Spiced Brown Rice Pudding

November 29, 2021

We’ve all heard that brown rice is more nutritious than white rice, but why exactly is that so? To start with, white rice is a refined grain, while brown rice is a whole grain that contains the bran and germ, which have been removed from white rice. These components provide vitamins like magnesium and niacin — as well as more fiber.

When it comes to cooking, they can both have their place in a healthy diet. But ultimately, a diet that relies heavily on white rice has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. From a culinary perspective, they each have their value — and that’s something we love about this brown rice pudding recipe. Although white rice is the traditional choice for a rice pudding, it’s also a softer grain, so the pudding has a tendency to get mushy. Instead, this recipe utilizes hardier brown rice, which retains its form more, creating a nicer mouthfeel, in our opinion.

The recipe also makes use of coconut milk in place of traditional dairy. We think this is an upgrade in both texture and flavor: coconut milk is phenomenally creamy and rich, with a mild, gentle flavor that melds perfectly with this spice profile. This recipe has one more healthy upgrade to it, but this one you can’t even taste: Youtheory® Spore Probiotic Powder. This type of probiotic is great to have around because it doesn’t require refrigeration, but it does very effectively create diversity in your gut microflora. These probiotics can help shift your GI tract in the right direction, which can enhance the immune system, among other benefits.

Spiced Brown Rice Pudding

SERVES

PREP TIME

00 min

COOK TIME

1h 00 min

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain brown rice, regular, basmati or jasmine

1½ cups water

2 (13.5-ounce) cans coconut milk, well shaken

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

6 scoops Youtheory® Spore Probiotic Powder

½ cup maple syrup

Optional garnish/add ins:

Unsweetened shredded coconut

Maple syrup for drizzling

More coconut milk, or almond milk, for serving

More cinnamon

Chopped toasted almonds

Directions

Cook the rice according to package directions in the water, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine a few tablespoons of coconut milk with the cinnamon, ginger, kosher salt and vanilla extract. This is your flavor base, and mixing it with the coconut milk better distributes the spices in the pudding to prevent clumping.

In a measuring cup, pour out the rest of the coconut milk and add 6 scoops of probiotic powder. Stir together until well combined.

When the rice is tender but not soft, add the spiced flavor base and the rest of the coconut milk, and the salt. Stir briefly to combine.

Cook the rice for about 15 minutes, uncovered, on low heat at a gentle simmer. Do not stir. A skin may form on the top. That’s ok.

After 15 minutes, stir the rice; some will likely be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add the maple syrup and cook the pudding for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. It will thicken and reduce a bit, and thicken even more as it cools.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a wide shallow dish (such as a glass casserole dish) and chill for 3 hours or up to overnight. Serve, or store for up to 5 days in a covered glass container in the refrigerator. This pudding will also keep for up to 2 to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container.