Easy Brown Rice Pudding

4.38 from 8 votes
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Instantly warm up chilly winter days with a bowl of cozy brown rice pudding. This naturally vegan recipe is delightfully cinnamon-spiced and comes together with just 6 wholesome ingredients.

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Once the temps drop below freezing, it’s rice pudding season here in the midwest. If you aren’t familiar with traditional rice pudding, you’re in for a treat today! Homemade brown rice pudding is thick, slightly sweet, creamy, and warms you up from the inside out! It’s like a second cousin to oatmeal – especially when made with a whole grain like brown rice. Often enjoyed for dessert, we love rice pudding for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up, too.

This wholesome stovetop brown rice pudding is made in about an hour (lots of hands-off time) with simple ingredients and without any refined sugars. Here at Fit Foodie, we love cinnamon – if you do, too, we recommend increasing the amount to 2 teaspoons for even more warm, cozy flavor. Our naturally plant-based recipe is also gluten free, making this a versatile sweet that everyone loves!

Featured Comment

“Easy recipe to follow and we loved the results. We added a small handful of raisins at the 45 minute mark, and they added a nice texture and sweetness. We love cinnamon, and will increase the amount for the next batch.” – Ryan

What is in brown rice pudding?

All you need are just a few pantry staples to make this simple recipe:

  • Brown rice (we used long grain)
  • Almond milk
  • Maple syrup
  • Salt
  • Vanilla
  • Cinnamon

Brown Rice Pudding Variations

Rice pudding is a very forgiving recipe and works well with any of these substitutions:

Rice: Use the same amount of white rice instead of brown rice.

Milk: Instead of almond milk, use any kind of plant-based or regular milk. Oat milk would add a delicious creaminess and sweetness.

Maple Syrup: Feel free to use honey instead, but the pudding would no longer be vegan.

Spices: Increase the amount of cinnamon or mix things up by adding homemade pumpkin pie spice or a chai spice mix.

FAQ

Do you serve rice pudding for breakfast or dessert?

Rice pudding is typically a dessert, but this recipe could totally pass for breakfast! Top with berries or a sliced banana, nuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup for a wholesome breakfast.

Is rice pudding gluten free?

Yes, this is a naturally gluten free (and dairy free/vegan) recipe!

How do you thin out rice pudding?

Rice pudding is supposed to be pretty thick. Once cooked, if it’s too thick for your liking, add 1-2 tablespoons of additional milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It’s a great meal-prep snack or dessert to make on the weekend and enjoy all week long!

Freezing Brown Rice Pudding

Let the rice pudding cool to room temperature, transfer to freezer-safe containers (we like to freeze this in individual servings), and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm before enjoying – you may need to stir in a splash of almond milk to thin the pudding out a bit.

Serving Suggestions

Serve brown rice pudding hot with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and a splash of almond milk. If you’re eating this recipe for breakfast, I suggest swirling in a nut butter (like cashew butter or peanut butter) and adding a handful of raisins or nuts.

4.38 from 8 votes

Easy Brown Rice Pudding

Warm and cozy brown rice pudding is delicious any time of day. Enjoy it for breakfast, a midday snack, or dessert!
By: Lee Hersh
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup long grain brown rice
  • 4 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup*

Instructions 

  • Place the brown rice, 3 cups of almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and maple syrup in a medium pot set over medium/high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining cup of milk and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is soft and chewy.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and optional almond milk.

Tips & Notes

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing Instructions: Once cool, transfer rice pudding to freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm before enjoying – you may need to stir in a splash of almond milk to thin the pudding out a bit. 
  • Maple Syrup: Use 1-2 more tablespoons of maple syrup for sweeter rice pudding. Feel free to use honey instead, but the pudding would no longer be vegan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 /4, Calories: 224 kcal, Carbohydrates: 44 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 4 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 10 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Amanda @ The Engineering Foodie
September 17, 2013 4:20 pm

I love my rice cooker!! Every Sunday I use it to make quinoa for lunches during the week. Such a versatile tool in the kitchen 🙂

sara
sara
January 3, 2017 3:13 pm
Reply to  Lee Funke

How do you cook quinoa in the rice cooker?

She Rocks Fitness
September 17, 2013 3:24 pm

OMG I cannot wait to make this! I have been wanting to make a sweet rice in my rice cooker and so excited to try this out. I’m so bad at cooking rice on the stove, hence why I have a rice cooker and I love it. Thanks for sharing!

Davida @TheHealthyMaven
September 17, 2013 3:19 pm

Fall is in full swing here too. Perfect weather for a comforting bowl of rice pudding. I’m thinking some coconut butter would be killer in this!

Katie @ Talk Less, Say More
September 17, 2013 1:34 pm

YUM! That looks so good! Is there a big difference between a rice cooker and a crock pot? (Is that a dumb question?) I don’t have a rice cooker but I do have a crockpot! 😉

Millie Jones
Millie Jones
September 17, 2013 12:48 pm

Awesome recipe!!! And yes, I use my rice cooker ALL the time!!! Makes the best rice!

Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl
September 17, 2013 12:32 pm

Can’t wait to try this! 🙂

Louise
September 17, 2013 12:06 pm

Yum! I love rice pudding 😛 This looks amazing!

jodye @ whole pure recipes
September 17, 2013 11:56 am

It’s crazy how much you use a rice cooker once you have one. I never thought I’d have so many uses for mine until I started using it, and found I could cook nearly everything I wanted to in it. This rice pudding sounds so comforting, and I bet nobody will ever miss the extra fat/sugar/other extraneous rice pudding ingredients.

MIZ
MIZ
September 17, 2013 11:52 am

YES YES YES!!
especially the organic cane sugar.

Caroline
Caroline
September 17, 2013 11:42 am

How many servings does this make?

Patty
Patty
February 10, 2018 1:40 pm
Reply to  Caroline

Does anyone know how to substitute honey for the sugar? Does it matter if I just put in a teaspoon or two ?

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