I learned to love rice pudding from my little French Grandmother. This recipe is dairy-free and can be egg-free (I use egg replacer).I like to use almond milk (with no added sugar). It uses only ¼ cup honey or maple syrup, so leans to the healthy side. I always use aluminum-free double-acting baking powder.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati rice cooked slowly in 4 cups of water with a pinch of salt
• 2½ cups non-dairy milk
• ½-1 cup dried cranberries, to taste 
• ½ cup raisins 
• ½cup chia seeds
• Egg replacer equivalent to 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp Minute tapioca
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup shredded coconut or flakes, if desired
• 2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 2 tsp real vanilla flavoring
• 2 tsp ground cinnamin
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Preparation

Place 4 cups of water, and a pinch of sea salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. (If you use a rice cooker, follow directions.) Add Basmati rice, turn down heat and simmer slowly, stirring periodically until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. 

Place all other ingredients  in a large bowl and mix well. Add cooked rice and stir.

Baking

Pour into a 9x12 baking dish sprayed with olive oil.

Bake covered in oven pre-heated to 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Remove covering and bake another 10-15 minutes until brown around the edges. (If you prefer to cook uncovered, put a couple cups of water in oven-safe container on lowest rack to keep air moist.)

Remove from oven. Let stand for a few minutes.

Serving

Spoon into desert dishes. Can serve warm or cold. May garnish with a spoonful of cranberry sauce, if desired. Left-overs can be served for breakfast cereal, warm or cold.

Note: if you cook the rice a few hours before and allow it to cool, it will become a form of “resistant starch” or RS. When used in the recipe RS an hep to feed the good bacteria in the large intestine.