Vegan rizogalo / Vegan Greek rice pudding (Νηστίσιμο ρυζόγαλο)

A vegan version of the traditional Greek rice pudding called rizogalo. Made with arborio rice, almond milk, a bit of sugar or maple syrup and cinnamon, this is a delightful rice pudding that everyone will love!

Growing up in a Greek home, rizogalo was one of the ways that my parents told me they loved me! It is true! A bowl of rizogalo was comfort; warm, creamy, delicious comfort! My parents’ traditional rizogalo remains one of the most iconic recipes, and memories, from my childhood.

The meaning that rizogalo has for me is so special, that I wanted my own daughters to feel the same sort of sentiment through this traditional Greek recipe. For that reason I knew that I had to experiment with the original recipe and come up with a delicious and soul-satisfying version that contained no dairy or eggs because one of my daughters is a vegan (actually, my parents original Greek rice pudding recipe does not contain eggs either – there is no need for them!)

Why I love this recipe

This vegan rizogalo is very similar to the original non-vegan version, except that the dairy milk is replaced by unsweetened, natural almond milk.  The ratio of liquid to rice has also been adjusted to account for the difference between dairy and non-dairy milk (who would have thought!), and I have added slivered almonds on top, you know, to tie things together.  Some people who have tried both this vegan rizogalo, and the original non-vegan one like this one better, so who knows..maybe you will too!

Key ingredients

You need very few ingredients to make this vegan rizogalo. You will need:

Arborio rice I like to use arborio rice for rice pudding because it is very starchy and it helps make a creamy rice pudding.

Almond milk I use unsweetened plain almond milk in this recipe.

Water You will need to use water to, to help cook the rice. Plain old tap water is great here!

Sugar This is not an overly sweet rizogalo. I use plain white sugar which ads sweetness without a caramel flavour (the way brown sugar would for example).

Cinnamon A light dusting of cinnamon on the top of the rizogalo after it is portioned out is all you need!

Slivered almonds I like to use slivered almonds in this recipe. They add a bit of texture, and tie in with the almond milk!

How to make it

Making this vegan version of Greek rizogalo (rice pudding) is really easy! Simply follow these steps

Step 1
Rinse your rice quickly.  Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot, then add the rice.  Return to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low.  Stir occasionally. Cook for 12 – 15 minutes until almost all of the water has evaporated.

Step 2
Add the almond milk and sugar to the pot.  Adjust the heat so that the mixture is at a low boil.  Stir constantly to ensure that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Step 3
Continue cooking; after 10 minutes check the rice for doneness. It should be soft and not firm to the bite. If it’s still really watery, boil for another couple of minutes.  Once the rice has achieved this state, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will thicken as it cools.

Step 4
When the 5 minutes have passed, stir thoroughly and then ladle the rizogalo into serving bowls.  Let cool a little bit.

Step 5
Once cooled, sprinkle on some ground cinnamon (to taste) if desired.  Top with some slivered almonds.

Step 6
Enjoy immediately or let cool completely.  If you will be enjoying your rizogalo later, cover it in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator.  If you prefer to eat it warm after this, simply reheat in the microwave.

Helpful hints

Do not soak your rice or rinse it for very long. You want to keep the starch on the grains of arborio rice; this will help thicken your rizogalo.

There are a lot of non-dairy options available these days.  I make this vegan rizogalo using original, unsweetened almond milk, and I suggest that you do the same, at least the first time you make it.  After that, if you want to experiment, go ahead. You may need to make adjustments if you use other types of milk, both in the amount of liquid used and in the total cooking time.

Video: Vegan rizogalo: see how easy it is to make

Recipe substitutions

You can use sweetened almond milk, or even almond milk flavoured with vanilla. This will change the flavour of your vegan rizogalo, but it will still be lovely. You can also use other types of non-dairy milk; just be aware that you may have to adjust the amount of liquid you use, and the cooking time.

Instead of using sugar to sweeten your vegan rizogalo, you can use maple syrup. I often use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of sugar.

How to serve

Although this vegan rizogalo can be served for dessert, it is also a delicious breakfast or mid-afternoon snack.
You can serve rizogalo warm, cold or at room temperature. There is no wrong way to enjoy this delicious rice pudding!

How to store

Vegan rizogalo will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

This recipe does not freeze well.

Recipe

Thanks for sharing!