Vegan British semolina pudding is a hot, creamy, sweet, satisfying, comforting dessert that the whole family will love. Perfect for warming everyone up during the chilly, rainy, windy months. Although semolina pudding can be enjoyed chilled for a refreshing dessert, supper or even for breakfast. If you love rice pudding you'll likely enjoy semolina also - both are classic old-school dinner desserts.
Semolina pudding is a British family favourite dessert prepared with just a few ingredients - milk, semolina, and sugar. Some people also like to enrich the pudding with butter or margarine but this is entirely optional.
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What Is British Semolina Pudding?
Semolina pudding is similar to rice pudding in preparation and ingredients. It is such an easy, quick and humble dessert and our vegan version only requires a few ingredients - plant-based milk, semolina and sugar. Vegan butter or margarine is an optional addition.
Semolina pudding can be ready in just 30 minutes and a home-made bowl of hot steaming semolina is just a delicious bowl of creamy comfort-food perfect for those cosy chilly, windy or rainy evenings snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket and watching your favourite soap on TV programme.
Semolina pudding can be enjoyed hot or cold, as a dessert, pudding, or even as a breakfast along with some fresh fruit.
The type of semolina used for puddings is slightly different from the semolina flour that is prepared from durum wheat and commonly used to prepare pasta and bread.
Semolina flour can be purchased alongside other flours and it can be confusing, as I once purchased a bag of flour semolina and tried to cook it as a pudding! It tasted kind of OK but the texture was a little off.
The semolina meant for pudding is also a wheat product and is produced during the milling of wheat. In the UK it can be found near or in the home baking aisle alongside packages of rice pudding and custard powder - and is labelled as semolina and usually has a dessert recipe on the packaging. In the US the closest thing to the British semolina is labelled cream of wheat.
A dollop of fruit jam is a classic addition to a bowl of hot semolina pudding.
Origins Of British Semolina Pudding
Semolina pudding was a favourite old school British pudding during the 60s, 70s and 80s. This milky pudding still remains a firm, fond favourite although some people do not have nostalgic memories as they very much disliked their school's semolina pudding!
Semolina comes in a powdered flour texture, much like ground rice but more yellow in colour, and can usually be found near the baking section in most UK supermarkets and local grocery stores.
Semolina pudding dates even further back to at least the Roman times where a 4th century AD text Apicius describes a pudding prepared with farina wheat, almonds and raisins. Many countries around the world also have a version of semolina pudding with various different flavours and ingredients. For example the Czech Republic add cocoa powder or chocolate to semolina pudding whereas in Hungary granola or seeds may be added.
How to prepare
For semolina pudding the ingredients you will require are - a package of semolina, plant-based milk, and sugar. If liked plant-based butter or margarine can be added to provide a richer flavour but this is not essential.
Step 1: Heat the plant-based milk gently until hot but not boiling.
Step 2: Sprinkle in the semolina powder and mix well to avoid any lumps. Keep stirring until the pudding comes to a simmer.
Step 3: Keep stirring and bring the pudding back to a gentle simmer.
Step 4: Stir the sugar and margarine [if using] through the semolina.
Step 5: Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes stirring, or until the pudding is at your desired thickness. It will thicken up more as it cools so after 5-6 minutes you can remove from the heat and allow the pot to sit for the remaining time and the pudding will thicken nicely.
Step 6: Serving suggestion - you can enjoy semolina pudding as it is or add extra flavours such as some grated nutmeg or a dash of powdered cinnamon. A spoonful of fruit jam or marmalade is also a nice addition.
Recipe Notes
Storing
Semolina pudding is best eaten hot soon after it has been prepared but it can be enjoyed chilled or reheated. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
As the pudding will continue to thicken as its stored you may need to add some extra plant-based milk in order to thin the pudding down a little to make it easier to reheat. Add the leftovers to a non-stick pot and gently bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and reheat for a few minutes until piping hot. You can also reheat within a microwave.
Unfortunately as semolina is a wheat product it is not suitable for those requiring a gluten-free diet. However, a delicious alternative is rice pudding and we have a vegan rice pudding recipe here on our family blog that we enjoy several times a month.
Another idea is to use ground rice flour for the semolina pudding. Ground rice flour is usually available in whole-food stores and in some supermarkets and stores. Using rice flour may suit those looking for a smoother rice pudding as opposed to using pudding rice. In the US cream of rice is similar to rice flour and can be made into a delicious smooth pudding similar to cream of wheat and semolina pudding.
Yes, anything that you would add to dishes such as rice pudding or oat porridge/oatmeal can also be added to semolina pudding.
A few ideas:
* add a handful of raisins or sultanas to the semolina as it cooks
* add a spoonful of fruit jam, marmalade, fruit curd, grape or apple jelly, fruit preserve, apple sauce, etc to each serving
* adding a scoop of festive mincemeat (the kind used to make Christmas sweet mince pies) at the end of cooking and stirring it through the pudding so that it warms up creates a lovely festive semolina pudding
* top each serving with fresh fruit or canned fruit, canned fruit cocktail makes for a tasty retro style pudding
* sprinkle chopped nuts, seeds, or coconut shards over the semolina, or for breakfast enjoy chilled semolina with granola sprinkled over
* warm spices always compliment hot milky puddings such as ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, apple spice mix, pumpkin spice mix, allspice, mixed spice, etc
* for a chocolate semolina pudding stir some sifted cocoa powder through the semolina powder before adding to the milk, or once cooked add vegan chocolate drops, chocolate shards, chopped bar of chocolate, etc, through the pudding so that it melts in the heat
We tend to use ordinary granulated sugar for our family's semolina pudding but if your usual or preferred sweetener is different then you can easily incorporate this. The exact amount of sweetener or sugar added to semolina pudding is personal preference as some prefer a sweeter version whereas others prefer a less sweeter pudding. Play around with the sweetness levels to discover your family's ideal amount.
Sweetener ideas:
* ordinary sugar such as granulated, caster sugar, or brown sugar
* date or coconut sugar
* maple syrup
* date syrup
* brown rice syrup
* pureed dates
* agave syrup
* carob syrup
* molasses
* golden syrup or corn syrup
* monk fruit
* stevia
No, semolina pudding can actually be enjoyed chilled for breakfast, snack or even a light supper. Granola, muesli, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruits, coconut shards, plant-based yogurt, etc., can be added to the top of chilled semolina to create a tasty meal. Semolina pudding makes a nice change from overnight oats or chia puddings.
Serve semolina pudding with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg for a traditional British flavour. A mug of your favourite brewed tea is particularly delicious with semolina. Guaranteed to warm you up during those chilly, dark, long evenings.
More traditional British milky puddings - made vegan
Looking for more budget-friendly dairy-free desserts that are also traditional family favourites? Our British Rice Pudding recipe can be prepared in the slow cooker and is so easy, and our Sweet Barley Pudding is an old Scottish favourite that deserves a comeback! And this milky Chocolate Custard Pudding is a classic dessert that will satisfy any chocolate craving.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
📖 Recipe
Vegan British Semolina Pudding
Equipment
- Non-stick pot
- mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1.2 litres plant-based milk [preferably a nice creamy one such as oat or soya milk]
- 100 grams semolina pudding powder [In the UK Whitworth's is a popular brand of semolina]
- 70 grams granulated sugar [The exact amount of sweetener is personal preference so use less or more as desired]
optional:
- 30 grams plant-based margarine or butter [this ingredient is optional - some old recipes include this ingredient]
Instructions
- Pour the plant-based milk into the pot and over a low heat warm the milk until it's hot but not bubbling. Stir frequently - don't leave the pot as the milk may quickly scald.1.2 litres plant-based milk
- Once the milk is hot sprinkle the semolina over the milk and mix well to incorporate with a balloon whisk or similar. If any lumps appear just break these up with the back of a mixing spoon.100 grams semolina pudding powder
- Keep stirring and bring the pudding to a gently boil.
- Once at boiling point add the margarine [if using] and sugar, and mix well.70 grams granulated sugar, 30 grams plant-based margarine or butter
- Bring back to a simmer, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the pudding is thickened. Stir constantly.[Alternatively, after 5-6 minutes of cooking and stirring you can remove the pot from the heat and leave it to sit in the pot for the remaining cooking time and it will continue to thicken up in the residual heat.]
- Once off the heat the semolina pudding will continue to thicken so if it's not thick enough after cooking just sit it off the heat for a few minutes or ladle it into serving bowls and it will continue to thicken.
- We like to add some grated nutmeg or powdered cinnamon to our semolina pudding and we especially like a dollop of fruit jam such as strawberry or raspberry jam.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Semolina pudding is best eaten hot soon after it has been prepared but it can be enjoyed chilled or reheated.
- Chilled semolina pudding is tasty for breakfast or as a snack. Try topping with granola, muesli, fresh, dried or canned fruits, coconut shreds, nuts, seeds or plant-based yogurt, etc.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, add a little extra plant-based milk just to thin down the pudding a little as semolina tends to become really thick as it cools and is stored. Add the semolina pudding to a non-stick pot and gently bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and reheat for a few minutes until piping hot. Or reheat within a microwave.
- Chilled semolina is a good alternative to overnight oats or oatmeal and chia puddings.
- A dollop of fruit jam is a classic accompaniment.
- If your outwith the UK and can't source semolina pudding powder you can try using cream of wheat which will make a similar pudding.
Nutrition
Comments
Prepared our Vegan British Semolina Pudding recipe? Do let us know how you got on with the recipe as we love reading your feedback as it helps us to know which recipes you are loving. Drop a comment below and click the star ratings. It's very much appreciated. Thanks so much! Love Jacq x
Bobp says
"Hungary" not "Hungry"
Jacq says
Thank you for pointing that out! I’ve now fixed the spelling from "Hungry" to "Hungary." I believe an automatic spell checker caused the mix-up, but I do appreciate you letting me know. If you spot anything else or have any more feedback, feel free to share as it’s always helpful!