This vegan Cherry Quinoa Rice Pudding is a gluten free, lighter and healthier alternative to traditional rice pudding.
CHERRY QUINOA RICE PUDDING
My recent healthy dessert using cherries (Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cake, posted only last week!) was so popular in my house I decided to use them again. This Cherry Quinoa Rice Pudding is even healthier!
First of all, I swapped the traditional rice for super nutritious quinoa. I usually like to substitute rice, and even pasta, with quinoa, typically in savoury dishes, but since rice can be used in a sweet pudding I don’t see why quinoa shouldn’t. But instead of cooking it with milk and lots of sugar (as traditional rice pudding inevitably would be), I used sweet cherries. Quite a lot of them too, and only ended up adding 1.5 tablespoons of sugar (you can even add a bit less).
Cherries, however, contribute much more than sweetness to this quinoa rice pudding!
They have a delicious rich flavour and vibrant colour, which add so much character to this fruity quinoa pudding recipe. This 5-ingredient pudding is indeed very simple. The quinoa is cooked with the cherries (which only need to be briefly cooked and pureed beforehand) and coconut milk and all you need to worry about is ensuring the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan. So just give it a good stir once in a while.
This quinoa dessert with cherries is dairy free, gluten free (yes, quinoa is naturally gluten free) and 100 % vegan. You can serve it with lightly crushed pistachios if you like or simply enjoy it on its own, chilled or hot, straight from the pan (which is how I like it). If the pudding thickens (as it will if left to stand) top it up with a bit of water or coconut milk (you could also use another type of milk, including cow’s milk if you don’t need this dessert to be vegan).
Share it with someone you love! Happy Valentine’s Day!
I used both cherries and quinoa in this easy Cherry Crumble with Quinoa and Almonds! It’s also gluten free!
- 350 g frozen cherries
- 1/2 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup water
- 1-1.5 tablespoons sugar
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Rinse the quinoa and allow to drain. Set aside.
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Place the cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan and cook over a high heat until the cherries have completely thawed and syrup starts to form, stirring often (for about 5 minutes). Puree the mixture and pour back into the saucepan.
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Add the quinoa, coconut milk and water, stir thoroughly, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes, until the quinoa has softened and thickened, stirring every few minutes (ensure the mixture doesn't stick to the pan). If the mixture starts to bubble up too much open the lid a little.
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Serve hot or cold with crushed pistachios or simply on its own. The pudding will thicken as it stands (you can add a bit more coconut milk, or any other milk or water).
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RECIPE LINK PARTIES
I shared this Cherry Quinoa Rice Pudding recipe with Fiesta Friday (cohosted by Food for the Soul and The Not So Creative Cook) and Saucy Saturdays.
Looks amazing, healthy and delicious. You made it look so simple 🙂
Thank you! It really is very simple:)
This sounds so tasty! It’s a lovely inventive way of using quinoa too and definitely something I’d like to try!
Thank you Corina! I hope you like it if you do try it:)
The colour of this pudding is so attractive! Lovely combination of flavours, it looks worth a try!
Thank you! Glad you like the recipe:)
This looks heavenly Monika – I just love that colour! #CookBlogShare
Thank you Mandy! Cherries are great for making food look good, aren’t they?
What a delicious and pretty quinoa pudding!
Thank you! It was quite tasty.
I love a traditional rice pudding but wow this looks really interesting. I haven’t cooked with Quinoa much (shamed to say) I shall have to change that.
Thank you! I am a huge fan of quinoa and the more I cook with it the more I like it, much to my children’s despair:) They’d eat pizza instead anytime!
What a lovely dessert idea! I’ve often thought about using quinoa in a pudding but never quite got round to it! And I love how you’ve used frozen cherries – making this easy and economical too!! Eb x
Thank you! I experiment with quinoa all the time, not all my experiments are successful but this one was:)
I love cherries and cant wait til they get back in season (wont be long) Yummy
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Thanks! Feel the same way about cherries:)
I never thought about using quinoa for a dessert, great idea.
Thank you! Glad you like it:)
Love quinoa and cherries! This looks delicious, quinoa is such a versatile ingredient isn’t it. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thank you! Yes, I agree about quinoa being so versatile, it’s great in so many dishes.