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Velvety Quinoa Pudding

If you’re having trouble conceptualizing Quinoa Pudding, in Jeff’s words, “it’s really just rice pudding, but with a bit more bite and texture.” While flavor-wise quinoa might function in the same category as brown rice, quinoa is actually leagues ahead of it in terms of nutrition. Quinoa is an ancient food with a rich and dynamic history, and despite the fact it looks like a grain, it’s actually a seed that’s related to spinach. This distinction in its ancestry is significant in how much protein it can contribute to a diet- Instead of being made up of starchy carbohydrates like rice, quinoa is full of fiber and protein that contribute a more steady and regulated rate of energy. If you’re tired of feeling sluggish after a holiday meal, think about swapping out your regular rice pudding staple for a quinoa version instead.
Chef Jeff used unsweetened almond milk for this recipe. You might notice that Jeff tends to use a lot of almond milk when cooking (if possible), because he prefers the way that almond milk can be heated without worry about scalding it the same way dairy milk does, but you’ll still want to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too hot and scorch your quinoa seeds. When adding your egg, you’ll want to add it slowly and mixing it steadily off the heat, so you don’t wind up accidentally cooking your egg. Just like when making your Cinnamon Spiced Apple Cranberry Sauce, you’re using a method that vaguely resembles a slurry, but unfortunately the consequences of scrambled eggs mixed in with your dessert are far more unsavory than some lumps of arrowroot powder, so no shortcuts please.
You could use another type of quinoa if you have any other on hand, but Jeff opted for red quinoa because it’s a little bit more nutty than white quinoa. Our Quinoa pudding was spiced with some Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks and a Star Anise, but if you’d prefer to have even more flavor distributed throughout our Cake Spice has ground cinnamon and ground star anise, and a couple other goodies like ginger and allspice as well. Our taste testers were pleasantly surprised by how creamy and sweet our Quinoa Pudding turned out. For sweetness Jeff used light brown sugar, some Shredded Coconut Flakes, and half a Madagascar Vanilla Bean- if you wanted a little tartness for contrast you could use dried cranberries instead of raisins. This dish could be enjoyed either warm or cold, and would make a great option if you were thinking about meal prepping during this busy time of year!
Helpful hint: Feel free to substitute coconut milk for almond milk if you prefer the taste or have a nut allergy. You could try substituting the egg it calls for as a thickener with a flax seed substitute instead to make it entirely plant-based.
Ingredients:
- ¾ Cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ Madagascar Vanilla Bean
- 1 ½ Cups water
- 1 tsp Orange Zest, plus more for garnish
- ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Ceylon Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 4 Cups Unsweetened almond milk
- ½ Cup light brown sugar
- ¼ Cup Shredded Coconut Flakes
- ¼ Cup Raisins or Dried cranberries
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
Instructions:
- Place quinoa in a sieve or strainer and rinse well. Drain well and place in large saucepan.
- Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and bean to the quinoa. Add 1 ½ Cups water, orange zest, salt, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes covered.
- Stir in almond milk and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Add coconut, raisins and simmer uncovered 20 more minutes. Stir frequently.
- Remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick, star anise, and vanilla bean.
- Gradually add the beaten egg to 1 cup of the hot pudding mixture. Add that to the rest of the pudding and mix well.
- Garnish with additional orange zest and serve!
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories241.10
Total Fat 6.30g
Saturated Fat2.70g
Polyunsaturated Fat0.30g
Monounsaturated Fat0.50g
Cholesterol 46.50g
Sodium 181.30mg
Potassium 381.30mg
Total Carbohydrate 54.80g
Dietary Fiber2.30g
Total Sugars40.10g
Protein 3.30g
Ingredients for this recipe:
Shredded Coconut Flakes
Starting at: $5.69
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
Starting at: $15.43
Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Starting at: $8.95
Florida Orange Peel
Starting at: $4.25
Starting at: $NaN
Star Anise
Starting at: $6.73
Shredded Coconut Flakes
Starting at: $5.69
Ceylon Cinnamon Sticks
Starting at: $15.43
Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Starting at: $8.95
Florida Orange Peel
Starting at: $4.25