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
To prevent this, you can try adding a bit more liquid or cream to the rice pudding before refrigerating it. This may help maintain a softer texture when you enjoy it later. How do I keep rice from getting hard in the refrigerator? Most Japanese avoid it by not keeping the leftover rice in the refrigerator.
Why is my rice pudding not thick enough? ›
If you want to try to fix it, you can try dissolving a little bit of cornstarch in water and adding that in. Then try using a handheld or stand mixer to whip the pudding up until is starts to thicken. It will probably never set up completely, though, but it may help a little.
Why is my baked rice pudding watery? ›
Oven temperature is an important key to baking custards. If eggs are overheated by high temperatures over 325ºF, they curdle and get watery.
Why is my baked rice pudding dry? ›
Why is my oven-baked Rice Pudding dry? The baked rice pudding is probably dry because the cooked rice pudding was already too dry. The cooked rice pudding must be creamy, moist, and slightly runny before cooling. While it cools to room temperature, it will soak even more liquid.
What kind of rice is best 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.
What can you use to thicken rice pudding? ›
Rice pudding will thicken as it cools, but if you prefer your pudding thicker, you can whisk in a beaten egg while the pudding is warming and continue cooking until it's thickened. To thicken cooled, cooked rice pudding, fold in whipped cream.
How do you fix pudding that didn't thicken? ›
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 temperature do you cook homemade rice pudding? ›
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.
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 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.
Available in both Vanilla and Chocolate flavors, Vivian's Vegan Pudding Mix is perfect for when you need a simple, sweet treat or an ingredient for a dessert recipe. These mixes are great to keep on hand! And, for a little extra credit, Vivian's also offers a Vegan Whipped Topping Mix for garnishing.
What cultures eat rice pudding? ›
Nearly every culture has a version of the comfort food, from kheer in India, to Swedish risgrynsgot and champorado, the chocolate sticky rice pudding that is a staple in the Philippines. While the exact ingredients change, the basic elements are universal: Rice – short, medium, or long grain; white, brown, or black.
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.
How do you keep rice soft in rice pudding? ›
Simmer until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is to your desires tenderness. I like my rice soft, but not mushy. If the rice is not soft enough to your liking and the liquid is almost absorbed add more milk and continue to cook. Add sugar and vanilla and sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg if desired.
How do you keep pudding moist? ›
Cooking and storing
After you have steamed and cooled your pudding, replace the foil with a freshly buttered piece to keep it moist and store in a cool, dark place, or the fridge, until you are ready to reheat it on Christmas day.
How do you moisten rice pudding? ›
You can reheat it in a microwave or a hot oven. Either way a spot more liquid (milk, cream or evaporated milk) will help it from drying out too much.
How do you make pudding more solid? ›
If your pudding is too thin, you may thicken it by adding cornstarch. To properly thicken instant pudding with almond milk, but you don't want to use cornstarch, you need to add a quarter cup more of the powdered pudding mix than in the original recipe.
