Mango Chia Rice Pudding ~ Vegan MOFO 2013

Happy MOFO Day 3! Have you been checking out the other amazing things that have been posted? So much deliciousness out there!

Every so often when I was a little girl, my grandmother would pick me up by myself and take me out for dessert. And with 26 grandchildren, that was no small feat. We’d usually go to a diner that she liked. It wasn’t one of those hip, jukebox-playing, fun diners (although one of the most famous ones in the country was in my town)… it was one of those quiet, banquet hall diners. But they had great desserts. I would usually alternate between my two favorites: tapioca and rice pudding. There was just something about those sweet, creamy, slightly textured puddings that I loved.

Flash forward 35 years: now moved on to healthier vegan desserts, and loving the benefits of chia seeds, I’ve started to make my share of chia puddings (like this German Chocolate one and this Carrot Cake one). But I’ve discovered that I tend to like more texure than regular chia pudding gives: enter Chia Rice Pudding – the best of both worlds.

This combination is great~ all the benefits of chia pudding, with the added texture from the brown rice… perfect! So delicious and so easy… and don’t leave out the lemon zest – it makes all of the flavors totally stand out!

Mango Chia Rice Pudding

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup coconut milk (from a package, not a can)
• 1/2 cup fresh mango, diced
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1/4 teaspoon minced lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Put the rice and coconut milk in a medium bowl and stir together. I mashed the rice slightly into the coconut milk to break it down a bit. Stir in the mango, agave and lemon zest. Whisk in the chia seeds and stir every 5-10 minutes.  If you put it in the fridge, it will thicken a little more quickly.

Makes about 2 servings (or 1 larger serving).