Where did you find comfort this weekend?
I found comfort in hazy, chilly mornings. I found comfort in my 100% beat up house slippers. There was comfort in bacon sandwiches. I found comfort in taking things just a bit slower.
My crazy brain refuses to be slow. It’s always thinking about cookie combinations, new podcasts, second books, and the next the next the next. I tried to be slower this weekend… because too much time is spent being not slow. Can I give you some real-talk? I think I take comfort in the fast crazy brain. It’s hard for me to take comfort in slow. It makes me a little wonky bonkers.
I found a dish that fosters both comfort and reduced speeds. It’s rice pudding. It’s totally rice pudding.
This vegan version is made with creamy coconut milk. It’s swirled with big, chunky strawberry jam… and it’s utterly perfect. Between the warm starch and sugars… I feel like this is super comfort, coma inducing food.
It’s Monday. I know that this is no time to slow down and relax… but put this dish in the back on your brain. Maybe this will be your perfect Wednesday night comfort food recipe. And yes, rice pudding is totally dinner.
I’m off to London for a few days. I’m afraid it’s not for any book signing festivities. I’ll be touring the city and drinking a questionable amount of gin. I’m going to make new friends, put my eyes of some fresh sights, and I also plan on constantly wearing plaid socks. You’ll see little peaks of my journey as it unfolds… and if you really want to get all up in my business, Twitter was built for that sort of stalking.
This is a beautifully simple place to start. Basmati rice is simmered with orange zest and coconut milk. Once it’s cooked to just slightly crunchy, vanilla bean seeds and ground cinnamon are added.
We’re also going to add more coconut milk. The additional milk is absorbed by the slightly undercooked rice, and is just made creamy lovely.
The longer the pudding sits, the more liquid it will absorb. If you like your pudding more towards the creamy side, save some coconut milk to pour over the pudding just before you serve it.
The rice pudding in itself is not very sweet… that’s because it’s a vehicle for beautiful jam.
I stirred two generous spoonfuls of sweet homemade strawberry jam into the warm pudding. The jam provided just enough sweetness to beautify the entire dish.
It’s almost strawberry season… but oooh how I savor last year’s fruit.
This dish is beautifully flavored with hints of orange and vanilla. The coconut and strawberry combination sings. It’s warm starchy comfort that can’t be rivaled. And it’s vegan!? Yea… that too.
Strawberry Jam Rice Pudding
makes 4 small or 2 large servings
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
1 cup white Basmati rice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
scrapings of 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
1 cup coconut milk plus more for drizzling if you’d like
1 cup good strawberry jam
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine water, coconut milk, rice, orange zest, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to very low, and cover. Cook until rice has absorbed the liquid and is steaming and creamy, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Add remaining coconut milk and stir to incorporate. Add more coconut milk as desired.
Swirl jam in just before ready to serve.
Rice pudding can be served warm of cold. The longer the rice pudding sits, the more liquid it will absorb. Add more coconut milk as necessary.
108 Responses
Well winter is just about to end, so while it’s nice and chilly outside I think this will be something nice to make for the girl friend and myself! Rice pudding is always tasty!!!
Just made this. And LOVE it!!!! Thanks for sharing it!
My husband thanks you in advance for this recipe! Enjoy London!!! And…..I like the old font better. Just sayin’.
gagagaaaaa, drooling. Talk about food porn deluxe! What a beauty!
LOVE! I adore rice pudding and this just looks utterly delicious!
oo im definitely going to try this recipe!
This looks incredible and even healthy, I have to make it soon!
PS please check out my blog, madewithmolasses.blogspot.com. It’s brand-new, your blog (which I have been following for over 2 years) has inspired me and I finally went for it. I’ve put a lot of heart, effort, and love into these few meager pioneer posts, so it would mean the world if you could check it out, or give me some tips. Thanks!
Warm starchy comfort – bliss. I adore the look of your jam too! It’s all far too much deliciousness to handle. Completely my kind of weekend breakfast. Done. Thank you!
Heidi xo
As some lucky twist of fate would have it I found this recipe before I had my breakfast this morning and could not get it out of my brain, and while rice pudding may be dinner I couldn’t justify it for breakfast. So I used all these flavors in my oatmeal, cooking it up with coconut milk, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon and homemade strawberry jam.
HOLY YUMTOWN! The coconut milk took my oatmeal to a whole new level of creaminess, I will definitely be keeping this recipe in my special artillery of fancy pants breakfasts. Thanks Joy!
This pudding looks so cozy and snuggly and wonderful. Excellent. Thanks for sharing!
Ummm yeah, I could def get down with this… (wait for it)… slow jam. ;)
Hi Joy! I’ve been lurking for almost a year and have saved s of your recipes to try later, but this one made me rush out and get the ingredients, even though we don’t really like normal rice pudding. This was delicious and the flavours were amazing! We got 6 portions as dessert. I’ll be recommending it to all my friends and family! – from V in the UK.
PS: Have a great time in London!
I made this creamy goodness and loved every grain of rice of it. It’s plain perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND desert. I testes it; just to make sure.
Thank you for this. My husband is not a big fan of rice desert and last night he was away on business trip and I made this for diner. It was great. The taste were perfect (I made it with lemon zest since I did not have any oranges and white sugar). Can’t wait for his next trip and not feeling like cooking. This was so simple to make. I think I will try this next time with oatmeal for breakfast.
Yummy! I’ve been thinking about making something similar of this recipe.
Hi Joy,
Don’t think I’ve written to you yet. You should first know that I swore I’d never follow a blog. You took that from me the first time we met. As a mother of two little monkeys, a busy interior designer, and an avid baker, I LOVE reading all your creative and inspirational recipes. I also love to stalk you a little as I used to be young and single, and I think we would have really gotten along. (loved the agro-biking bit a few weeks ago)
Anywho.. would you consider making some casseroles (yup, I said it) via “old school” Joy of Cooking but better, and revised? I do love a casserole, but will not have lard or canned veg in our dinners.
Oh, and to consider, there’s a big generation of children coming up with food allergies. Its a pain, especially since we NEVER came across food allergies as kids. But, I’m leaning more on coconut milk and non-dairy alternatives when baking, which is actually fun fun.
woo- that’s it. nice to meet you!
Leslie Stephens
Richmond, VA
rice pudding = delicious!
hope you have an awesome time in London :)
I’m so exited for you Joy!
Hope you have a great time in London and I’m sure you will (:
this rice pudding looks amazing!
Hi Joy!
Do you have a recipe for the jam you made? It always brings back lovely memories of my aunt’s apartment and summer.
thank you! nina
Rice pudding is one of those conglomerations of food that makes me think of my childhood – but it always seemed like a total mystery to me to actually create for myself! Well, now I have my own recipe. Thanks, Joy!
Shalan
Hi Joy! I take comfort in scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. Make sure you try a traditional cream tea whilst you’re over here :)
this looks like a giant warm blanket. My mamma used to make rice pudding and fresh buns every Saturday for dinner. Thanks for the reminder!
hey, i recently discovered your site via smitten kitchen. it is *wonderful*! i’ve already made the single lady pancake, this rice pudding, the quinoa/kale cakes, and the spinach and oat smoothies.
thanks for putting the time into it. basically, you rock.
p.s. may i put in a request for more smoothie recipes?
Lovely recipe, can’t wait to try it. I hope that you’re being made very welcome while you’re over here – if I was in London I’d totally be trying to bump into you for gin drinking… Venture North out of the capital and extend your adventure! xxx
Coconut and strawberries and rice pudding and London… oh my! Delish!
Whoa, I want this for breakfast!
It was delicious!!! *-* Gorgeous breakfast indeed, not just dinner. Thank you for the recipe. :)
Your rice pudding looks amazing…
What a coincidence. I just recently tried making coconut rice pudding too. Although mine was not good- it had to go in the garbage can. The coconut milk gave it a sort of metallic can taste. Even though the milk was in date, and I’ve used it loads of times in cooking, and I don’t get that taste. Weird. In a gross way. I take it yours turned out much better, however I remain cautious…. Cow’s milk is way better!
Have fun in London!
I always thought rice pudding had a lot of sugar in it – this sounds delish!
p.s. if you want to learn slow, read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. An amazing book on an amazing topic.
I find comfort in Grey’s Anatomy episode marathons. The rice pudding looks awesome – I’d love it for breakfast!
Under comfort in the dictionary you’ll definitely find a rice pudding picture.
To me, your ingenuity is in combining flavours I’d have never thought worked together. Tomorrow is a national holiday here in Israel and I am definitely making me some comforting rice pudding.
As to your question, this week I found comforts in my nephew, who, upon hearing a car alarm (he is afraid of alarms because we constantly get bomb alarms) asked his mother to hug him. After a few seconds he demanded that I join them two and so we sat there, my sister, my nephew and I, hugging.
(1) “Wonky bonkers” is my new favorite phrase.
(2) I love your shoes.
(3) That rice pudding looks amazing.
(4) Have lots of fun in London!! :D
I love your interruptions to my day – I love the beautiful photographs filled with scrumptious food and gorgeous eye candy. (eg. the crockery and napkin in the rice pudding pictures). I love your words and your simple truths – you are a gorgeous person and I wish you lived just around the corner from me – any plans to move to the centre of Australia?
oh my gosh, i love rice pudding made with coconut milk instead of cow’s. it’s so much better! mmmm and with the jam? i also love this because it’s flexible. i could make it again and again with different jams each time. and i will, too.
that looks deliciously sinful. I never thought of having basmatie rice in a sweet way. I actually had indian food this weekend it it wasn’t sweet but oh so good. I need to try this for desert.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
“Wonky Bonkers” – that is a fabulous saying! And totally one I understand!! Thanks for being so great Joy!!
Huh. It had never occurred to me to make rice pudding with anything but milk and sultanas. But coconut milk sounds great! Have fun in London :)
Rice pudding! I can’t think of anything more comforting. Hope you brought some for the plane trip over. I’ll make this very soon.
Oh my god the food porn! Joy you never cease to amaze. I want to gobble this up ~ and the best part is that it is gluten, dairy, and soy-free. No substitutions necessary = win! Thanks
Also, I looked down at my slippers this weekend and noticed they were gravy-stained and I thought, “hm, just like Joy the Baker.”
Good Golly Joy! That looks wonderful and LONDON! Oh do please tweet away for the rest of us! I’m absolutely making this pudding for my gang on Wednesday night, THE most wonderful night for snacks of this sort! Happy travels!
Wow! Love that this is Gluten and Dairy Free. Yum – can’t wait to try it:)
Oh this looks delicious! I love the coconut milk here. I sort of want to try it with brown rice, too…mmmmm.
This looks splendid. And has coconut, and strawberries….but i know i’ll be too lazy to craft it. Pictures will have to do.
So comforting! This would be perfect curled up on a rainy day. That homemade strawberry jam looks amazing!
oh joy, teach us how to make homemade jam!
First, rice pudding is tots my kind of breakfast/dessert/anytime sweet treat. Pure love.
Second, I live in Wimbledon, wanna come over for dinner? Alternatively, you find me in the cheeseroom of Whole Foods High Street Kensington :) Free cheese samples to you –good ones!
This rice looks awesome to the max! I just got back from London about a month ago and LOVED it. I almost “missed” my plane. Have a blast and enjoy your gin!
Btw I LOVE those shoes.
You just made me get up from my cozy couch to check and see if that can of coconut milk was still in the pantry. Score! But I am going to add my homemade orange marmalade instead of strawberry. It is a cold, wet, dreary day and some bright orange marmalade sounds perfect. Again, you are adding to my baking list while I am trying to work my way through your book! (Dutch pancake on order for this weekend.)
Yummmmmm!!!!!!!!!! Thanks! Soooo much! I love rice pudding!
Yummmmmm!!!!!!!!!! Thanks! Soooo much!
The photos on this post are absolutely gorgeous. Plus, it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Tom Stoppard’s play, Arcadia:
Thomasina: “When you stir your rice pudding, Septimus, the spoonful of jam spreads itself round making red trails like the picture of a meteor in my astronomical atlas. But if you stir backwards, the jam will not come together again. Indeed, the pudding does not notice and continues to turn pink just as before. Do you think this is odd?”
Alas, I did not make rice pudding this weekend, but I did make a mini playlist about rain and far-off places: https://welle-quipped.blogspot.com/2012/04/youre-in-paris-in-rain-and-city-is.html
Have an amazing time in London!
This sounds great and I love how you can adjust the sweetness with the jam- good touch!
A break in London sounds amazing! Especially during this time of year. Spring in London? Yes please.
And I plan on hoarding this years strawberry’s so be happy you don’t live near my farmer’s market, or the farmer’s market near my office :P
have fun in london! i love visiting that city.
this rice pudding looks great – and the strawberry jam on top is perfection. can’t wait for strawberry season!
I’ve been playing with cooking various grains lately (inspired by another blogger) and yesterday decided that I’d use the broth I made Saturday using leftover chicken carcass and rib bones for the liquid–though the idea of coconut milk was skating around in the back of the brain. Then when the whole huge pot was finally done (cooked barley, brown rice, steel cut oats and wild rice first, then added millet, amaranth) I decided that even though it was perfect as it was, I’d try a couple of versions via additions. So I put two large plastic bags of the mess into the fridge, and added dried fruit to what was still in the pot. Delicious. Strangely enough, I’m finding that savory and sweet go well together. It’s what I ate all day yesterday! But you know, I was thinking of coconut milk all day, too. I’ll bet your version with coconut milk and strawberry jam is the best! Now I know what I’ll do next!
You should know, the weather here in London is awful right now! Be prepared! If you need a tour guide around Borough Market (a fabulous food market, as mentioned above) I work just down the road. :) I also know where you can get a mighty fine gin based cocktail…
That dish looks looks like coconut and strawberry heaven! I wish I had some in front of me right now! I hope you have an amazing time in London.
Oh how I wish you were doing a signing in London, because I’ve been telling my British friends about you. They were in Brooklyn just before you were there. Cute shoes, btw! I’m totally making this and I think it would be so okay to make it this Monday morning because it’s rainy and cold. Rice pudding it is!
Coconut rice pudding is the best! This looks out of control creamy. Ohhh how I love vanilla beans!
Hi Joy! I have been reading your blog for so long.. it helped inspire me to start my own! Thanks for that, and congrats on your cookbook – this is incredible! Becca
Oh, how I would love to curl up with a big bowl of this on a rainy day like today. . . .
Joy, I can’t believe you’ll be in London! You must check out the East End while you’re here – go for a curry on Brick Lane, it’s a total trip… Oh, I could recommend so many boozers and eateries all over the city, East biased though I may be – you’ll have an absolute blast. Big expat love (and big, big gratitude for the amazing rice pudding concept, perfect stodge for this rainy place.) Px
It’s a cold, dreary morning here–this rice pudding would totally make up for the 7am hail we experienced… YUM!!
I love rice pudding, and if it has coconut in the mix I can have it 10 times per day!
Have a wonderful trip! I can’t wait to hear more about it!
Awesome… this does look comforting, and it’s some of my favorite flavors. Strawberries make me happy.
Coconut milk is pretty magical, right?
I was craving rice pudding so bad this past weekend! Love this! And I love how that jam has whole strawberries in it!
My Mum used to make rice pudding when I was little and I hated it. Now I’m a big bad grown up and make my own desserts I actually love the stuff – it’s so comforting and sticky and delicious. Using coconut milk is such a great idea.
Rice pudding, one of my longest-standing vices. A little comfort might come in handy this week, too, after the last six days of traveling and non-stop work…
I. love. London.
Everything about it! Have a great time!
A rainy day brought comfort this weekend. It’s almost always sunny here in Florida, so I appreciate a good cloudy, rainy day for staying inside with coffee and a book.
Anyway, this rice pudding looks lovely! Have a great time in London.
Mmmm…rice pudding & jam – looks awesome! Excited that you’re going to be in London, but sad there’s no book signing – would have loved to have come along. If you’re over east London way at all, I can recommend Columbia Road flower market as a fun place to visit on a Sunday https://columbiaroad.info/. Have a fun trip!
This post has induced lots of dumb questions. I apologize in advance. 1) When you say coconut milk, do you mean just the kind you find in the refrigerated section next to the soymilk or is it a thicker substance that is canned or something? 2) Is this a breakfast food?… In the end, I definitely want to make this. Yum!
This sounds so enticing. I would definitely eat it for breakfast right now.
I’ve never been a big fan of rice pudding but I’m pretty sure that your recipe is going to make me change my mind…
It’s a shame the London weather is so terrible at the moment! One hour its sunny, the next it bucketing down with rain (always when I have to walk home too). Also I really love your bowl, it’s so pretty.
I LOVE rice pudding! must make it today. must.
I once tried to make baked chocolate rice pudding that I found in some cook book and it was a total disaster. But your recipes I trust (-:
This looks fabulous. My Bff’s Cuban mother just made me some of her rice pudding. I’ve been savoring little portions for days now. I’ll be sad when it’s all gone. This came just in the nick of time. I’m in love with the coconut twist. Enjoy your adventures in London!
Speaking of gin, while visiting London a dog’s age ago, I asked the concierge at our hotel if the hotel bar stocked the same sort of gin that the Queen Mother drank. About 10 minutes later, he called our room. The general consensus amongst the staff was that she drank, “whatever was available, m’am!” Have fun in London!
This looks like the stuff comfort food is made of. This week I am taking comfort that we have a public holiday on Wednesday here in Australia :)
Have an amazing time in London! Make sure to check out Burrough Market and the little farmer’s market behind the Royal Festival Hall on the weekend if you get a chance. The Spanish churros and chocolate stand there is awesome!
You are coming to London but not doing a book signing?! Why! Was so excited there for a second. Enjoy London, you should go to Borough Market and have the hot chocolate from the tiny chocolate stall…yum! =) x
Rice pudding is my absolute favourite comfort food. My dad always made it in the oven so there was a skin on top…it was amazing.
Gah I’m hungry. Now I know what I’m making for dinner and breakfast, thank you!
Enjoy London! And if you decide to make it from London to Edinburgh, I shall happily show you round. :)
You should definitely have dinner at The Gate https://thegaterestaurants.com/ one night, it’s INCREDIBLE!!!!!
I always make rice pudding (well for the past few years) with coconut milk. It just makes it sooo much more creamy and lovely. And yes, it’s totally dinner-worthy :)
Cute pants! And enjoy London!
Have a great time in London and well wishes on the jet lag sitch. I’ll be missing your lovely podcast this week (sigh). I must drown my sorrows in coconut rice pudding!
Love those argyle socks! Have the best time in London town. My grandmother always said that if you’re bored in London then you’re bored of life.
I love the idea of making this rice pudding not very sweet and then swirling the jam in at the end. I tend to prefer my desserts on the just barely sweet side, but my husband loves things to be sweet sweet sweet! I like that here everyone can control the level of sweetness in their own serving. Thanks for another great recipe!
This looks amazing, of course… but I’m totally into those booties! where are those from? and you totally rock them with those socks!
London! You’ll be nearer to Italy and me so, if you want to change your plans, I’d be glad to host you ;-)
Have a safe and amazing trip, Joy. I’ll make rice pudding for dinner, mos def ;-)
Rice puddings are great desserts! Love the orange zest in it. Have fun in London!
This looks delicious! And I’ll be glad to be in the same city as you, even without a book signing (though if you need a gin buddy…)
I got all excited, cause I’m totally near London, then immediately saw no book signing… Have fun though!! :)
This looks HEAVENLY. I’ve been using light coconut milk in everything lately, and now you’ve given yet another recipe to try. I might use the blackberries I got at the farmers market week, though strawberries sound great.
honestly, lady – you rock my socks! Enjoy wearing plaid and saying “darling” to everything with your pinky in the air. I’m off to do something pumpkin – as we are in Autumn here down unda!
x
Have a wonderful time in London! And this rice pudding looks incredible. Will have to try it soon, especially because I just started to make my own jam!
I hope you have time in your crazy fast brain for Big Ben, fish & chips and Harrods! have fun!