This is the best dairy free rice pudding recipe. So creamy and delicious it’s also vegan and gluten free. It’s made with coconut milk and can be made on the stovetop, in the Instant Pot or in a slow cooker. Easy to make, this vegan pudding is a healthy breakfast or dessert.

Why you will love this recipe:
- This rice pudding is so creamy and rich.
- It’s easy to make on the stovetop, and is made in just one pot so clean up is super simple!
- You can also make it in the Instant Pot or slow cooker!
- It’s made with coconut milk so it’s vegan and also gluten free.
- It’s the perfect pantry staple recipe and doesn’t require any hard to find ingredients (I bet you already have them in your house).
- It’s kid friendly and is great for picky eaters.
- It’s a healthy recipe that can be eaten for breakfast, as a dessert or snack.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Basmati rice – basmati rice is my favourite white rice for making rice pudding.
- Coconut milk – to give this pudding the most creamy and rich texture. You could swap it for another dairy free milk such as cashew milk or coconut milk too.
- Coconut sugar – my favourite natural granulated sugar. You could easily swap this for brown sugar too.
- Raisins – to help give more natural sweetness to this rice pudding.
- Cinnamon – this spice gives this nice pudding the perfect comforting taste.
- Vanilla extract – to help enhance the flavour of this recipe.
- Salt – to help balance the sweetness of this pudding.
How to make this recipe:
How to make on the stovetop:
Step one: first, add the ingredients to a medium sized pot and place it on the stove on medium heat.
Step two: now bring the ingredients to a boil and turn down the heat to low.
Step three: let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches the consistency you like.
Step four: turn off the burner and put the lid on the pot and let it stand for ~10 minutes (this will soften the rice even more).

How to make this recipe in the Instant Pot:
Yes you can make rice pudding in the Instant Pot! However, instead of using 5 cups of coconut milk I recommend using 3 cups instead. If you do want to use the Instant Pot here is what to do:
Step one: in the inner pot of your Instant Pot combine all the ingredients and stir well (ensure there are no large cinnamon clumps)
Step two: close the lid, lock it into its position. Press MANUAL (pressure cooking) and adjust the time to 5 minutes
Step three: when the cooking cycle is finished, wait 7-8 minutes before releasing the pressure manually
Step four: when the pin has dropped, open the lid and stir well. Depending on what consistency you like, feel free to add more coconut milk. Then serve and enjoy!
How to make this recipe in the slow cooker or Crockpot:
If you don’t want to make this on the stovetop you can use your slow cooker or Crockpot instead. To make it in the slow cooker or Crockpot:
Step one: add all the ingredients to your slow cooker/Crockpot and stir well to combine.
Step two: cook on low heat for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally (alternatively you can cook it on high heat for ~2 hours).
Step three: serve and enjoy!

Chef’s tips:
- I only recommend using full fat coconut milk for this recipe – if you use low fat it will not turn out very well (the low fat coconut milk has too much water added).
- Store this rice pudding in the fridge for up to a week in an air tight container.
- When you re-heat the pudding you may want to add some additional coconut milk or nut milk as it will thicken in the fridge.
- This rice pudding also tastes really good when it’s cold so feel free to either serve it warm or cold.
Variations and add ins:
- If you don’t have coconut sugar you can substitute brown sugar instead.
- If you don’t like raisins simply omit them from the recipe.
- To make it less sweet you can decrease the amount of sugar you use or use fewer raisins.
- If you don’t have basmati rice feel free to use another type of white rice.
- If you like a thinner texture add an extra cup of coconut milk or water to the recipe.
- You could add other spices such as nutmeg or cardamon.
Topping ideas for this rice pudding:
- Dried fruit such as raisins, apricots or dates.
- Fresh fruit such as berries, banana, apricots, or apple.
- Any kind of nut butter.
- Chopped nuts.
- Chocolate or cacao nibs.
- You can also stir in some collagen peptides when serving it to give it a boost of protein as well as extra vitamins and minerals (this is the brand of collagen peptides that I use – I have at least one scoop everyday).
Frequently asked questions:
Is this rice pudding vegan?
Yes! Usually rice pudding is made with cows milk, but this recipe uses coconut milk instead so it is dairy free and safe for vegans and vegetarians. Some rice pudding recipes also call for eggs, but this one is egg-free.
Other recipes you will love:
- Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- Chicken Risotto with Leeks and Peas
- Vegan Cookie Dough
- Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
- Gluten Free Waffles
- Gluten Free Caramel Apple Oatmeal
- Paleo Blueberry Oatmeal
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Dairy Free Rice Pudding
This is the best dairy-free rice pudding! So creamy and delicious it's easy to make and is also vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients
- 5 cups full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp organic vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
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Add all the ingredients to a medium sized pot and place on the stove on medium heat.
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Bring the ingredients to a boil and turn down the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches the consistency you desire.
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Turn off the burner and place the lid on the pot and let stand for 10 minutes (this will soften the rice even more).
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Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- I only recommend using full fat coconut milk for this recipe.
- Store this rice pudding in the fridge for up to a week.
- Topping ideas: dried fruit, fresh or frozen berries, chopped nuts, banana, dark chocolate, cacao nibs or nut butter.
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