Don't let the dark hue fool you this creamy plant based black rice pudding is made with a hint of cardamom and sweetened condensed milk to taste. No egg is required to make this pudding uber creamy. Instant pot and stove top friendly.

If you love rice pudding then you will love my rendition. It's made with black rice, totally plant based courtesy of using coconut milk, vegan condensed milk and flavoured with cardamom - a lovely heart warming spice.

While I don't recall the recipe that was directly linked to the picture I know one thing for sure is that it contained black rice.

Coming from a Caribbean background black rice is an anomaly, almost a alien concept, but the foodie within me sparked my curiosity further.

We do love some Jamaican Rice Porridge, however it is traditionally served for breakfast not dessert.

You may also like to try my other instant pot version of which is rice pudding made with brown rice, raisins and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg,

Although I was already aware of the existence of black rice I never thought about creating some cardamom black rice pudding.

The origins of black rice

Black rice or purple rice is also known as forbidden rice. It lends its name to the accessibility of the dark grain, as it was only eaten by Chinese royalty and the upper class.

However, over time things have changed and you'll find many Asian countries of all classes consuming black rice today.

It quickly made it's way to the western hemisphere where it is slowly been embraced by many health enthusiast namely for it's health benefits.

I grew up on brown and white rice so black rice wasn't even on the cards until recently and now I eat it quite often and make various dishes using the crop.

Ingredients you will need

Cooking the perfect rice pudding

I cannot tote this rice enough, but need to leave some room to discuss this cardamom black rice pudding recipe to hand.

Now the secret to creating the right texture for black rice pudding is to cook the rice with water and coconut milk and then add your condensed milk.

Unlike white rice - brown, black and wild rice all contain the hull and bran which is an added nutrient and also extends the cooking time.

I tested my instant pot black rice pudding on my loved ones, several times, making sure the texture and taste was perfected. If they didn't give me the thumbs up I wouldn't have posted it.

You may have seen this recipe before, I've updated it by adding instant pot instructions since soooooo many people own one. You can still follow along with the stove top instructions if you wish.

Instant pot version of black rice pudding

Soak the rice grains overnight or for several hours to soften, this step is optional so skip, if needed.
Switch on your instant pot and add the water, coconut milk and black rice.
Select and adjust the +/- button to 20 minutes.
Place the lid on and flick the valve to "sealing" and let the unit come to pressure .
When the pressure cooking has finished allow to natural release (should take roughly 10 minutes) then turn the knob to "venting" to release any excess pressure.
Remove the lid and stir in the desired amount of sweetener (pudding will thicken more as it cools down), add the vanilla, cardamom and sweeten with condensed milk to taste.

Stove top version

Rinse the rice with water several times to get rid of any debris. Then leave to soak overnight in a medium sized saucepot (just enough water to cover the grains).
The next day, rinse off the water from overnight and add the 2 cups of water to the pan.
Bring the black rice with water to a boil, before covering on low heat.
Allow the rice to simmer for about 25 minutes or until the water levels recede until about ¼ cup is left.
Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the rice pudding comes together and is thick and creamy.
Add the cardamom, pink salt, vanilla and sweeten with condensed milk to taste..
Once cooked serve accordingly.

How much liquid is needed to make the black rice pudding?

I found that equal parts water/milk are best.

For instant pot version, once the pudding is ready, you can adjust if needed and the same goes for the stove top version (although it's best to add the milk last for that version to preserve its taste).

The main thing is to keep the rice moist with a suffice amount of liquid

Do I have to soak the rice grains overnight?

No, this is an optional step. Some people struggle to digest rice grains especially ones with the hull, therefore, I always recommend to soak the grains but this advice is only for people who need to do so.

My rice pudding is watery? Help!

If for some reason for rice pudding is water logged, you will need to evaporate the excess liquid. The best way to have complete control is by doing this on the stove top. Even if you are using an instant pot, simply transfer the pudding into a pudding and "cook off" the excess liquid on medium heat.

The time if takes will vary, depending on the amount of liquid that needs to evaporate.

My rice pudding is too thick?

If you have the opposite problem and your pudding is thick, simply add some water/milk to thin it out.

Notes and tips

Cardamom black rice pudding can be eaten for breakfast or after dinner, there's no set rule so don't be swayed by the name.
Refrigerate any leftovers and consume with 2-3 days.
Feel free to add other spices you may like i.e nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise, caraway
Here is the recipe to make your own Coconut Condensed Milk for the pudding.
You can use another plant based milk like Cashew or Almond instead, if you want to.

More pudding recipes

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