Coconut Black Rice Pudding Recipe

This coconut black rice pudding makes a delightful and healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and processed sugar-free, too. Enjoy this simple recipe warm or cold. As always, feel free to be creative in the kitchen!

Jump to: Black Rice Pudding Recipe

Wooden spoon scooping rice out of a container of black rice.

Chinese Black Rice (Forbidden Rice)

Black rice is indigenous to Southern Asia and an excellent source of iron, vitamin E, fiber, and flavonoid antioxidants called anthocyanins. In Chinese medicine, it’s considered a good blood tonifier. Black rice has been consumed for centuries in China. In fact, because of its rich nutritional value, legend has it that it was reserved solely for the emperors’ consumption. As a result, it was granted the names “emperor’s rice” and “forbidden rice.”

 
Black rice pudding in a bowl topped with freshly soaked goji berries.

Black rice pudding topped with freshly soaked goji berries.

Black Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 can Light Coconut Milk (14-15 oz.)
  • 1 cup Black Rice
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons Maple Syrup or Honey
  • Optional: 3-5 Cardamon Pods, slightly cracked
  • Optional: Raw Cashews, Goji Berries, Raisins, Currants, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, or Bee Pollen to sprinkle on top

Instructions:

  1. Bring 2 cups of water, 1 cup of the coconut milk (reserve the rest), and 1 cup of rice to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 35 minutes.
  2. Remove the lid and stir in about half of the remaining coconut milk. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  3. Uncover once more and stir in the rest of the coconut milk. Leave cover off and cook for 5-8 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in salt and maple syrup to taste. If you’re using cardamom, add it now.
  5. Serve warm or chilled—it’s perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even as dessert. We recommend sprinkling some goji berries, raw cashew nuts, dried currants or raisins, or coconut flakes on top. I even tried adding some nutrient-rich bee pollen from Red Bee Honey for an extra kick of flavor.

Recipe & photos by Sophie Slater