Discover how to make a creamy, dairy-free quinoa pudding using coconut milk. This is a perfect, 6 ingredient plant based dessert that's so versatile that it doubles up as breakfast or an after dinner treat.
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The introduction
Quinoa pudding? Things just got awesome up in here with my latest recipe. I couldn't wait any longer with dropping this badboy.
I seriously want everyone to know how fantastic this recipe truly is and guess what? You only need 6 ingredients too, yup! That's right!
I'm a sucker for some rice pudding or Jamaican Rice Porridge namely because I ate it a lot during my youth.
Nowadays I seldom eat grains in fact I don't really consume grains as much as I did before, with so many alternatives out there.
One of my favourite ways to channel some of my recipes from the past is using quinoa (pronounced Kween wah).
Quinoa is a pseudograin, hailing from the beautiful south America, just like chia seeds. It is a great alternative to a classic twist on rice pudding.
It's just as creamy, delicious, naturally sweet yet satisfying and definitely a must try pudding.
Quinoa? Is it a seed or a grain?
Quinoa, is actually a seed and not a grain and it is often referred to as a "pseudocereal".
What this means is that although quinoa is a seed, it is used very much in a way that a grain would be used in cooking and how it is eaten.
It belongs to the same plant family as spinach, chards and beets.
Although, with that being said there does appear to be a community divide where some people do classify quinoa as a grain, so don't be surprised if you come across this.
Whatever the case the good news is this edible seed is wheat free and a perfect rice alternative hence how I stumbled upon this recipe.
You can double up the recipe and eat it for breakfast instead, it's an ambiguous treat, though I tend to have this as an after dinner treat.
It's relatively easy to cook, unlike rice which sends the nation into a troubleshooting frenzy, it won't burn. It even pairs so well with some Homemade Quinoa Milk as well!!
Ingredients you will need
- Quinoa - there are several types of quinoa with white being the most versatile and popular. I recommend using white but you can use red, black or tricoloured quinoa if you wish.
- Plant based milk - I like to use coconut milk which counterbalances the flavour from the quinoa and gives the pudding a rich taste.
- Sweetener - I like to use coconut sugar because it's not overly sweet, just the right amount of sweetness but you can use agave, maple syrup, monkfruit or so fourth.
- Cinnamon stick/vanilla/pink salt - these are all flavour enhancers.
Reasons to make this recipe
- It's so versatile, serve it for breakfast or dessert.
- It's a great grain free alternative to rice
- Makes a change from using tapioca pearls
- It's plant based
- Quinoa is relatively affordable and accessible
- It's a child friendly recipe
- Great to include in your meal prep days
The steps
- Leave the quinoa to soak in some water for about 5 minutes before rinsing off the quinoa (several times) using a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the coconut milk in a medium sized saucepan along with the cinnamon stick.
- Bring the milk to a boil.
- Once the milk has boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the quinoa.
- Simmer until the quinoa starts to thicken, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick until most of the liquid is absorbed. This should take about 25-30 minutes, add a splash of water or milk if the pudding is too thick.
- Stir in the sweetener of your choice, vanilla and pink salt.
- Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Serve hot or cold.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, I would advise doing so by placing your quinoa in individual containers, then thaw it out in the fridge (for up to several hours) when you are ready to eat it (serve hot or cold).
You may need to add some milk to the pudding to rejuvenate it.
Yes, but keep in mind, unlike oats, you will need to cook the quinoa in some water first of all.
You will need to do this to make it fluffy before adding the desired amount of milk and then leave it to absorb overnight in a container or a bowl (refrigerated).
Notes and tips
- Make sure to thoroughly rinse off the quinoa. I used a fine mesh strainer so the quinoa doesn't fall through.
- For best results, leave the quinoa to sit in water for 5-10 minutes to remove debris and any bitterness (this is due to a natural coating called Saponin).
- Feel free to add some berries, shredded coconut, nuts, maple, chai spice, chocolate or even seeds as an optional topping.
- For a creamy/rich quinoa pudding I used coconut milk but you are more than welcome to use another plant based milk i.e almond, cashew etc...
- In terms of sweetener you can use granulated i.e coconut sugar or liquid like agave nectar, maple syrup.
- Keep an eye on the quinoa as it cooks and stir it occasionally throughout given time to ensure it doesn't stick or dry out (add more milk if required).
- If you are looking for a low/zero calorie sweetener use stevia, monkfruit, erythritol
- Refrigerate any leftover for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
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Quinoa Pudding
Equipment
- medium sized saucepan
- balloon whisk
Ingredients
- 4 cups coconut milk (946ml)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup quinoa (170g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pink salt
- sweetener of your choice coconut sugar, agave, maple syrup, monkfruit...
- additional water or coconut milk if needed
Instructions
- Leave the quinoa to soak in some water for about 5 minutes before rinsing off the quinoa (several times) using a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the coconut milk in a medium sized saucepan along with the cinnamon stick.
- Bring the milk to a boil.
- Once the milk has boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the quinoa.
- Simmer until the quinoa starts to thicken, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- This should take about 25-30 minutes, add a splash of water or milk if the pudding is too thick.
- Stir in the sweetener of your choice, vanilla and pink salt.
- Discard the cinnamon stick.
- Serve hot or cold.
Notes
-
- Make sure to thoroughly rinse off the quinoa. I used a fine mesh strainer so the quinoa doesn't fall through.
-
- For best results, leave the quinoa to sit in water for 5-10 minutes to remove debris and any bitterness (this is due to a natural coating called Saponin).
-
- Feel free to add some berries, shredded coconut, nuts, maple, chai spice, chocolate or even seeds as an optional topping.
-
- For a creamy/rich quinoa pudding I used coconut milk but you are more than welcome to use another plant based milk i.e almond, cashew etc...
-
- In terms of sweetener you can use granulated i.e coconut sugar or liquid like agave nectar, maple syrup.
-
- Keep an eye on the quinoa as it cooks and stir it occasionally throughout given time to ensure it doesn't stick or dry out (add more milk if required).
-
- If you are looking for a low/zero calorie sweetener use stevia, monkfruit, erythritol
-
- Refrigerate any leftover for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
EA, M.D. says
Just found your site and immediately passed it on to a my Sister for a Vegan niece.
Always looking for healthy interesting recipes
Thanks
Charla says
Thanks for the referral. Always happy to assistance her if she needs anything, email is best!
Cindy says
Do you use canned coconut milk? Or the carton (SoDelicious brand) that you find in the dairy section of market? I always wonder that when I come across recipes with milk alternatives since there are so many in the marketplace right now.
Charla says
Hi Cindy, I totally forgot to mention the type of coconut milk I used for this particular recipe. I used home made coconut, you can find the recipe for it right here Usually If I use canned coconut milk, I will state that in the post. I hope that helps and let me know if you need any further assistance.
renee says
Hey Charla what type of coconut milk would you suggest using not tinned right 🙂
Charla says
Tinned coconut milk contains unwanted additives and preservatives. I would highly recommend making your own and keeping it on rotation, please refer to my homemade coconut milk recipe for nut milk that's more unadulterated and pure.
Farha - faskitchen says
Looks delicious and healthy.. I have been looking for quinoa recipes forever.. this looks absolutely yummy.
Charla says
Thank you.It's such a great replica of rice pudding. If you're a fan of rice pudding then you'll definitely like this one.
sophie says
Looks great!
I should, however, mention that while you are ABSOLUTELY right that quinoa is a seed and not a grain, it is not paleo.
I hope you take off the paleo tag because it is misleading.
Anyways...thanks for the recipe!
Charla says
Hi Sophie, thanks for commenting I was actually hesitant about whether or not I should add the paleo tag because there seems to be a great debate surrounding quinoa, while it doesn't form part of the paleo regime, I know a few like to consume this, while adhering to the paleo lifestyle. I personally don't consider quinoa paleo friendly because it acts like a grain but still like to acknowledge the small pool of people who do eat it. I think it might be best if I draw some clarity on this in my post as I certainly do not want to mislead anyone or worse still ill inform them.
sophie says
The fact that people who follow the paleo diet consume quinoa doesn't make quinoa part of the paleo diet. Many paleo-ers also consume rice - but that doesn't make rice paleo.
I think you should remove the tag and simply put grain-free - because quinoa is indeed not a grain, but a seed (though it acts like a grain - just like buckwheat!)
All the best.
Charla says
I have removed the tag and modified the content to suit so there is no misrepresentation of the recipe/paleo lifstyle.
Claire says
Fabulous recipe, thank you for posting this (paleo or not).
Charla says
You are welcome Claire