Cinnamon "Rice" Pudding
Creamy, cinnamon-scented pudding made by simmering finely riced cauliflower in cream until soft and rice-like, then thickening it with egg yolks. Comforting warm and just as good cold.
Nutrition per serving
½ cup- Net carbs
- 4.5g
- Calories
- 259kcal
- Protein
- 4.3g
- Fat
- 25g
- Total carbs
- 15 g
- Fiber
- 1.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Konjac rice (shirataki): Shirataki rice made from konjac root replaces the cauliflower. Its chewy-soft grains are the closest keto match for real rice pudding, with almost no carbs of their own.
- Rinse the shirataki rice well under cold water, then dry-toast it in a hot nonstick pan for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it squeaks and looks dry. Skip the blanching.
- Simmer it in the cream mixture for 15 minutes before thickening with the yolks as written.
Coconut (dairy-free): Full-fat coconut milk replaces the cream for a dairy-free pudding with a gentle coconut flavor that pairs well with the cinnamon.
- Use the coconut milk exactly as you would the cream. Coconut milk can catch on the bottom of the pan, so stir often while it simmers.
Cardamom & pistachio: Ground cardamom in place of the cinnamon and chopped pistachios on top, in the style of Indian kheer.
- Simmer the cardamom with the cream instead of the cinnamon. Scatter the pistachios over each serving just before eating so they stay crunchy.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
-
½ tsp ground cinnamonleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $5.84 for 4 servings ($1.46 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the riced cauliflower and cook 2 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, pressing out the water — this quick blanch takes away the cabbage-like note.
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Return the cauliflower to the pan with the cream, almond milk, allulose, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes, until the cauliflower is very soft and translucent and the liquid has reduced by about a third.
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Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the hot mixture to warm them, then stir the yolk mixture back into the pan.
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Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until the pudding thickens enough to coat the spoon (about 170°F/77°C). Do not let it boil, or the yolks will curdle.
-
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Serve warm, or divide among 4 dishes, press plastic wrap onto the surface and chill for 2 hours — it thickens as it cools. Dust with cinnamon before serving.
Tips for success
-
Cooked slowly in cream with cinnamon and vanilla, cauliflower loses its vegetable flavor and turns soft and rice-like. Very finely riced pieces work best, so pulse larger ones in a food processor first. - For a texture even closer to real rice pudding, try the konjac (shirataki) rice version below — its grains are chewy-soft, just like rice.
- Top with a few raspberries or a spoonful of raspberry chia jam.
Nice to have, not needed
- A cinnamon stick simmered in the cream gives a rounder spice flavor — ground cinnamon alone works fine.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Serve chilled, or warm gently in a saucepan with a splash of almond milk, stirring.
Prep tip: It thickens a lot in the fridge; stir in a spoonful of cream or almond milk before serving.
Refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface up to 4 days. It does not freeze well.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosKonjac rice (shirataki)
SwapShirataki rice made from konjac root replaces the cauliflower. Its chewy-soft grains are the closest keto match for real rice pudding, with almost no carbs of their own.
- riced cauliflower → shirataki (konjac) rice
2.9 g net · 249 kcal · 3.3 g protein · 24 g fat · ≈$1.92 per serving (−1.6 g net carbs vs the original)
Coconut (dairy-free)
DietFull-fat coconut milk replaces the cream for a dairy-free pudding with a gentle coconut flavor that pairs well with the cinnamon.
- heavy cream → full-fat canned coconut milk
4.5 g net · 175 kcal · 3.8 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$1.27 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Cardamom & pistachio
FlavorGround cardamom in place of the cinnamon and chopped pistachios on top, in the style of Indian kheer.
- + ½ tsp ground cardamom
- + 3 tbsp shelled pistachios
- no ground cinnamon
5.6 g net · 299 kcal · 5.7 g protein · 28 g fat · ≈$1.63 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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