Vegan Banana Rice Pudding Parfaits

Wake up to these vegan banana rice pudding parfaits made with U.S.-grown brown rice, naturally sweet bananas, and huge dose of nutrients first thing in the morning!

{Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by USA Rice Federation and am eligible to win  prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.}

As an amateur food blogger, I have a list of recipes that I, for whatever reason, think belong on my blog. I haven’t even touched half of them…Lasagna, classic chocolate chip cookies, a simple stir fry, french toast…I could go on. The truth of the matter is that I get so fixated on creative ideas that I stray from the classics at times OR I want to re-invent the wheel when sometimes reinvention doesn’t have to happen. 

I’m not sure if rice pudding is a classic or not (although when I went to google “rice,” “rice pudding” was the third phrase that popped up). Until I was about 10, I never even knew that rice pudding existed. You see, my older brother had to do a project about different cultures around the world and at the end of the unit, there was a celebration where every student had to bring in some food dish native to that culture. This was so long ago that I don’t remember what culture or country my brother was assigned, but I distinctly remember the chaos that ensued in my house. 

My mom is an excellent baker and creator of all things desserts. Although she had never made rice pudding, she was confident she could follow a recipe that looked good to her (she has an eye for these types of things). She followed the very specific instructions and left the mixture in the refrigerator overnight, as instructed. In the morning, it was like rice soup — no pudding to be seen!

Since then, my family has an ongoing joke about rice pudding. We even took a family field trip to Rice to Riches when it opened in 2003!

So when Recipe Redux partnered with the USA Rice Federation for a recipe contest using USA-grown rice, I immediately knew I would make a healthier breakfast rice pudding! 

A Banana Rice Pudding that is…and why not layer it with ginger snaps and make it low enough in sugar to qualify as breakfast?! (OK…go ahead and substitute granola if you must…)

Rice is SO versatile, which is one of the reasons I like to “Think Rice.” All over the world it’s eaten for breakfast and is a mainstay for lunch and dinner. Maybe we should learn from these cultures and start eating more rice that’s made in our own backyard! Here’s why we should all “Think Rice” a little more often: 

• Brown rice is a whole grain that’s naturally gluten free.
• One cup of brown rice contains 3.5 grams of fiber for just over 200 calories. 
• It’s an affordable staple to always have on hand. 
• Food prep! Making a big batch at the beginning of the week will save time and can be used in many dishes all week long. 
• Including more whole grains in your diet has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and reduce high blood pressure. 
• Studies, like The China Study, highlight that predominantly rice-eating cultures (like in Japan and Korea) eat less sugar and less vegetable oil than Western countries that do not rely on rice as the base for most meals. These countries also have significantly lower obesity rates. Just more food for thought!

With all that said, let’s eat rice, people! 

If you’re getting sick of your morning oatmeal routine it’s time to check out rice pudding. Using brown rice, especially, provides that hearty flavor ideal for breakfast. This isn’t dessert rice pudding — it’s breakfast banana rice pudding — so there’s almost no added sugar in this recipe. If you have some leftover date puree you’d like to throw in here for a sweeter morning, go right ahead! 

Oh and did I mention how simple this recipe is? You’ll have a totally decadent breakfast parfait that wasn’t purchased at Starbucks, and you’ll be nourishing your body for the busy life you live! Plus, saying you had a parfait for breakfast just sounds like you’re off to a great start.

Prepare brown rice as you normally would on the stove, with a large pinch of salt. I highly recommend following package instructions. Once all of the water is absorbed, add your milk of choice. I used unsweetened soy milk, but nearly any variety will do.

This is where patience comes in. It takes some time for the rice to absorb the milk and reduce to a pudding-like consistency, but it will happen! Be careful not to overheat and burn your pudding.

Many rice pudding recipes call for tapioca or flour or cornstarch as a thickener, but I wanted to add a touch more protein and healthy, omega 3 fatty acids to this hearty morning meal. Chia seeds it is! Add the chia seeds, some spices, and let it continue to thicken and reduce down to a pudding-like consistency. I’d say it takes about 15-20 minutes total. 

Remove this basic rice pudding from the stove, and spruce it up — add the bananas, vanilla, and love, and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes or overnight. 

I think this banana rice pudding is good enough to eat on its own, but if you’re feeling luxurious, go ahead and crumble a ginger snap, graham cracker, or granola and layer with the pudding and sliced bananas. I even think some crystallized ginger would pair perfectly for that little bit of crunch! 

Let’s nosh…

And of course the martini glass is required…Maybe a fancy midweek breakfast is just what the stomach ordered?
XO