In the mood for naturally gluten free dessert with a hint of springtime flavor?

Make this Orange Blossom Rice pudding!

Growing up one of my favorite snacks was rice pudding. Something about it being light and creamy with thick, chewy grains was so satisfying to my 8 year old self. 

Today, it’s a snack I rarely indulge in.  Yet what is great about this nostalgic treat is that it’s not too light and not too heavy. During the spring months, that’s exactly the kind of dessert you want to enjoy!

This rice pudding recipe is your standard rich and creamy base with a twist. To add some brightness to the recipe, I’ve added in a dash of orange blossom. I drew the inspiration from a Persian rice custard a friend made during a brunch get-together. This recipe is naturally vegetarian and gluten free. 

Orange Blossom Rice Pudding

Ingredients

• ½ Cup of Arborio Rice (I recommend Arborio, but any short-grained rice is acceptable)
• 4 Cups of Whole Milk
• ⅔ Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• ⅓ Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Egg Yolks
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Teaspoon Orange Blossom
• Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Bring the 4 cups of milk to a boil in a medium sized pot. Be sure to watch the pot closely so the milk does not boil over. 

2. While the milk is boiling, combine sugar, heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, vanilla and orange blossom together. Mix to combine and set aside so the mixture can come close to room temperature. 

3. Add rice and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Taste test your rice to ensure the grains are fully cooked in the middle. The middle of the rice grain should not be hard. 

4. Remove the rice from the heat. Now here comes the fun part! Spoon out about a cup of the whole milk and rice mixture, trying to scoop more milk than rice. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the sugar, heavy whipping cream and egg yolk mixture. This process should be done very gradually, mixing as you go. You don’t want to pour in too much of the hot mixture and scramble the yolks, so take your time. 

5. After you’ve added the full cup of hot milk, your sugar, heavy whipping cream and egg yolk mixture should be warm. Pour this mixture into the pot with the rice and milk.

6. Bring the liquid to a simmer, mixing to ensure the eggs do not scramble. Do not let the mixture start to boil. At this stage the mixture should start to thicken up. Add a little extra milk as needed. The mixture should be creamy, but still viscous. Remember, when you refrigerate the pudding it will thicken up. Cook for about 8 minutes.

7. Set aside to bring to room temperature, before refrigerating. Top with cinnamon and serve.

Check out other recipes on the Yoga District Blog!