Vegan Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

Traditionally in the UK, a type of rice labelled pudding rice is used to prepare rice pudding. Pudding rice is a short-grain rice that is extra starchy and chalky, and works amazingly when cooked in milk as when heated and simmering the ingredients bind together into a thick creamy pudding.

However, any short-grain rice can be substituted including using other rice varieties such as Thai jasmine, basmati, Arborio, and risotto. Brown or whole-grain rice can also be used. However, it's important to note that when using a different rice the cooking times may need to be adjusted so do keep a close watch on the pudding as it cooks to avoid over cooking and extend the cooking times if required. Also, do keep in mind that a different type of rice will likely also affect the texture of the finished pudding compared with using pudding rice.

Traditional accompaniments to rice pudding is a dollop of fruit jam such as strawberry, raspberry, bramble or blackberry.

Other ideas include a hot berry coulis which is easy to make and tastes amazing drizzled over rice pudding. To prepare a coulis stew some berries such as raspberries or strawberries (fresh or frozen) in their own juices, or add a few tablespoons of water to help them along, which will be released as they heat up and simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add sugar or a sweetener if liked. My family enjoys the tart taste of the berries without added sugar or syrup and I don't tend to strain the coulis but if your family will be bothered by any berry seeds then strain those out with a sieve.

Instead of fruit jam or a coulis you can add any type of jam or preserve to your rice pudding including marmalade, grape jelly, apple sauce, or cranberry sauce. Or try adding fresh berries, stewed fruits, canned fruit cocktail or other canned fruit such as pears or peaches.

For extra creamy rice pudding you can stir a little vegan pouring cream through the finished pudding or add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving or even a scoop of plant-based ice cream for a hot and cold dessert.

Yes, you can stir some ground cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice powder, pumpkin spice or apple pie powder, ground cloves, allspice, mace, ground ginger, ground cardamon, star anise, or any warm spice you like to the pudding at the beginning of cooking. Or dust some spice over the top of the finished pudding.

Other flavours you can add to the rice pudding include a few drops of rose water [this was popular during medieval times], vanilla extract, almond extract, or freshly grated lemon or lime zest.

A traditional addition is a small handful of dried fruits such as sultanas or raisins and these will plump up nicely as the rice pudding cooks.

Another idea is to replace the plant-based milk with a flavoured plant-based milk such as chocolate, banana or strawberry soya milk. These flavoured rice puddings make delicious chilled rice pudding pots and are a delicious alternative to yogurt. Top the flavoured rice pudding with matching flavours such as for strawberry rice pudding add thin slices or diced pieces of fresh strawberries, a drizzle of strawberry coulis, or some strawberry fruit jam to the finished pudding.

Any type of diary-free milk is suitable although each will add different levels of creaminess, flavours and sweetness to the finished pudding. We like using oat milk as it creates a creamy, pale rice pudding, but we also like using soya milk or almond milk, as these cope well with slow cooking and they taste nice. Some types of dairy-free milks do slightly colour the rice pudding which doesn't bother us. Coconut milk (not the one in the tin) is also a nice choice but this does add a subtle coconutty taste which some may dislike.