Vegan Rice Pudding. Dessert and Breakfast Approved.

Rice Pudding often gets brushed off as being a bland, raisin-specked ‘healthier’ dessert. Well when it comes to my vegan Coco-Cinna-Nilla Rice Pudding only one of those is true: it’s healthy. But it’s also delicious. And guess what, a few recipe tweaks, and it’s a rice pudding dish that is breakfast approved. Check this out…

Vegan Dessert for Breakfast. A typical vegan breakfast can get a bad wrap. Fruit salad, tall glases of green juice, thick smoothies and vegan oatmeal may all sound a bit too healthy to the critics. I get it. Sometimes we crave something sweet, starchy and comforting in the morning. And since we all know that buttermilk pancakes and jelly-filled donuts are a healthy eating no no, we’re left with few options to satisfy. Until now. Here is a yummy brown rice pudding recipe perfect (and healthy enough) for breakfast. It’s high in protein (from the tofu), fiber (from the brown rice and cashews) and antioxidants (from the fresh fruit).
But before I get to the breakfast recipe, lets check out the sweet, simple and classic dessert recipe:

Version #1 Dessert:
Cinna-CoCo-Nilla Rice Pudding
vegan, simple’n sweet!

1 cup organic brown rice,
*short or long grain will work. I like short.
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*or other non-dairy creamy beverage
1/3 cup agave or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
optional: 3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, fine

To make:
I make my rice pudding by cooking the rice first,
then slowly adding the additional liquid (non-dairy milk) and seasonings on medium heat.
First, add the rice, water, salt and butter to a pan.
Bring it to a bowl over high heat.
Cover with lid, reduce heat to low.
Simmer rice for an additional 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Next, turn heat to medium and stirring constantly, add all the coconut milk until it has been sufficiently absorbed. Be sure to uncover lid so that steam can cook off the rice.
Next fold in the vanilla extract, cinnamon and agave or maple syrup.
Cover with lid and allow to sit for ten minutes.
Serve warm or store in fridge to serve cold.
*Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and a drizzle of agave syrup on top before serving.

And now for the modestly tweaked version that is perfect for a savory-sweet breakfast…

Version #2 Breakfast:
Sweet Tofu Rice Pudding
vegan, serves 2-3

1 cup organic brown rice,
*short or long grain will work. I like short.
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp vegan butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*or other non-dairy creamy beverage
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
1 cup tofu, firm, cut into cubes
3 Tbsp Cashews
1 cup chopped fresh fruit
*(banana, peaches, mangoes, berries all work well)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
*cumin adds a nice savory breakfast flavor
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
optional: 3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, fine

To make:
First, add the rice, water, salt and butter to a pan.
Bring it to a bowl.
Cover with lid, reduce heat to low.
Simmer rice for an additional 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Next fold in the tofu with 1/3 cup of coconut milk and cover lid. Allow to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
The hot rice will help cook and flavor the tofu.
Next, while stirring constantly, add all the coconut milk until it has been sufficiently absorbed.
Next fold in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, cashews and agave or maple syrup.
Note, it’s OK if the tofu crumbles a bit.
Cover with lid and allow to sit for ten minutes.
Fill a bowl half way, then top with fresh cut fruit.
Mangoes, berries, bananas and peaches work very well.
Serve warm.

Recipe Notes: If you do not have Coconut Milk beverage, you can easily substitute almond, soy, rice or hemp milk. However, try not to use a low-fat version because all the creaminess comes from the milk option you use. If using an alternative milk you can add in a Tbsp of canned coconut milk or oil if you crave a coconut flavor.