Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Hazelnuts and Maple Syrup: Technique of the Week!

I finally got around to using my slow cooker again to continue trying out new recipes using the “slow cooking” technique. Last time I did a savoury cabbage and white bean side dish which made a lot of servings!! I have been enjoying the leftovers on jacket potatoes or stirred into pasta and there is still a tub in the freezer!

This time I decided to embrace the rare sweet craving I was having last weekend and I made a perfect slow cooker sweet recipe – rice pudding! This took around 5 hours so you can just put it all in the slow cooker in the morning and go get on with your day, then later on it is ready to serve after your weekend dinner. Pudding rice is perfect for slow cooking because you really want the rice to break down and become creamy. By using a sweet milk such as almond or hemp milk you add some flavour as the rice absorbs the milk during cooking.

I found this recipe a perfect balance for me because it had a sweetness from the maple syrup but that was toned down by the cinnamon and hazelnuts. If you like it sweeter then you could always just add a sprinkle of cinnamon when serving with plenty of maple syrup!

Serves 4

Gluten and wheat free, vegan, sweet tooth friendly

100g pudding rice
50g golden caster sugar
1 litre dairy free milk (I used hemp milk)
1 tspn ground cinnamon
A drizzle of Maple syrup and a handful of roughly chopped hazelnuts per person

Put all of the ingredients except the syrup and hazelnuts in the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, give it a little stir every now and then if your around.

Serve hot with your chosen toppings.

This rice pudding is super creamy but is slightly darker than a normal rice pudding because of the cinnamon.

What is your favourite rice pudding topping?