This super easy one-pot pumpkin rice pudding is the perfect dish to get your pumpkin spice fix. Sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with pumpkin puree and the best fall spices, you’ll have a hard time not going for seconds!
Nothing screams fall or autumn flavors more than this pumpkin rice pudding recipe. Infused with maple syrup and cinnamon, this easy dessert recipe is sweet with a delicate layer of spice.
The good news is that it couldn’t be easier to make. From choosing the best types of rice to nailing your favorite flavors, discover how to make pumpkin rice pudding from scratch today.
Easy Pumpkin & Cinnamon Rice Pudding
This cold weather twist on classic rice pudding combines the creamy texture of the traditional dessert with the warming flavors of fall and autumn. Made by slowly simmering short-grain rice in almond milk before working in pumpkin puree, this striking orange dish is the perfect comfort food for when the nights get darker.
If you’re a fan of all things pumpkin spice, this simple recipe is a must-try. This rice pudding combines classic fall spices from cinnamon to nutmeg, and ground cloves to ginger, for that unmistakable pumpkin spice flavor.
How to Make Pumpkin Rice Pudding
Our full recipe is below but pumpkin rice pudding is easy to make in just a few steps:
- Make the Spice Blend: Combine the cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves
- Simmer the Rice Pudding: Add the almond milk to brown rice and simmer over low heat until the liquid has been absorbed into the cooked rice
- Add Flavor: Incorporate more almond milk with vanilla and pumpkin before stirring over low heat for a further few minutes
- Serve: Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving with a dash of added cinnamon on top
Ingredients
This easy recipe contains just a handful of ingredients and a unique fall spice blend. Here’s what you need to know about its main ingredients:
Short-Grain Rice
Short-grain rice works best for rice pudding because it’s more starchy, which helps create a creamier texture.
We’ve used brown rice for this recipe, but white will also work as long as you use only one cup of almond milk and also reduce the cooking time by about ten minutes.
Pumpkin Puree
The key to our pumpkin flavor and orange color. Try to use unsweetened pumpkin puree and not pumpkin filling. Going for puree helps us control the sugar and spice levels in our recipe.
Maple Syrup
This is where the sweetness we want comes from. If you don’t have maple syrup at hand, try using honey instead (although this technically won’t make the recipe vegan-friendly).
Ground Cloves
Forming part of our spice mix, ground cloves provide much of the cozy ‘warm’ fall flavor we’re after. They have a slightly sweet and bitter flavor, so need to be used in moderation to give the subtle flavor we want. If you need a quick ground cloves substitute, try just using a little more nutmeg or allspice.
Quick Tips
Some quick tips to make the best possible pumpkin spice rice pudding:
- Stir the rice pudding frequently as it cooks to help stop it from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan
- Is your rice too sticky? While rice pudding needs a fair amount of stickiness to achieve the creamy consistency we want, it can go too far the other way and turn mushy. You can fix mushy rice by stirring in a quarter teaspoon of salt to help absorb some of the excess water.
- Ensure you cook slowly over low heat. Don’t allow the milk to stay at a boil while it cooks. Cooking at a simmer will ensure we achieve the creamy consistency we want.
- Don’t forget to allow the rice pudding to cool. Not only will this help it reach a comfortable temperature for you to eat it, but it will help it thicken and firm up.
- Rice pudding too thick? Simply stir in a little extra almond milk to help thin it out.
Pumpkin Spice Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice uncooked
- 3 cups vanilla almond milk unsweetened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp pumpkin puree
Pumpkin Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin spice mix ingredients. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown rice and 2 cups of almond milk (leave 1 cup to one side)
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Stir in the remaining almond milk, as well as vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and the pumpkin spice mix. Stir well over low heat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve in a mason jar and garnish with a dash of cinnamon.
Notes
- You can use honey instead of maple syrup if you prefer
- If the rice pudding is too thick, gradually add more almond milk to help thin it out
