This coconut rice pudding is dairy-free and easily made vegan, since the egg is totally optional. You don’t actually need an egg for a rich and creamy rice pudding, but it sure does bring it to the next level.
Jump to the recipe to hit the ground running, or read on for a breakdown of its ingredients. I’ll explain what’s essential, what’s optional, and what each ingredient is contributing to the overall recipe.
Essential coconut rice pudding ingredients:
Coconut milk
For this recipe, I recommend using the kind of coconut milk that you find in a carton, not a can. The kind in a can is too heavy for such a long simmer. You can get away with using canned coconut milk + a decent amount of water, but that tends to be much less flavorful than using a carton of coconut milk instead.
Stick to the kind of coconut milk you might pour over your breakfast cereal, and you should be all set.
Sugar
Since I usually add mango on top, I don’t love adding a lot of sugar to the rice pudding itself. I usually add a bit less than what this recipe calls for, but I find that the amount of sugar in this recipe tends to be a crowd-pleaser.
Whether you’re like me or you’ve got a sweet tooth, it’s always a good idea to add the sugar to taste, adding some, stirring to dissolve, tasting, and adjusting as needed.
Coconut flakes
I mean, they’re just a topping. These have very little to do with the structure of the pudding. If you don’t include them, it’s not like your coconut rice pudding will turn out wonky or anything. But whatever you do, do not skip the toasted coconut flakes. You just can’t get that toasted flavor anywhere else, and they really make the dish.
You can toast your coconut flakes however you like, in either the oven or microwave. Either way, the key is to keep a very close eye on them. They will go from white to burnt at the drop of a hat. Either finely shredded desiccated coconut or big, chunky coconut flakes will work here. Use whatever you love the texture of, and make sure you toast them.
My favorite way to toast coconut flakes is in the microwave using this method. That’s how I toasted the desiccated coconut in the photos and video in this post.
Optional ingredients:
The (optional) egg
It’s not necessary to add an egg to this recipe to ensure that it thickens. As long as you let your rice simmer for long enough, it will thicken even without the egg.
The egg does have a bit of thickening power, but much more than that, it gives the pudding a super rich and creamy texture. Feel free to simply leave it out if you prefer a lighter consistency or want to keep it vegan.
The (optional) mango
If you’ve ever had Thai sticky rice with mango, I don’t have to tell you: There is no better combination than rice, mango, and coconut. But the mango in this recipe is as optional as the egg (that is, entirely!).
However, if you are reducing the amount of granulated sugar in this recipe, I do recommend adding the mango, because it contributes a ton of sweetness.
Coconut Rice Pudding (dairy-free/vegan)
- Yield: 2 large, 3 medium, or 4 small servings
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup [130 g] short or medium grain rice
- 4 cups [960 g] unsweetened coconut milk beverage*
- 1/4 cup [50 g] sugar (or to taste)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg, whisked (completely optional)
- Optional toppings: toasted coconut flakes and/or mango slices
Instructions
- Combine the rice and coconut milk in a small dutch oven or large, wide saucepan**. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently with a flat wooden or silicone spatula.
- Once it comes to a simmer, gradually reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice breaks down and the whole thing thickens significantly. Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir with your flat spatula to make sure it does not scorch.
- Once it has thickened, stir in the sugar and salt, to taste. If using the egg, whisk one spoonful at a time of the rice pudding into the egg until you’ve added about 1/2 cup.*** Then pour the egg mixture into the pot and immediately whisk together. Continue to whisk over low heat until bubbles break the surface, and then remove from heat.
- Spoon into small bowls. Serve hot or chilled, topping it with mango and/or toasted coconut right before serving.
Notes
* This is the kind that comes in a carton and is meant to be poured over cereal, not the kind that comes in a can and is meant to be simmered in a Thai curry. 4 cups is the same as a 32 fl oz or 1 quart carton.
** If your pot/saucepan is narrow, it may take longer for your rice pudding to thicken (evaporation is one thing that makes it thicken, and liquid evaporates more slowly from a narrow pot).
*** If you don’t feel like bothering with tempering, you can get away with slowly drizzling the egg in. Keep the rice pudding moving with the whisk in one hand, gradually pouring in a thin stream of the egg with the other hand. Don’t let it stop moving. It will not be as perfect and streak-free, but this is the way I make it when I’m just cooking for myself (and how I make it in the video for this post). If you’re making it for guests, you might want to go the extra mile and temper it. To be fair, it does take like 30 extra seconds.
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