It’s time for another great fall recipe! If you haven’t already started baking with pumpkin, this is a great place to start. To me, fall (October especially) is all about pumpkins. There are so many different ways to incorporate the flavor of pumpkin into a recipe. It is so versatile because it can be used for both sweet and savory dishes. I love taking a classic recipe and giving it a new spin to fit into a holiday or season, which is exactly what I did with this Pumpkin Rice Pudding. You won’t believe how easy this is and of course, how delicious!
Rice Pudding
Most people probably associate rice pudding with the South. Having Southern blood in my family, rice pudding is something I grew up with. It is creamy and rich. Just thinking about it brings me right back to childhood. It’s a dessert that my mother often made. However, it is believed to be originally from China where rice is a pretty big staple ingredient (although some experts argue it started in India). Wherever it came from, thank you!
To Like Or Not
I somehow over the years convinced myself that it is more of a snack than a dessert, thus justifying being able to eat it any time of day. I mean, it’s rice right? 😊 Okay, so maybe it isn’t the healthiest of “snacks” but it is definitely a dessert comfort food. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the traditional pudding. Rice pudding is something that my husband found to be rather off putting until he tasted this pumpkin rice pudding. He said it is something he would actually enjoy eating! But to be sure that this recipe was worth posting, I took it to my toughest food critic which is my six year old. This child has no filter when it comes to opinion so when my recipe was given the stamp of approval I knew it was a keeper!
Rice
Let’s talk for a minute about rice. Rice is a grain that can be found all over the world. In some countries, it is a major ingredient in almost every dish. It comes in different forms, and while some varieties do carry some flavor, it is a pretty blank canvas on which you can build. In our house, we are big fans of brown rice for its nutritional value. For savory dishes, it’s our go to. However, it is not the best for sweets because it does have just a slight nutty flavor that might throw off the flavor of your dessert. So in this case, something like arborio rice is best. What is arborio rice you ask? It is a white, short grain rice that is traditionally found in risotto. It is great for slow cooking dishes because as it cooks, it creates the most decadent and creamy texture.
Making Pumpkin Rice Pudding
As I mentioned above, risotto is a classic use of arborio rice. If you have ever made risotto, then you know that it is not a “set it and forget it” kind of dish. It takes love and patience. Rice pudding is much the same. You simply cannot just pop it on the stove and walk away. In fact, I would say that most rice dishes are that way. Rice is temperamental. It can go from soupy and undercooked to overcooked and burning in a flash. Oh how I’ve been there. If you are going to make rice pudding, be sure that you have the time to set aside to babysit the pot while it cooks. Time consuming? Maybe. Worth it? ABSOLUTELY! I found that the time consuming part was canceled out by the fact that it has so few ingredients and I only dirtied two bowls!
The Pumpkin Rice Pudding Ingredients
This recipe is pretty classic in the beginning. It consists of all the traditional base ingredients such as egg, sugar, vanilla, rice and cream. You will need two liquids for this recipe, one being heavy cream, the other being milk. I chose to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk in my recipe because it just adds so much more flavor. Plus it cuts back on some of the dairy which is better for some stomachs. You will not want to skip out on the heavy cream though. You need that little bit of richness from the fat to help build the right consistency.
Where this pumpkin rice pudding recipe really deviates from the traditional is of course in the use of pumpkin. I keep lots of cans of pumpkin in my cabinet during this time of year so that it is available whenever I get a craving. While I realize that it is not “real” pumpkin, it is close enough for me! And who wants to go to all that trouble of scooping out the innards of a real pumpkin? Not me! The canned stuff is perfectly delicious and I would be willing to bet it is what most people use.
Spice It Up
So to start your pudding, you will want to mix your egg, sugar, vanilla, spices, and pumpkin in a bowl. Speaking of spice, most rice puddings call for cinnamon. This recipe is no exception. However, to make it more of a fall dish, I added in some pumpkin pie spice too. Pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice were just made to go together. I’ll admit, I caught myself smelling the mixture a few times just because it smelled so good!
Don’t Rush
On the stove, you will have your rice and milks cooking. The whole process takes about 20-30 minutes because you have to go low and slow. You will be greatly rewarded in creaminess though if you are willing to take the time. Once your rice has cooked (which takes about 20-25 minutes), you will need to do an important step. This step is called tempering. It cannot be skipped! You will note that in the mixture you have sitting to the side is an uncooked egg. What would happen if I poured that mixture into the pot of hot cooked rice? Well, you would have scrambled rice eggs. Not good! To avoid this, you will need to slowly pour about half of your hot cooked rice into the egg mixture to temper, or bring it up to temperature, before adding it all to the hot pot. This cooks the egg but prevents it from scrambling.
Serving Pumpkin Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is one of those things that can be enjoyed several different ways. You can cook it and then serve it warm. Yum! But my personal favorite way to eat it is chilled. I find that eating it the next day after it has chilled allows the flavors to develop. You could even throw a big dollop of whipped cream on top! However you choose to eat it, this pumpkin rice pudding is sure to be a new dessert comfort food favorite! Happy eating!
Want even more great fall flavor? Check out my Pumpkin Cheesecake review or my Caramel Apple Cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ½ c heavy cream
- ⅓ c uncooked Arborio rice
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine egg, sugar, vanilla, spices and pumpkin. Set aside
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine rice, almond milk and heavy cream.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Remove from heat and slowly add about half of the hot mixture to the egg mixture, whisking briskly as you pour to temper the egg.
- Add entire egg mixture back into the pot and return to low heat, stirring and cooking for another 5-10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. (will thicken more as it cools).
- Serve warm or chilled. Garnish with more cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if desired.
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