A healthy, delicious breakfast option or even dessert- This Healthy Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding can be made the night before with some tiny prep! Gluten free, dairy free, granulated sugar free, vegan and high in protein- It’s like dessert for breakfast minus the post sugar crash!
When you go to New York you need to go to Rice To Riches
Okay.
When you go to New York you need to go to Rice To Riches
Yes, you told me.
When you go to New York you need to go to Rice To Riches
OKAY.
When you go to New York you need to go to Rice To Riches
I AM GOING TO GO TO RICE TO RICHES, OKAY?
Clearly my friend was a huge fan of Rice To Riches, a dessert shop located in lower Manhattan specialising in various flavoured rice puddings. For the two weeks leading up to my trip back to America, my friend and work colleague would not shut up about this place- He lamented how they had a myriad of flavours and how it was the best rice pudding he’d ever tasted.
This was also the first time he’d ever had rice pudding before.
Regardless, I ensured to add it to the my list of foodie places to go (which pretty much only had Cinnabon on it…oops). I went there on my second of three days in New York at 9pm, thinking I’d have missed it and closed. I then remembered it was New York and NOT Australia, in which most places have a closing time similar to a toddler’s bed time.
I remember falling in love with the place before even trying any rice pudding. I felt like I had walked into a Anti-Diet movement with signs covering the walls with rants like ‘Eat all you want, you’re already fat’ and ‘Limit- 500 rice puddings per customer’. My favourite Q + A-
Q- Do you have a fat-free rice pudding?
A- Here at Rice to Riches, all the fat is free!
I already knew I’d be a fan. Like a kid in an ice cream store (okay, I still do it these days), I sampled most of the flavours they had before settling on the cinnamon raisin and tiramisu. Prior to choosing those, I had also sampled the rocky road version (amazing but slightly too sweet) and the cookies and cream (slightly heavy on the vanilla). Smooth, creamy and obviously free in the form of fat- I was a fan.
I forgive my friend for harassing me.
I knew I had to recreate some of the delicious flavours I had tried, but with a healthy twist. Not just a healthy twist, but one which was perfect for my favourite meal- Breakfast. Inspired by Rice to Riches, I have created three of my favourite flavours to share with you over the coming two weeks-
– Healthy Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding
– Healthy Tiramisu Rice Pudding
– A secret flavour….one which I know many of you will be a huge fan of!
Many of you expressed on Facebook you’d love more grab and go breakfast options and ones which can be prepped the night before. My favourite request was my personal favourite- Breakfasts which taste like dessert. This has you covered,
This healthy Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding is the perfect breakfast option or even dessert. It’s vegan, gluten free, dairy free, granulated sugar free and high in protein. It can be prepped the night before for a quick breakfast ready for you the next day. There are two ways to make it- Using pre packaged microwave rice or you can simmer your own. There is a punch of protein thanks to a scoop of protein powder but this is completely optional. To enhance the Apple Cinnamon flavour, I used some cold apple cinnamon tea I had but that too is optional.
Make this Healthy Apple Cinnamon Rice Pudding the night before and be excited to have dessert for breakfast, minus the post sugar crash.
Oh and another Rice to Riches classic- “Never diet on an empty stomach”.
Amen.
Healthy Rice Pudding
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cooked rice I used a wild rice blend mix
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup cold brewed apple cinnamon tea optional
- 1/2- 1 cup milk I used vanilla almond milk*
- 1 small apple diced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil optional**
Instructions
Stovetop version
- In a saucepan, add the cooked rice, cinnamon, vanilla essence and mix well. Add you cinnamon tea and milk and bring to a simmer on medium heat. After 5 minutes, add the vanilla protein powder and mix until fully incorporated. Add additional milk if desired and continue to simmer until desired thickness. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a small frying pan, heat the coconut oil until melted. Once pan is hot, add the diced apple and a dash of cinnamon and cook until caramelised. Top the rice pudding and eat immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight/for later.
Microwave version
- In a large, microwave safe bowl, add the cooked brown rice with the cinnamon, vanilla essence and mix well. Add the cinnamon tea and milk and microwave for 1- 2 minutes, watching to ensure it doesn’t overflow. Remove from the microwave and stir though the protein powder until fully incorporated. Add more milk (if protein powder is thick) and cook for an extra minute. Remove from microwave and set aside.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, add the diced apple with the butter*** and desired cinnamon and microwave for 30 seconds, or until caramelised. Top the rice pudding and eat immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate overnight/for later.
Notes
** You can omit but I prefer a richer tasting apple topping.
*** For the microwave version, I prefer using butter.
I love eating this for breakfast and just do the simple prep the night before and simply remove and eat the next day.
Nutrition
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Ohh you’re making me wish it was the middle of winter- what perfect comfort food this would be to wake up to! Love the use of apple cinnamon tea too! I just googled “Rice to Riches” & seriously bro- what a menu!! I will take 1 of everything, especially the Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug!!
This is SO good in Summer- I love eating it cold!
I love using rice (so affordable!) in other ways outside of a savory dinner side…this looks yummy and I already love this tea and have it on hand too! SCORE!
Haha nice! It’s my favourite tea which ironically, is not available in Australia!
Tiramisu??? Not to jump ahead of you, but I’m all in for that recipe! YUM!
YES. It’s my all time favourite!
We live in NYC and Rice To Riches is one of our favorite places. Trying your receive because rice pudding is the bomb!
YES! Thank you! I can’t wait to go back in a few weeks..got my stretchy pants ready!
haha all fat is free! Love it! And this looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Christine! We can go there post barre class 😛
Not going to lie, I”m a bit skeptical. But then I’m not a big rice person (though I like wild rice the best, so you have that in your favor). The Rice pudding I think of is disgusting and I”m not a fan. So maybe be combining a few things that I’m not big on they will cancel each other out and I will be like ALL THE RICE PUDDING
Dude. I used to despise rice pudding due to it’s terrible texture but I promise you this is epic. EPIC. EPICCCCCC.
Yum!! Rice To Riches has been on my list for years and I can’t believe I haven’t been there yet (I add another place to my list almost daily)!! SO many amazing eats in NYC it’s ridiculous. P.S. still awaiting response from my cousin 🙂
No worries at all! I swear I could go broke just eating out for one week in NYC!
What a clever recipe with the tea addition, Arman! We’re actually heading down to the city next week, so I think I need to check out this Rice to Riches place. Sounds like my kind of heaven! I’ll get you one (any flavor!) and save it for you. What would you like??
You’re heading to the city? Look at you being all fancy! Please clean it up for the king to arrive, the king being me.
Just kidding. But seriously check it out, I had some rocky road one which I reckon you’ve love!
Never been there but it sounds very cool. I love how NY has places like that dedicated to making one type of food awesome in every way! I used to frequent a peanut butter place and a separate chocolate place with my friend years ago. I never gave rice pudding a fair shot, this looks really good though!
I know, right? I went to Peanut Butter and Co once and it was ridic…ridiculously amazing!
Ive never had rice pudding either!! But now i’m thinking i would be a superfan! I cant wait for this mystery recipe, the suspense is killing me. i kind of want it to be PBandJ but then again that may be the overload of yesterday’s national peanut butter and jelly day =l I feel like i need to venture out of my oat-zone (do you get it? ozone? ugh i want to punch myself) but anyways yes expand my horizons to morning RICE and add in some cinnamon swirl cellucor protein and BOOM. i can’t even take this magic. but lets be honest i eat dessert for breakfast and breakfast for dessert so really, there’s an abundance of options for this in my life 😀
ohhhhhhh it DEFINITELY involves PB…I’ll have to name it Mere.
Hahaha ozone. Dude, I can’t effing wait to hang out.
Yum! I love that you used a wild rice blend in the pudding. I bet the texture is fantastic.
The texture is so good, Bridget! 🙂
I like rice pudding…sometimes. If I’m ready for the texture, we’re good to go!! I DO love EVERYTHING apple-cinnamon, though 🙂
Promise this texture is awesome- I hate the gluey, sticky ones!
THIS.
110% we’re going there together when you’re here. That place makes me so happy. It’s the antithesis of moderation and healthy living, but in that sense, it’s almost all about moderation and healthy living.
P.S. When you go to New York you need to go to Rice To Riches.
Really? What’s rice to riches? Are you being racist telling me about rice? YOU’RE SO RACIST.
Have you been reading my mind? I’ve been itching to make a rice pudding recipe for the longest time. Thanks for the reminder! I plan to go in the cardamom/mango/almond direction. Pinning now 🙂
That sounds delicious, Liz!
I have to be honest here, I’m not a big fan of rice pudding but this one looks so good, it might change my mind.
Have a great weekend my friend!
Cheers, Mike! Hope you had a good one!