Dairy-free rice pudding
Creamy dairy-free rice pudding made with coconut and soy milk, maple syrup and vanilla — rich, comforting and vegan-friendly.
This is the dairy-free rice pudding you can actually fall in love with: rich coconut and silky soy milk give the classic a luxuriously creamy texture without any dairy. It’s a comforting pud that keeps well and suits vegan and gluten-free diets.
Make it for pud night, pack it into lunchboxes chilled, or spoon warm with extra maple drizzle. The vanilla pod and lemon zest lift the flavour so it never tastes flat — honest pudding, no faff.
Ingredients
- 200 g arborio rice
- 400 ml canned coconut milk — use full-fat for creaminess
- 500 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 80 ml maple syrup — divided (about half now, half later)
- 1 vanilla pod — split and seeds scraped
- 5 ml lemon zest — finely grated
- 50 g sultanas
- 10 g cornflour — about 1 tbsp, for thickening
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- sea salt — a pinch
Instructions
Rinse the arborio rice in a fine sieve under cold running water until the water runs almost clear, then leave to drain for 1–2 minutes.
Put the canned coconut milk, unsweetened soy milk, drained arborio rice, the vanilla pod and scraped seeds, half the maple syrup (about 40 ml), a pinch of sea salt and the ground cinnamon into a medium saucepan. Stir once, then bring to a very gentle simmer over a medium hob. Reduce the heat to low so the mixture simmers gently — not a rolling boil — and cook, stirring frequently for the first 10 minutes, then every few minutes to prevent sticking, for a total of 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy.
While the rice cooks, mix the cornflour with about 30 ml of the unsweetened soy milk in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry with no lumps.
Once the rice is tender, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk the cornflour slurry again and gradually stir it into the hot rice along with the sultanas, the remaining maple syrup (about 40 ml) and the lemon zest. Return to a low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the pudding thickens slightly.
Remove and discard the empty vanilla pod. Taste and adjust sweetness or cinnamon if needed.
Spoon the pudding into 4 serving bowls, press a piece of cling film directly onto the surface of each bowl to prevent a skin forming, then chill in the fridge for at least 120 minutes to set and cool.
Serve cold or reheat gently. If serving warm, reheat over a low hob, stirring, and add a splash of soy milk if needed to loosen.
Tips
- Use full‑fat canned coconut milk for the best creamy texture; low‑fat versions can make the pudding thin and oily.
- Stir frequently in the first 10 minutes of simmering — arborio releases starch early and will stick and burn if left unattended.
- Press cling film directly onto the surface before chilling to avoid a skin forming; if you prefer a skin, skip this.
- To serve warm, reheat gently over a low hob and add a splash of soy milk to loosen instead of heating too fast.
- Make‑ahead: keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Texture firms when chilled — stir through a little soy milk when reheating.
Substitutions
unsweetened soy milk → unsweetened oat milk in the same volume (500 ml)
Stays closemaple syrup → golden caster sugar 80 g dissolved into the cooking liquid
Noticeably differentcanned coconut milk → additional unsweetened soy milk (replace 400 ml) but reduce total liquid slightly if you want the same creaminess
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 577
- Calories
- 10 g
- Protein
- 83 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 38 g
- Sugar
- 100 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this nut-free?
Yes — the recipe uses soy milk as written, so it is nut‑free. If you swap to almond milk, it will no longer be nut‑free.
Can I make it without cornflour?
Yes, the pudding will still set because arborio rice releases starch, but it will be looser and creamier rather than slightly set. Reduce the soy milk a little if you want a thicker finish.
How should I store leftovers?
Cover bowls and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on a low hob and stir in a splash of soy milk to loosen before serving warm.
Can I use other sweeteners?
Maple syrup gives a subtle flavour and is vegan; you can use agave (stays-close) or sugar (changes flavour and texture) but adjust quantity to taste.
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