I love comfort food, especially when it comes to chilly autumnal evenings where the best way to spend the evening is tucked in a special blanket on the sofa watching Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor whilst tucking into something soothing and warm, and rice pudding has to be one of the best for that.

My Mom has always made a good rice pudding, its a firm family favourite.  Since realising my intolerance to dairy however, I had to miss out on this tasty treat.  That was, until recently, when we tried making a dairy free rice pudding using rice milk - and wow it worked YEAH!

Here’s the recipe, so you too can share in the yummy, comforting dairy free rice pudding delight…

• 5 oz pudding rice
• 1 carton of Rice Dream Rice Milk
• 2 oz raisins (if desired)
• Sprinkling of nutmeg

Dairy Free Rice Pudding Recipe:

• Preheat the oven to 150c / 300f / Gas Mark 2.
• Place the rice, rice milk and raisins (if desired) in an ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle a little nutmeg over the top.
• Place in the over for 2 hours.
• Leave to cool slightly, then serve warm.  Can also be eaten chilled.

Dairy FREE Rice Pudding

Brown Rice Pudding

As a kinder on the tummy alternative to pudding rice, you can use brown rice.  This requires a slightly different approach…

Use the same ingredients replacing 5 oz pudding rice with brown.

• Weigh out the rice and wash under cold water for a couple of minutes to remove the starch.
• Place in a saucepan on the hob with the rice milk, raisins (if desired) and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
• Bring to the boil.  Then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 30 – 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fluid has been absorbed, stir occasionally.
• Take off the heat, cover and leave in the pan to steam for 15 minutes.
• Leave to cool slightly, then serve warm.  Can also be eaten chilled.

Note – brown rice, in its nature, will be firmer than pudding rice and so will have more bite to it.

Rice Pudding Suggestions…

• Serve as is, or with a spoonful of St Dalfours Fruit Spread (available in a variety of flavours) to give the rice pudding that extra edge.
• Use half Rice Milk and half Vanilla / Almond / Hazelnut Rice Milk for extra natural sweetness and flavour.
• Split open a vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds adding them, and the pod, to the rice pudding before cooking.  Be sure to remove the pod before serving.
• Use half Rice Milk and half Coconut Milk for a small added luxury.

Happy Autumnal Comfort Food – enjoy my dairy free rice pudding – Yum!