Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

This is part of my Big Batch series, encouraging you to make a big batch of something nice and split it into freezer portions. It's always good to have something tasty, low budget and simple to re-heat for our busier days.

I've kept the recipe here to basic low budget, dairy rice pudding. It's nice and creamy already, but you can add some cream into the recipe (swap out for the same ml of milk) if you're not watching the calories or the budget.

As for dairy free options - the first time I made this it was with tinned low fat coconut milk, and it was gorgeous - but expensive. I'd suggest that, if you want to use carton plant milks to keep the cost lower, then add in a small pot of plant based cream substitute such as the Elmlea one to make it a little richer.

You can swap out the sugar for honey or any other kind of sweetener if you wish. This recipe isn't overly sweet because I like to stir my homemade jams through mine.

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 500g bag pudding rice, sometimes called Arborio rice. You'll find it in the dessert aisle of the bigger supermarkets

• 2800ml full fat milk

• 150g sugar

• 2tbsp vanilla paste (optional)

  
  

Method:

1. Easy - just set the slow cooker to high, throw everything in all at once, give it a good stir, and leave the lid on. It'll take about 3-4 hours. Keep stirring occasionally during the first hour.

2. Split it into portions, leave to cool completely before putting the lids on, and chuck it in the freezer. You can microwave it from frozen so it's there for a quick treat whenever you want.

I like to serve mine with a dollop of homemade jam, or sometimes golden syrup, and a scattering of whatever nuts I have hanging around. You can also grate a little bit of nutmeg over it.