Protein Rice Pudding 4 Ways

by Sonja | Mar 23, 2024 | Breakfast, Desserts, Protein, Recipes, Snacks

Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day.
On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!

Why You Will Love This

Instant Pot for Instant gratification

I’ve always loved the rice pudding my mom made for me when I was a kid, but rarely made it myself due to the stirring and watching and possibility of milk burning. Happened to me multiple times and if you ever had the small of burned milk in your kitchen, you know it isn’t pleasant.

All of this changed when I got my beloved Sage Fast Slow Pro. The notion of the pot just doing everything for me when it comes to both risotto and rice pudding was a revelation and opened a whole new range of dishes for me to enjoy, without dreading the ages of stirring.

All it takes is 10-12 minutes of cooking and a few minutes more for the pressure release, and you can use any instant pot you have, to get the perfect rice pudding. Even late evening cravings can be satisfied in minutes. You let it do the work for you, while you have your post workout shower, to enjoy a healthy, protein packed meal.

Can be made Vegan and Lactose free

Being lactose intolerant always left me queasy after eating things like rice pudding or oatmeal. Took me years to realise why that is (being essentially gaslit into not trusting your own feeling leaves marks, doesn’t it?).
Now I make all my dishes with various plant based milks and am just fine.

A Note on Protein Powder

I think I have said this many times on this blog, but I’ll include it here, as the protein powder is such an essential ingredient in this recipe: Despite being lactose intolerant, I do use Whey Protein powder from MyProtein.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you enjoy, give this one a try.
I never had any issues with it and just can’t stomach the taste of the vegan ones. But if you have one you enjoy, you can of course use that.

Why Protein?

Protein is such an important building block for our bodies and its important to eat enough of it. Personally, as I don’t each much meat or legumes for that matter, I wouldn’t have enough in my diet to fulfil my bodies needs. Hence protein powder to the rescue. Preferably in sweet recipes.

How to vary your Protein Rice Pudding

While this Protein Rice Pudding is utterly delicious on its own, topped with just a bit of cinnamon sugar, there are so many more options, that I decided to give you a few here.

If you read any of my posts you probably stumbled over my way to lose weight and keep it stable and of course give my body the nutrition it needs, which is to include as many fruit and veggies as I can in every meal. This one is no exception.

There are plenty of fruit that go fantastic with milky or creamy dishes, so you can wildly pick and choose your favourites. I’m giving you just a few ideas here.

Cherry or Berry. Or Both.

My all-time favourite and a classic with rice pudding in Germany is cherry compote. Essentially sweet cherries briefly cooked with a tiny bit of water, to help them heat up and release their juices, then thickened with cornstarch. That’s as easy as it gets and works nicely with berries too. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or a mix of all would be lovely. Add a bit of vanilla and honey and you are set.

Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes

Another variation, borrowed from a co-worker from India are grapes and pomegranate and the rice pudding being enriched with yoghurt, bringing it into the direction of a favourite summer dish from India: Rice curd. The yoghurt adds even more protein, especially if you are using any type of Greek yoghurt.
A few pistachios sprinkled on top, a hint of cinnamon if you like will round this off nicely.

Black Forest or Chocolate Hazelnut

Now we can’t talk rice pudding without mentioning chocolate, can we?
I mean I love chocolate anything of course, and who wouldn’t, but here it’s just so incredibly easy to include it simply via protein powder flavour and, if you want it extra chocolatey (as I always do) a bit cocoa and a hit of espresso powder, to enhance the flavour even more.

Add some cherry compote or even fresh cherries and, if you are having this for dessert or feeling extra indulgent, some Kirsch (a German clear cherry liqueur), top with some whipped cream or coconut cream and you have yourself an irresistible treat.

Want to add some crunch to this one? Roasted and chopped hazelnuts instead of cherries would transform this into a sort of Ferrero Rocher experience. Or drizzle over some melted chocolate or slightly warmed Nutella, to have an utterly indulgent, yet still reasonably healthy dessert.

Mango-Coconut

Last but not least, a tropical mango-coconut rice pudding. You can either cook it straight from the start with coconut milk, or, as I did here, add some after cooking, for a gentle coconut flavour and stir in fresh mango pieces or mango puree. Or both.
Take it over the top with toasted coconut flakes (can I convince you to make maple-lime coconut chips just for this? It’s so worth it!) and enjoy being taken to a tropical island via dessert.

The Ingredients

Of course some of the ingredients with depend on the flavour combination you choose, but the basic recipe is always the same:

1 cup pudding rice or use arborio as alternative. Round corn rice is best suited for pudding, as the grains absorb more liquid and contain more starch than, say Basmati rice, resulting in creamier rice pudding. And creamy is what we want here.

4 cups liquid. You can use any type of milk you enjoy. If you aren’t lactose intolerant like me, whole milk is a great option. I’m using unsweetened almond milk to cook the rice in, then, after cooking, mix the protein powder with a bit of creamy soy or coconut milk, to add even more creaminess.

A pinch of salt – I’m a firm believer of adding a bit of salt to anything sweet. It balances and enhances the flavour of everything it touches. There is a good reason why salted caramel is so popular!

Protein Powder – This is my favourite way to get a high protein sweet meal. It sounds like a cheat, maybe it is. But I have yet to find a better way to add protein, sweetener, and whatever flavour you enjoy in one step to dishes. My Protein is my favourite brand, as it’s super creamy and doesn’t taste artificial. I mostly use the limited edition “Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn”. Any good vanilla flavour would work too. Though I dread the day when this one reaches its time limit of the limited edition, as I’m utterly in love with it.

For the Black Forest version I used Gold Standard Whey Chocolate, as I have a ton left from before discovering MyProtein. It’s pretty decent, if less creamy.

Again, just to be clear: This is in no way sponsored or affiliated. Just what I use. Though if anyone from MyProtein reads this: Please sponsor me?

The Process

Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot

If you have a pressure cooker/instant pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro, this couldn’t be any easier:

Add your rice and 3.5 cups of your milk of choice and pinch of salt to your cooker. Set to 10 minutes high pressure, then 10min auto release and let it do its thing while you get on with your day.

After the time is up, mix your chosen protein powder with the remaining half cup of milk or yoghurt until no lumps remain and stir it into your rice pudding. Don’t let it come to a boil after you mixed in the protein, or it might get a bit grainy.
If you make a bigger portion for several days, I would advocate for adding the protein-milk mix just before eating, as rice pudding has the habit of thickening in the fridge. And if you add too much liquid, the rice might essentially dissolve. If you love that, feel free of course.

Add your chosen fruits and flavourings, decorate, and top to your heart’s desire and enjoy hot or cold.

I often prepare a large portion at the start of the week, to have a super quick breakfast/dessert or even dinner (yep, I love sweet dinner! That’s my favourite way to satisfy sweet evening cravings: Make it a healthy dinner!).

You can have this Protein Rice Pudding straight from the fridge for hot summer days or simply re-heat it in the microwave.

On Stovetop:

While I’m plain too lazy to make this on the stovetop, you can absolutely do that too.
It will take about 20- 30 minutes of patient stirring and very gentle simmering to get creamy rice pudding.

Tips and Tricks

• If you have no round corn rice, you can use Basmati. It might not get as creamy though
• In India, Rice Curd is made by using ready cooked Basmati rice and stirring in “curd”, which is similar to yoghurt, but thinner. So if you are feeling even lazier or just have leftover rice to use up, either stir some plain yoghurt with protein powder into it and top with fruit for a refreshing summer treat. Or heat it up in the microwave, stir in some milk mixed with protein powder and top with whatever your heart desires.
• A classic Thai version of this would be to boil the rice in coconut milk. To get the best flavour, use the drinking version, not a can.
• You can make this also with black rice, which would look absolutely stunning, or brown rice for added fibre. For those versions follow the cooking instructions for your particular rice. Time and needed liquid may vary.
• Want even more protein? Add some chia seeds or hemp hearts and top with more Greek yoghurt. I love the 0% fat version, as I feel the rice has plenty of creaminess already.
• Need extra indulgence and want this to taste like the classic rice pudding dessert? Temper an egg yolk by adding a bit of warm milk at the end of the cooking process and stir into the rice, warming it through gently, to avoid curdling the egg. Add some butter to take it over the top. May I suggest browned butter if you do?

The 4 Different Versions

All amounts and instructions are given to make 4 portions of the same variation.
If you’d like to try all 4, as I did in the pictures, simply halve the amounts.

Except the cherry compote. I would always make the full 2 cups, as I love it so much, I happily eat it over everything or on its own. Plus just boiling half a cup is too much hassle for the output.

After your rice pudding is cooked mix 2 cups of milk/yoghurt/coconut milk with 4 scoops of your favourite protein powder. Depending on the version you are going for and stir into the rice until it reaches your preferred consistency.

If you find it too cold after that, feel free to briefly microwave to heat it up, but don’t let it come to a boil again, or your protein might curdle a bit. Which still tastes ok, but doesn’t look as inviting and creamy.

Cherry or Berry. Or Both.

Use about 2 cups of fresh or frozen sweet cherries or mixed berries together with 1 tbsp of sugar (brown or white), maybe a little lemon juice or vanilla extract or both, if you like. In a pot on the stove, bring them to a boil, adding about 2-3 tbsp water, to help them release their juices. Mix ½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a separate container. Once your cherries or berries are hot and bubbling, pour in your cornstarch slurry while stirring. Bring once more to the boil and stir until it thickens. Take off the heat and your compote is ready.

I used this for both the cherry version and dusted it with a tiny bit of vanilla powder and in the Black Forest version.

Mix 2 cups of soy milk with a good vanilla protein powder until no clumps remain, Stir into the rice pudding.

Top with the cherry (or berry) compote and enjoy.

Rice Curd (-ish) with Protein, Pomegranate, Grapes and Pistachios

If using a fresh pomegranate, cut it in half crosswise. Tuck one half into a small freezer bag. Ideally with a zip and close it, with the open side of the pomegranate pointing down.
Now get a cooking spoon, Wood with the classic spoon shape works best I found.
Start smacking the top of the pomegranate until all seeds have tumbled into the bag.
Discard the empty shell and fish out any pieces of pith that might have fallen out.

Halve the grapes. Roughly chop the pistachios if using.

Mix 2 cups of yoghurt (I used 0% fat Greek yoghurt) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla protein powder until no lumps remain. Stir into the cooked rice pudding. Ideally after it has cooled a bit.

This version is particularly good cold on a hot summer day.

Mango-Coconut Protein Rice Pudding

Prepare your coconut chips if using.

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix 1 cup of coconut chips with 1 tbsp maple syrup, a pinch of salt and the grated zest of 1 lime.

Spead onto the baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 min, stirring halfway, until golden brown.
Let them cool to crisp up while you prepare the mango. They will keep in an airtight container for about a week (if they last that long, as they are seriously more-ish). You will find reasons to make them again and again as snack or topping for sweets, cake, salad and even Thai soup or curries.

Peel your mango and chop into bite sized cubes.

Mix 2 cups of coconut milk (canned or from a tetra pack is both good) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla (or coconut) flavoured protein powder until no lumps remain.
Stir into the ready cooked rice pudding, top with mango and coconut chips.

Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding (or chocolate without the cherries)

Prepare the cherry compote as per instructions for the cherry version. If you feel extra indulgent, add some Kirsch.

Whisk some cream or coconut cream into soft peaks. If using coconut cream, make sure it’s very cold or it won’t hold its shape. I found cans of coconut whipping cream at a local health food store, but using just the firm layer from a can of cold coconut milk will do just fine.

Mix 2 cups of soy milk with 4 scoops of chocolate flavoured protein powder and 1 tbsp cocoa until no lumps remain. If you only have vanilla flavoured protein powder use that, but add 2-3 tbsp cocoa, depending on your preference.

Stir the chocolate protein mix into the cooked rice pudding.

In pretty glasses, layer some cherry compote, then rice pudding, finishing with more cherry compote and a large spoon or whipped cream or coconut cream.

Decorate with fresh cherry and chocolate shavings if you like. I simply used a vegetable peeler to create shavings from a piece of dark chocolate.

How to Store

As mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-4 days, depending on the milk you used.
If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.

Looking for other Protein Recipes?

Take a look at these:

Tiramisu Protein Oats Two Ways

Sourdough Brownies with Protein

Protein Banoffee Pie Yoghurt

Banoffee Protein Mousse Pie

Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!

Protein Rice Pudding 4 Ways

Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day. On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Pressure release 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Snack

Cuisine American, Fusion

Servings 4

Calories 388 kcal

Equipment

• Instant pot or pot and hob

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Basic version:

• 1 cup pudding rice or Arborio
• 3.5 cups unsweetened almond milk or milk of your choice
• 2 cups soy milk or any other milk of your choice. Coconut for the Coconut-Mango variation
• 4 scoops protein powder I used MyProtein Whey Buttered Popcorn. Any good vanilla flavoured powder will work fine. Since this is the main flavour component, please use one you enjoy.
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract optional but lovely

Topping Versions

Cherry Protein Rice Pudding

• 2 cups of cherries
• ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups soy milk and 4 scoops vanilla protein powder as stated in basic version

Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes

• 1 Pomegranate seeds only (see post on how to get them out without a mess)
• 1 cup grapes halved
• 2 cups 0% fat Greek yoghurt instead of the soy milk in the basic version
• 4 scoops vanilla protein powder as stated in the basic version
• ½ cup pistachios roughly chopped

Mango- Coconut Protein Rice Pudding

• 1 cup coconut chips
• 1 tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 lime grated zest only
• 1 mango chopped in bite sized cubes
• 2 cups coconut milk canned or tetra pack
• 4 scoops vanilla or coconut protein powder as stated in basic version

Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding

• 2 cups of cherries
• ½ tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Kirsch optional
• 2 cups soy milk
• 4 scoops chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla as stated in basic version
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• ½ cup whipped cream or whipped coconut cream or to taste
• 1 small piece dark chocolate shaved with vegetable peeler, to decorate

Instructions

 

Using a Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro:

• In the cooker, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
• Set the cooker to 10 minutes on high pressure, then allow for a 10-minute auto release.
• While the rice cooks, mix the protein powder with the remaining 2 cups of milk until smooth.
• After the pressure cooking cycle completes, stir the protein-milk mixture into the rice pudding gently. Avoid boiling after adding protein to prevent graininess.
• If preparing a larger portion for multiple days, add the protein-milk mix just before serving to avoid over-thickening and potential rice dissolution. 1/2 cup of soy milk +1 scoop of protein powder per portion.
• Customize with your chosen fruits and flavourings, and top with desired toppings.
• Serve hot or cold. Refrigerate leftovers for future servings.

On the Stovetop:

• In a saucepan, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice pudding reaches a creamy consistency.
• Follow steps 3-7 from the pressure cooker instructions to complete the dish.
• Enjoy your protein-rich rice pudding as a quick breakfast, dessert, or even dinner option! Adjust toppings and flavourings to suit your preferences.

Cherry Protein Rice Pudding

• Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until hot.
• Mix cornstarch with water, then add to the cherries, boil and stir to thicken.
• Mix soy milk and vanilla protein powder and stir into the cooked rice pudding.
• Serve topped with cherry compote.

Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes

• Extract pomegranate seeds. See post on how to get them out without a mess.
• Halve grapes and chop pistachios.
• Mix yogurt and vanilla protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
• Serve chilled, topped with pomegranate seeds, grapes, and pistachios.

Mango-CoconutProtein Rice Pudding

• Mix coconut chips with maple syrup and lime zest, bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350°F/175°C for about 10min until golden.
• Mix coconut milk and protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
• Serve topped with mango and coconut chips.

Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding

• Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until boiling and cherries are hot.
• Mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp water, then add to the cherries to thicken.
• Add 1 tbsp Kirsch if desired
• Mix soy milk with chocolate protein powder and cocoa.
• Stir into cooked rice pudding.
• Layer with cherry compote and top with whipped cream.
• Decorate with chocolate shavings if you like.

Notes

The nutrition here is given for the basic Protein Rice pudding. It will vary slightly depending on the toppings, though the protein will remain roughly the same. Slightly more for the curd version due to the greek youghurt, slightly less for the coconut mango version, as the coconut milk has less protein than soy milk.

How to Store

As mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-5 days, depending on the milk you used.
If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.

Nutrition

Calories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 33gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 399mgPotassium: 297mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 544IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 527mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition Facts

Protein Rice Pudding 4 Ways

Amount per Serving

Calories

388

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

7

g

11

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Cholesterol

 

50

mg

17

%

Sodium

 

399

mg

17

%

Potassium

 

297

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

 

48

g

16

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

33

g

66

%

Vitamin A

 

544

IU

11

%

Vitamin C

 

8

mg

10

%

Calcium

 

527

mg

53

%

Iron

 

5

mg

28

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Breakfast, Easy, High Protein, pressure cooker, vegan, Vegetarian, versatile

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