Brown Rice Pudding Recipe with Dairy-Free & Vegan Options

QUICK SUMMARY

This creamy brown rice pudding combines organic arborio rice or whole-grain brown or brown basmati rice, full-fat coconut milk, raisins or currants, warm spices, and your choice of natural sweetener. A 2022 meta-analysis linked brown rice with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, one more reason to make whole grains your everyday default. (1) For a dairy-free pudding use coconut oil instead of butter, and for a vegan version use the egg replacer too. Liquid stevia keeps added sugar lowest, while maple syrup and coconut sugar still contain real sugar.

Looking for a healthy, filling dessert? Try my Brown Rice Pudding!

It has all the best flavors of traditional rice pudding with a healthy twist, and warm spices with just the right amount of sweetness make it extraordinary. This is one of the recipes Eric and I shared in The Essential Oils Diet, and I still love how simple it is.

We promise we won’t tell if you eat dessert before dinner!

The Case for Carbohydrates

In a world of extreme diet culture, allow us to be a voice of wisdom: There’s no need to deprive yourself of carbohydrates! Does this mean you should chow down on a loaf of white bread? Absolutely not. But healthy carbohydrates close to God’s original creation can benefit your body and help it be at its best.

Carbohydrates are sadly misunderstood. Many diets eschew them entirely, while others put them on a pedestal. The best approach? Balance.

The quality of the carbohydrate matters more than simply labeling all carbs as good or bad. A 2023 meta-analysis of 68 studies and more than 1.6 million people found that every extra 30 grams of whole grains a day was linked with about 8% lower cardiovascular disease risk and 6% lower risk of death from any cause. (2)

That builds on a major 2019 review in The Lancet, which concluded that replacing refined grains with whole grains is expected to benefit human health. (3)

Wondering what carbohydrates are suitable for your body? Here are some of our favorite sources.

• Brown rice (of course!)
• Lentils
• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Brown rice pasta
• Fruit (apples, bananas, peaches, melons)
• Beans
• Carrots
• Chickpeas
• Oatmeal

Get creative and try a new carb source! We regularly include these ingredients in our recipes and have experienced the blessing of good health. We’ve also seen what healthy carbohydrates can do for our Natural Living Family.

Healthy Pudding Ingredients 101

This recipe uses simple ingredients to create a creamy, decadent brown rice pudding. The best part? None of these ingredients are difficult to find! Who said healthy eating has to be a hassle?

Arborio, Brown, or Brown Basmati Rice: The recipe card starts with organic white arborio rice, the classic creamy pudding rice, and lists brown rice or brown basmati rice as the whole-grain options. One important distinction: brown rice is a whole grain, but the word basmati describes a rice variety, not whether the grain is whole. Brown basmati keeps the bran and germ, while white basmati is refined.

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found that higher white-rice intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in prospective cohort studies, while brown-rice intake was associated with a lower risk. The randomized trials comparing brown and white rice showed more mixed results, so this is not a reason to fear an occasional serving of white rice. It is a good reason to make whole grains your everyday default when they work for your family. (1)

Brown and brown basmati rice are the whole-grain choices I prefer for this pudding. Brown rice has a better texture than white, in my opinion, and it is less likely to get mushy.

Butter or Coconut Oil: This recipe contains one of my best kitchen hacks: Cover your rice with water AND a pat of butter when cooking it. It adds such a wonderful flavor and makes your rice silky smooth. Try it! You’ll never go back to using plain water again.

If you need the pudding to be dairy-free, use the coconut oil option instead of butter. We use coconut oil in the pudding itself as well because it adds richness and works beautifully with coconut milk.

Coconut oil is not the same thing as purified MCT oil. A 2025 systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of clinical trials found no clinically meaningful weight-loss effect from coconut oil supplementation. (4) We still enjoy coconut oil as a traditional cooking fat and for the flavor and texture it gives recipes like this one. You can also read more about how we use coconut oil in a natural-food lifestyle.

Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Instead of dairy cream, we use coconut milk. Coconut milk creates a creamy, decadent pudding without lactose.

When purchasing coconut milk, be sure to grab the full-fat variety. The “lite” varieties contain more water and less coconut fat, so the texture will not be as rich.

Raisins or Currants: You can’t have rice pudding without raisins! They add lovely pops of sweetness and make the pudding look prettier. Currants work beautifully too if you want smaller bites of fruit throughout the pudding.

Sea Salt: We encourage you to use Colima sea salt. I love its hand-harvested character and the way it tastes in our recipes.

Sea salt can retain trace minerals, but it is still mostly sodium chloride and those trace minerals are not a complete mineral source. Most sea salts are also not iodized. If your family relies on salt as an iodine source, check the label and make sure you are getting iodine from an appropriate source elsewhere in your diet. (5, 6)

Pumpkin Pie Spice: This cozy blend of spices is used in, well, everything once the first leaf falls. I’m not ashamed to say the Z’s are huge fans of it as well! Friends from other countries, pumpkin pie spice consists of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Create your own pumpkin pie spice mix if you can’t find it in a store near you!

Sweetener: To keep the added sugar as low as possible, we use liquid stevia. Liquid stevia also blends easily into drinks, soups, and desserts. Check the ingredient label because some stevia products include added bulking ingredients or other sweeteners.

If you don’t have liquid stevia, you can use Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup or coconut sugar. We use both as natural sweeteners, but they still contain real sugar, so the pudding is not sugar-free when you choose either one. Learn more about how we compare natural sweeteners and glycemic impact.

Egg Replacer or Eggs: If you have allergies or follow a vegan diet, I recommend looking into egg replacers. It helps bind baked goods just as well as regular eggs and adds moisture. I love using this product in my baked goods. To make this pudding vegan, use the egg replacer and choose coconut oil instead of butter.

How to Make Brown Rice Pudding

This recipe requires little prep work, making it the perfect dish for busy chefs.

Brown Rice Pudding (With Vegan Option)

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Author Mama Z

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Quantity

2x4x6x

Ingredients

• 2 cups purified OR distilled water
• 1 cup uncooked organic white arborio rice OR organic brown rice OR organic brown basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon grass-fed organic sea-salted butter OR 1 tablespoon coconut oil, extra-virgin AND unrefined AND 1 pinch pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
• 1 (13.5-ounce) organic full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (1½ cups)
• 1/2 cup organic unsweetened raisins OR currants PLUS more if desired
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, extra-virgin AND unrefined
• 2 large pasture-raised organic eggs OR 1 tablespoon egg replacer PLUS 4 tablespoons purified OR distilled water
• 1 tablespoon organic pure vanilla extract OR Homemade Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
• 1 teaspoon organic ground Ceylon cinnamon PLUS extra for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon organic pumpkin pie spice powder PLUS extra for topping*
• 3-4 droppersful vanilla-flavored liquid stevia OR 1 tablespoon Grade A Dark Amber maple syrup, organic OR 1½ teaspoons organic coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped organic raw pecans OR walnuts OR a mix (optional)

Supplies

• Saucepan
• 1½-quart baking dish

Instructions

 

• In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and add the brown rice and some butter. Cover and cook the rice for 20-30 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy; brown basmati rice will take 10-14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the coconut milk, raisins, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, stevia, and pecans (if using) to the cooked rice in the saucepan. Mix well.
• Transfer the rice mixture to a 11⁄2-quart baking dish. Top with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
• Bake for about an hour or until the pudding is firm. Let the pudding cool for 30 minutes, or serve warm with Mama Z’s Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Milk Whipped Cream.

Notes

Whenever possible, we recommend using organic, non-GMO ingredients. 

Homemade Vanilla Extract (Vegan)

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Author: Mama Z

Supplies

• Glass bottles
• Funnel
• Label maker

Ingredients

• 5-6 organic vanilla beans
• 80% proof organic vodka

Instructions

• Place the vanilla beans in a glass bottle and carefully pour in the vodka.  Store in a dark, cool place and shake occasionally.  Let it work its magic for at least 6 months before using it.  Use in all your favorite baked goods, drinks, and more.

Notes

Whenever possible, we recommend using organic, non-GMO ingredients.

Step One: Prepare the Rice

In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and add the brown rice and a pat of butter.

Cover and cook the rice for 20 to 30 minutes until the water has been absorbed, and the rice is fluffy.

Cooking times will vary based on the rice you choose. Brown basmati rice usually only takes 10 to 14 minutes.

Your rice can be a little undercooked as it will absorb more liquid during baking.

Step Two: Mix the Brown Rice Pudding

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the coconut milk, raisins, coconut oil, eggs, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, stevia, and pecans or walnuts (if using!) to the cooked rice in the saucepan.

Mix until well combined.

Step Three: Bake the Rice Pudding

Transfer the rice pudding mixture to a 1 ½ quart baking dish.

Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.

Bake for about an hour until the pudding is firm.

Let the pudding cool for 30 minutes, or you can serve it warm with my Vanilla Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream. Enjoy!

For leftovers, keep the pudding covered in the refrigerator. Federal food-safety guidance recommends refrigerating perishable foods within 2 hours and using cooked leftovers within 4 days. (7)

Keep reading: Make Ahead Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe · Healthy No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies with Peppermint · Gluten-Free Lemon Tea Bread Recipe With Essential Oil