Creamy Brown Rice Pudding sweetened with vanilla and maple syrup then topped with juicy fruit. Perfect as a healthy breakfast or dessert!
If you’re looking for more healthy breakfast ideas, try my chia pudding and banana chia pudding.
Table of Contents
This brown rice pudding is my dad’s rice pudding recipe he cooked for me. I made it more healthy by using brown rice and cut back on some calories but not flavor. I remember it was the creamiest thing ever!
Start your day with this delicious breakfast and if you’re still thinking about it when you get home, treat yourself to a healthy snack or healthy dessert, I won’t tell anyone.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy: Greek yogurt makes it rich and creamy with the perfect texture.
- Not overly sweet: Vanilla and maple syrup add just the right amount of sweetness without needing sugar.
- Wholesome: A gluten-free indulgence loaded with nutrient-dense foods like chia seeds, raisins, and fruit.
- Can use leftover rice: This recipe is the best way to use up any leftover rice.
- Can be made ahead: Make a batch of rice pudding on Sunday and enjoy an on-the-go breakfast all week long.
Ingredients for Brown Rice Pudding
To make this brown rice pudding recipe you’ll need 9 simple ingredients.
- Brown rice: Uncooked brown rice that has been rinsed and drained. Choose from long grain brown rice, brown jasmine rice, or brown basmati rice. You can use short grain brown rice, but pudding will be more mushy.
- Milk: I recommend to use plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, or coconut milk to cut back on calories. However, you can use any milk.
- Butter: Helps create a rich consistency. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when cooking your rice.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds that traditional warming flavor.
- Raisins: Stirring in raisins adds a touch of sweetness.
- Chia seeds: Use whole chia seeds for the best taste and texture, you can use black chia seeds or white chia seeds.
- Yogurt: Instant Pot yogurt or regular yogurt is fine, I like Greek yogurt because it’s more creamy.
- Liquid sweetener: I prefer the taste of pure maple syrup for this recipe but honey or agave nectar will work too.
- Frozen fruit: Add your favorites like blueberries, cherries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries.
How to Make Brown Rice Pudding
Here’s a quick overview of how to make brown rice pudding using one pot right on your stovetop.
There is a full recipe card below.
- Bring rice to a boil: In a large pot, combine rice, 4 cups of milk, butter and vanilla extract. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is soft, about 40 minutes. I always stir a few times so rice doesn’t burn.
- Add raisins and chia seeds: Turn off heat and stir in the remaining milk, raisins and chia seeds. Let the pudding sit for 15 minutes.
- Finish the pudding: Transfer the pudding to a large baking dish. Add berries, Greek yogurt and maple syrup, then stir gently. Adjust to taste and serve hot or warm.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some things to remember when making rice pudding with brown rice.
- Don’t walk away from milk: Milk can boil over and burn quickly, so keep a close eye on it until it boils, then reduce heat right away. This will save it from burning.
- Use leftover rice: You will need 3 cups of cooked Instant Pot brown rice, Instant Pot long grain white rice, Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice.
- Make it vegan and dairy-free: Customize the recipe by using coconut oil instead of butter, and dairy-free yogurt. So good!
- About fruit and berries: Use fresh berries when in season and frozen other months to save money. I also love replacing berries with frozen mango in winter.
Variations
Try these flavor variations and see which one you like best.
- Use white rice: If you’re using white rice, cook it for about 20 minutes or until soft. Any white rice works.
- Other dried fruit: Substitute raisins for dried cranberries, chopped dates, apricots, or prunes.
- Warm spices: Add a dusting of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger.
- Citrus zest: Add lemon zest, lime zest, or orange zest for a true citrus flavor.
- Fresh fruit: The sky is the limit when it comes to adding fruit to pudding. Use whatever is in season like fresh berries, sliced banana, pomegranate, grated apples, mango, pineapple, or stir in some jam before serving.
- Extract: Swap vanilla for almond extract, coconut extract, or banana extract.
- Chocolate: Make a decadent treat by mixing in cocoa powder or chocolate chips.
- Nuts: I like adding crunch with pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Keep your pudding refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Transfer cooled rice pudding to an freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Move it to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Reheat: Add pudding to a small pot and reheat on low heat, stirring often so it doesn’t burn. Add a splash of milk too to rehydrate its creaminess.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes! Make ahead and refrigerate it in a large baking dish for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove on low with a splash of milk.
Hello, easy breakfast!
FAQs
Yes, any white rice will work, just be sure to adjust the cook time to 20 minutes or until soft and tender.
Yes. To make slow cooker brown rice pudding you’ll need to cook the rice on the stove first, then add more milk, maple syrup, raisins and chia seeds to your crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 4 hours until your desired consistency, stirring occasionally. After add Greek yogurt and berries.
Or try to cook 1 cup of rice with 3-4 cups plant-based milk and remaining ingredients, except yogurt and berries, right in the slow cooker on low heat for 4 hours.
Yes. Pressure cook brown rice with 3 cups of milk, butter and vanilla on high pressure for 20 minutes with Natural Release. Then add remaining ingredients as per recipe. I recommend to add less milk and adjust pudding’s consistency after stirring.
As per Healthline, health benefits of brown rice include an array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Then we load this brown rice pudding with superfoods like chia seeds, raisins, frozen fruit and maple syrup.
More Pudding Recipes to Try
- Chocolate banana chia pudding
- Mango chia seed pudding
- Chocolate chia pudding
- Coconut milk chia pudding
- Matcha chia pudding
- Cottage cheese pudding
Brown Rice Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice uncooked, rinsed & drained
- 6 cups milk divided (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 tablespoons butter salted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 3 cups frozen berries like cherries, blueberries, chopped strawberries, raspberries
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 2% or higher
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- In a large pot, add rice, 4 cups of milk, butter and vanilla extract. Cover and bring to a boil (don’t walk away so milk doesn’t run away). Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 40 minutes or until rice is soft and tender, stirring a few times and making sure rice is not burning.
- Turn off heat and add remaining 2 cups of milk, raisins and chia seeds. Stir and let the pudding sit for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a large baking dish and add berries, Greek yogurt and maple syrup, then stir gently. Taste and adjust to taste, if you wish. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Hello!
I’m making the recipe, but 6 cups of milk seems like a lot. Mine isn’t boiling down at all, even before I’ve added the 2 additional cups… Is this normal? Perhaps the China seeds will soak up a lot of it?
Thank you!
As rice cooks it absorbs the milk. So as it sits along with chia seeds. It should work if you flow the recipe and wait till the end.:)
welp. Imma try this for sure, I been buying the sugar free rice pudding in the 6 packs at Krogers like this going out of style, its SO GOOD!
I tried to make my own and its good but not the same, however I had no vanilla extract so i used some vanilla coffee powder, not bad its good and edible but not that flavor of the kroger..
while searching fora recipe I saw someone had written a review and how good brown rice was, the texture and all, I do agree cooked properly brown rice has this sweetness and texture that’s very addictive IMHO, maybe its the brand or species whatever but I get these 1 quart plastic containers, I bought 5 of them don’t remember where but its SO GOOD, cooks up so full and soft, lil’ sweet? but oh so good, I put nothing on it after I cook it fresh its that good then reheated I’ll toss some soy sauce n it for a change up..
the pan I used was too small so i really couldn’t put any heat to it without a big boil over mess so I slow slow cooked it and the milk still didn’t totally soften up the white long grain i used.. my guess is the sticky rice they used in Japan is best short grain, lots of starch for a creamy sauce..
I bookmarked this and when my batch of white rice puddin runs out I am going to make this, I am trying to save money and I wont eat refined sugars and what not.. its bad news even tho its legal to sell… DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
specially for children and babies, no!!! honey and fruit sugars, COMPLEX everything their tiny little brains are trying top develop they need a lot of complex everything their body understands and omegas..!!!! and all those grains you speak of are perfect! long as they didn’t spray roundup weed killer or any other chemicals on it right?
Thank You and I will return and give a review how it all worked out!
Do berries need to be previously defrosted?
Nope.
What a treat for breakfast this brown rice pudding was!
I just made your recipe this morning, and it is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome, Laura.
Hi, i would like to know choices to substitute the greek yogurt with, going dairy free?
Skip it all together – pudding is quite creamy and flavoured with fruit. It’s really just more of a topping, not a key ingredient.
Use some dairy free yogurt if you like it, I personally don’t like any of it but that’s me. I tried them all and can’t find any I like, sadly…
Can you use white rice instead of brown? Does it have to be basmati? Thanks
Yes, just cook less.
1 cup cooked or uncooked rice?
Uncooked – you are going to cook it.
I made this for breakfast this week. It was delicious and perfect “on-the-go”. My husband gave up sweets for Lent so he had it in place of dessert and enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe (and all others too!).
You are very welcome, Hannah!!! I’m remaking this brown rice pudding again in a few weeks because I’m tired of oats again haha.
Hi Olena! I will make some version of this recipe this weekend. I have blueberries and chia and raisins and rice. I love that you can just add in whatever you have on hand! Great ideas from you!
Thank you, Beth! Yes, that is a beauty of this brown rice pudding. We finished ours this morning and it went really well, even with kids. Staple for breakfasts and snacks rotation for sure from now on.
Oh my goodness. This is delicious. I added slivered almonds and raisins. They added great color and texture.
Hi Elizabeth. In Ukraine we always added raising. Not sure why I didn’t haha. Glad you enjoyed.:) I am super proud of you giving it a go and being non-traditional. I mean this is not the most popular recipe of mine and is totally under appreciated. So glad you tried it!
My kids liked it as well. We actually had it for dessert. I am surprised that this recipe is not popular. I try to live my life by my rules which means that I always try something once and I am glad I tried it.