegan rice? ›
Yes, absolutely! Rice is a common grain in all cooking and has a significant place in the plant-based world too. Some rice dishes may not be suitable for vegans though, so if you're eating out or following a recipe make sure there are no meat, fish or other animal products being used before you tuck in!
What rice is rice pudding made from? ›
Use long grain converted white rice for a classic, old-fashioned rice pudding. Arborio rice also makes lovely rice pudding, though it tends to absorb a bit more liquid, so expect that you will need to add a bit more hot milk or water towards the end of simmering.
