A delicious sugar free rice pudding recipe, naturally sweetened with coconut and great for weaning babies and children!
As promised I am starting to share more of my favourite baby friendly recipes here on the blog.
Did you catch my first recipe? These Sugar Free Flapjacks for Baby Led Weaning.)
Weaning can difficult at the best of times.
But continuously coming up with new and varied recipes that are healthy and nutritious is such a battle. Particularly when you have other children to feed too.
My tactics for weaning my second child pretty much revolved around trying to feed him as much food as possible that my daughter already ate.
This meant that I wasn’t spending hours in the kitchen every day.
Or cooking up several different variations of breakfast, lunch and dinner for the whole family.
From the beginning one of my son’s favourite desserts has been this Coconut Rice Pudding.
I used to make a version of this rice pudding with honey for my daughter. But I decided to try a completely sugar and honey free version when my son was about 7 months old.
And hence the recipe for this sugar free coconut rice pudding was born!
The coconut milk and desiccated coconut naturally sweeten the rice so there really is no need for sugar or any other sweeteners.
The rice is completely soft when cooked.
But if your baby prefers their food very puréed then simply blitz it in a blender or food processor after cooking.
This recipe makes between 4 and 6 portions, depending on the age of your baby or child.
Storage Instructions
It can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just be sure to allow it to cool completely before putting it in the fridge.
You can also freeze it in individual portions and it can then be defrosted at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
The rice pudding is delicious served on it’s own but also tastes great with
- fruit compote
- sugar free jam
- chopped fruit
I have to admit to actually giving this to my little boy for breakfast on several occasions as I know he just loves it!
If you try my Sugar Free Coconut Rice Pudding recipe, please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also be interested in the following recipe collections:
Top 15 Baby Puree Recipes – 15 delicious and easy baby puree recipes perfect for starting your weaning journey!
25 of The Best Finger Foods For Babies & Toddlers! – 25 of the best finger food ideas and recipes, perfect for baby led weaning and toddlers too!
ORDER my new book THE FUSS-FREE FAMILY COOKBOOK out 26th January. 100 healthy easy and quick recipes that the whole family will enjoy!
Sugar Free Coconut Rice Pudding {Suitable for Weaning}
Prep Time: 2 mins- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 32 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: European
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
A delicious sugar free rice pudding recipe, naturally sweetened with coconut and great for weaning babies and children
Ingredients
- 60g / ½ cup pudding rice
- 450ml / 15 fl oz full fat milk
- 100ml / 3 ½ fl oz coconut milk
- ½ tbsp desiccated coconut
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: fruit compote, sugar free jam, chopped fruit
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover with a lid and allow the rice to simmer for 30 minutes or until all the milk has been absorbed and the rice is soft, stirring every few minutes.
- Serve with fruit compote, sugar free jam, chopped fruit or any other toppings.
Notes
This recipe makes between 4 and 6 servings, depending on the age of your child.
It can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just be sure to allow it to cool completely before putting it in the fridge.
The rice pudding can also be frozen in individual containers. To defrost, leave out to defrost at room temperature and reheat gently in a saucepan or in the microwave, adding a little milk if needed.
Anonymous says
Love this recipe! Have used it for years and add half a teaspoon of jam and it is amazing for the whole family!
★★★★★
Vicky says
Jam with rice pudding is the perfect pairing … glad you love this recipe.
Donna says
We have been struggling a bit over the past few weeks with weaning our first child, we tried this rice pudding and it was a hit. Thank you My fussy eater you are amazing.
★★★★★
Vicky says
So glad to hear this, we have lots of other weaning recipes for you to try out. Please let us know your progress.
RB says
Nice subtle flavor, but it became too thick and wasn’t a pudding consistency once it cooled. It actually tasted and looked like the rice in thai mango sticky rice (without the sweetness). I will try reheating the leftovers today with milk and see if it becomes soft.
★★★★
Sharan Bolina says
Hi, just wondering if coconut milk refers to canned or carton??
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Sharan! We used the carton coconut milk in this recipe. x
Frankie says
Does anyone know if I can cook this in the oven or a slow cooker? My 9 month old has decided milk is for losers and I’m desperate to find ways to trick her into taking in milk haha. This seems like it would do the trick, but I’m not sure any of my pans would handle the half hour cook time and I don’t have the money on hand to splash out on a stock pot
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Frankie. It could be cooked in the slow cooker however the measurements would be different as you wouldn’t need as much liquid. We’ve not tried it in the slow cooker so unsure of what the revised measurements would be. If you do try it though, do come back and let us know how you got on. x
Lucie says
We LOVED it! I made this rice pudding so that the whole family could eat the same dessert (my baby is 9 months old and my dad has diabetese). It was delicious and my picky eater was clapping her hands with joy!
I followed my mum’s cooking instructions and cooked the rice 15 minutes on medium high heat, stirring constantly. Some of us added maple sirup and pear for the extra sweetness. The taste of coconut is discreet but yummy!
★★★★★
B.B. says
My 12 months twin boys are very picky eater. However, they both love this recipe from the very first time!
★★★★★
Beth says
Thank you so much for this recipe, I have cone back to it three times now and I’m making double batches to freeze! My 19 month old has suddenly backflipped on all her old favourites and I am struggling to find things she will eat – but this is ALWAYS a winner! So delicious and filling, great for those days when dinner is thrown on the floor and you need to fill an empty tummy before bed! My daughter loves dried apricots in hers. Freezes and microwaves beautifully with a bit more milk added to loosen it up.
★★★★★
Hayley says
So yummy! I used all canned coconut milk and brown rice as I didn’t have any short grain rice at hand. Not sure if I’ll feed it to the kids or if I’ll just eat it all myself 😉 Thanks for the recipe! x
★★★★★
Kerry says
My kids really like having a “pudding” after dinner and I really struggle to keep coming up with dessert ideas that aren’t completely sugar laden so this recipe has been a godsend. We add different fruits and toppings to it to keep it varied and they love it.
★★★★★
Naomi says
I used brown rice and it came out great. It did have to cook a little bit longer and had to add more milk (used almond milk) due to the brown rice. I added mashed banana and some sugar free peanut butter at the end. 10 month old son LOVES it. Thank you Ciara:)
Ciara Attwell says
Thanks Naomi!
Lyn says
What about adding cinnamon???
Jenna says
Hello, do you know if I could use brown rice instead of pudding rice? Thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
Im not sure that would work. I have only ever used pudding rice.
kim says
Ciara attwell;
Hi,I was wondering how can i make this sugar free coconut rice pudding recipe for two people that want a full small bowl each?
Kim
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Kim, just halve the ingredients if you just want two small portions.
kim says
Ciara attwell;
Hi,how are you doing?I just copied your coconut rice pudding recipe for fussy eaters.I am not a fussy eater and my mom also isn’t a fussy eater but my niece and nephew sure are fussy eating like their dad who is my brother.
I am going to make your rice pudding soon,and this recipe seems OK for me to eat because I am a diabetic and it doesn’t have any sugar in it.
Can I use light coconut milk,lactose free milk ,almond milk in your recipe?my mom and I are the only ones that will eat this coconut rice pudding,we can’t get the kids into trying new foods.
Kim
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Kim, you can pretty much use any milk you like in this recipe. The coconut milk does give it a lovely taste though. I use the stuff in a carton (like regular drinking milk) rather than the can so it’s quite light anyway.
Nikki says
Sounds delicious! Just wanted to point out, that it’s not necessarily sugar-free though as vanilla extract is typically packed with sugar. There are sugar-free versions available, but you have to seek them out 🙂
Nat says
I think you could use a vanilla bean instead ☺️
Ciara Attwell says
Yes definitely!
nihal says
do you think I can use only coconut milk? We are kind of no cow milk and cannot get other milk sub’s. thanks!
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Nihal, yes you can!
Annie says
My very fussy one year old loves this. Thank you for the fab reciepe.
Ciara Attwell says
That’s brilliant! Thanks for commenting! x
allbaby says
This would be great for breakfast!!! I live off chai lattes. Wonderful healthy recipe!! Thanks for the post.
Kathy says
I’m excited to try this.
Can I replace full fat mik with formula milk?
My son is 10 months old.
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Kathy, I haven’t tried it formula. I’m not entirely sure if it would work the same given that you have to cook it for so long. But its certainly worth trying! Let me know how it goes.
Rinkal says
Hi. You can use formula milk. It’s work great. I already tired this recipe for my 9 months old. He loves it. Actually it’s take lil bit more time but turn out well. Xx
Ciara Attwell says
That’s great to know, thank you for sharing!
Keturah says
We do not drink dairy milk in our house…do you know if almond milk would work in the same proportions? I can’t wait to try it!
Ciara Attwell says
Hello, yes I’m sure the same portion of almond milk should be fine!
Katie says
I have this cooking on the hob right now while my eight month old is crawling round absolutely full of beans. Bedtime routine? Ha ha ha ha… *sigh*
Ciara Attwell says
Lol!!! Hope you managed to get the baby to bed!!
Megan says
Hi, just wondering what is pudding rice? Thanks
Ciara Attwell says
Hi Megan, pudding rice is a specific type of rice we have in the UK which we use to make rice pudding. But you can use normal long grain rice too.
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Can I join your child in liking this recipe?
★★★★★
Ciara Attwell says
Ha ha! I have to admit its pretty tasty for adults too!
Laura @ KneadWhine says
Beautiful! Definitely going to give Roo a try of this!
Ciara Attwell says
Hope you like it Laura!