Amazing Spiced Coconut Milk Rice Pudding Brûlée

This eye-popping coconut milk rice pudding brûlée is a new take on an old classic. I substituted coconut for dairy in my family's rice pudding recipe – which made it vegan – and added a bit of French flair with the sugar crust for a dish that is simple, yet refined.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

Spiced coconut rice pudding brûlée.

Why I ❤️ it

A simple creamy coconut milk rice pudding with a caramelized sugar crust and a simple rum sauce, this marvelous dessert combines three of my loves: Dominican arroz con leche (rice pudding), Dulce de coco (coconut and milk fudge) and Crema catalana (crème brûlée) all in one.

By the way, credit where credit is due, I first tried rice pudding brûlée at one of my favorite local restaurants, so it is hardly an original idea. I just took it one step further by adding coconut. Maybe not original, but irresistible, I promise.

Utensils and tools

• Large saucepan 3-quart [3 lt] or medium pot
• Large bowl

Ingredients

• ¾ cup long grain rice
• 4 cups of coconut milk
• 2 cups of unsweetened coconut cream
• 1 ½ cup of brown sugar (see notes below the recipe)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 3 cinnamon sticks or 1½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon 
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• A pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
• A pinch of lime or orange zest
• ½ teaspoon clove powder
• 1 cup freshly-grated coconut or dry coconut (see notes below the recipe)
• ⅓ cup of cane sugar, for the caramel

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1

In the saucepan, combine rice, 4 cups of water, coconut milk, coconut cream, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon powder or sticks, vanilla, nutmeg, lime zest, and clove powder and grated coconut.

Let it rest covered for an hour.

Step 2

Take the saucepan to the stove and boil covered over medium-low heat until the grains of rice have nearly tripled in size or until the liquids have reduced and it's creamy and thick.

Stir often while cooking to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom and scorching.

Step 3

Remove from the heat and pour into a glass bowl, stir until it has cooled to room temperature.

Pour the rice pudding into a broiler-safe baking pan, cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator (the aluminum foil will prevent it from over-drying in the fridge.

Step 4

Remove the aluminum foil. Sprinkle cane sugar on top and burn the sugar with a torch, or place in the broiler over high heat until the sugar caramelizes.

Serve immediately.

Top tips

If you use dry coconut, add an extra cup of coconut milk.

If you only find sweetened coconut cream, reduce the sugar by half.

If you have leftover rice, you can use it to make this recipe quicker, just combine a 2 cups of leftover white rice as in step 2, but do not add the water and cook until the rice is creamy and fluffy.

You can adapt this to your preferences quite easily, so if there's any of the spices you dislike, leave it out.

Variations

If you wish you do not have to add the sugar crust. It's still a very good rice pudding without it. 

Traditional arroz con leche has raisins (in my neck of the woods), so if you love raisins, add ⅓ cup raisins when you add the grated coconut.

Nutritional information

Calories: 642kcal - Carbohydrates: 70g - Protein: 11g - Fat: 38g - Saturated Fat: 33g - Cholesterol: 15mg - Sodium: 515mg - Potassium: 422mg - Fiber: 2g - Sugar: 46g - Vitamin C: 2mg - Calcium: 69mg - Iron: 5.6mg

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