Make-Ahead Breakfast Rice Pudding

Waking up to hot summer mornings with the windows wide open and warm air already filtering in, the last thing I want to do is make a hot, long and laboured breakfast. Anything to avoid making the house heat up faster is my breakfast of choice in the summer.

While I love a good granola I have been craving cool and creamy rice pudding, as of late. Topping it off with some fresh summer fruits seemed like an absolutely perfect way to start a hot summer day. I decided to use brown rice instead of white, cut back on the sweetness a bit, use maple syrup in place of sugar, and omit the cream in favour of all milk, to take it out of dessert territory and slide it into breakfast. I was very pleased with the results. It was exactly what I was craving –  comforting, creamy and refreshing.

You can make it the night before and enjoy it cool the next day, or if you’re having a cool and rainy week it is also delicious served fresh and warm. We’re camping this week with family so I made a double batch to bring along. Served out of camping mugs it makes a pretty killer breakfast to keep us satiated while we live and play in the great outdoors.

Top it with delicious fruit combinations such as: blueberries and bananas, strawberry rhubarb compote, raspberries and peaches, or stewed plums with a little bit of cinnamon. Sprinkle on some hemp hearts, chia seeds, or chopped nuts, to up the protein and give it a little more staying power.

I can already tell this will be on the breakfast rotation a lot this summer, whether we’re enjoying it around a fire or in the comfort of our own home.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Rice Pudding

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain brown rice
• 4 cups almond milk or regular milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• optional toppings: berries, fruit, hemp hearts, chia seeds

Instructions

1. Place rice in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring just to a boil then strain in a fine mesh sieve, rinsing with cold water (this is to remove some of the starch). Place drained rice back in the saucepan along with milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vanilla and syrup and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until rice is cooked and mixture is thick and creamy, like porridge (it will thicken more as it cools). Let cool slightly and serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold with a bit of milk stirred in to loosen the consistency.