For a fun and unique twist on a traditional rice pudding recipe, give this recipe for Barley Pudding a try. It has all of the great taste of a classic rice pudding, except this is probably far lighter and better for you than your grandmother’s recipe.
I have always been a huge fan of rice pudding, but have never gotten around to making it for whatever reason. Last month, I saw that Jackie of Jackie’s Kitchen had posted a vegan rice pudding recipe that especially piqued my interest because of how easy it was. Using her great recipe as a guide, I went to work on my own version.
However, I had some issue making her recipes exactly. For starters, I did not have any rice or coconut milk on hand. Since rice is a rather key ingredient to rice pudding, I decided to use the recipe as a guide to make my own yummy healthy dessert. Hence, this Barley Pudding recipe was born!
Recipe: Barley Pudding
Summary: For an interesting and intriguing twist on classic rice pudding recipes
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup pearled barley
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole clove piece
- 1 star anise pod
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup almonds, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1 dash nutmeg
- In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Then, add the barley, cinnamon, clove and star anise. Turn the heat to low and let sit.
- Once the barley is completely cooked and almost all of the water is absorbed, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine thoroughly and let cook another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, star anise pod and clove, and serve warm.
Quick Notes
I know it’s incredibly weird that I had barley on hand but not rice. However, I was a fan of the final dish. The barley adds a great chewiness to the end result, creating a healthy dessert recipe that is heartier than most rice puddings I have had in the past.
Variations
Of course, feel free to use arborio or brown rice instead of barley in this dish. Any milk or milk alternative would work well here, as would any sweetener. I think maple syrup especially would have been nice. Feel free to up the sweetener amount for a sweeter pudding.
Cooking time (duration): 35-45
Diet type: Vegan
Diet (other): Low calorie, Reduced fat
Meal type: dessert
My final thoughts: it’s definitely not my grandmother’s rice pudding recipe, that’s for certain! Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but I thought that this was definitely not as creamy as most other rice puddings. Jackie’s recipe calls for coconut milk and arborio rice, and those ingredients would definitely have gone a long way towards making this creamier. However, I enjoyed the texture and flavor of this barley pudding, as it was chewy and not overly sweet. For a beefed up, healthified version of rice pudding definitely try your hand at this recipe.
Your turn: Are you a fan of rice pudding? Also, what is your favorite classic dessert?
