Traditional chocolate rice pudding, also known as Champorado, is a less healthy type of dessert. We add a lot of sugar, butter, and salt. This vegan rice pudding recipe, however, is quite the opposite. I use dark chocolate due to its numerous health benefits. However, you can use vegan white chocolate if that’s your favorite.
Vegan chocolate rice pudding is quick and easy to make. The key ingredients are rice and chocolate. And not just any rice. The rice has to be sticky. Starchy rice varieties such as Arborio rice, Sushi rice, Jasmine, and Calrose rice work well with this recipe. I prefer Calrose rice for obvious reasons – it’s unique and holds together effortlessly.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients
- 1-cup Calrose rice (or any type of starchy rice)
- 1½-cup water
- ½-cup coconut milk (or any non-dairy milk available)
- 2-tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-tablespoon vegan butter
- A little sugar if you have a sweet tooth but this is optional.
Procedure
In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and stir well. Let them come to a simmer under medium to high heat. You can cover the saucepan with a lid to hasten the cooking process. Once it simmers, stir to break off any lumps and cover. Let it simmer under low heat until your rice is cooked through. That should take around 30 minutes.
Turn the heat off and add bittersweet chocolate (about ¼ cup finely diced). Bittersweet chocolate is usually 70% dark cocoa. This amplifies the chocolate taste in our vegan rice pudding. Then add a little salt, just to bring out the chocolate flavors. And a splash of vanilla extract or cinnamon powder. Stir until well combined and serve.
These final additions are totally optional. The vegan rice pudding is usually ready for serving as soon as you turn off the heat. I just like enticing the taste buds further.
To garnish, use a tablespoon of vegan whipped coconut cream and grated dark chocolate.
Enjoy!
The Do’s and Don’t’s
Use a non-stick saucepan to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Buy good quality cocoa powder.
Feel free to add raisins and nuts if you prefer crunch surprises. Vegan rice pudding without these additions has a smooth texture.
You can also use your favorite spices, not just vanilla or cinnamon. The secret with spices is to use them sparingly: Don’t use more than 3 different spices.
Don’t wash your rice before cooking. You don’t want to wash away the starch. It is the key ingredient to holding your pudding together.
While simmering, don’t let the liquid dry off. We need it as a sauce in the final pudding serving. However, if the liquid dries up, you can add more milk just before serving.
Don’t use brown rice. It doesn’t work with this recipe.
In Conclusion
Vegan chocolate rice pudding is a delicious dessert. It is not the healthiest dessert out there, especially for people trying to lose weight. However, once in a while, especially on cold winter nights, vegan rice pudding compliments your meals.