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For an easy yet impressive holiday dessert try my vegan spin on Indian rabri, a thick, creamy milk pudding. My vegan rabri recipe is made with nut milk and flavored with cardamom and saffron. Gluten-free and soy-free.
Craving a sweet treat that is simple yet impressive and will soothe the soul? I have just the thing: this dairy-free Rabri recipe is everything you need in your life right now and perfect for Diwali, holidays and the cozy season. This month is all about Diwali festival sweets and treats!
What is Rabri?
Rabri is a divine Indian milk pudding. This traditional dessert is made by heating milk until a big part of the liquid has evaporated, and only a thick, creamy pudding remains. The slow cooking adds gritty milk solids to the texture as well as the Malai – drying milk skin which is folded into the pudding. This Milk Pudding is then sweetened and flavored with cardamom and saffron. My vegan spin on the classic Indian rabri recipe has no dairy. We are using homemade nut cream for thickening and almond flour for the texture. The vegan milk pudding couldn’t be easier to make, and it is every bit as delicious as the dairy version-probably even more!.
Our homemade nut milk has the perfect thick and smooth consistency and creaminess. Ideal for this rabri recipe, and what I love most is that this dairy-free pudding doesn’t need nearly as much time as milk to reduce because the added blended nuts already act as a thickener.
Rabri Pudding is usually flavored with cardamom and saffron and I stick to these traditional flavors. If you want to add one more thing, go with almond or pure vanilla extract. You could also add a splash of culinary rose water but be very careful. Rosewater can take over the flavor profile very quickly.
I like to garnish this pudding with chopped pistachios, but any nut or a combination of nuts and culinary rose petals will look pretty. Serve the Rabri chilled as is in small portions or over other desserts such as a hot jalebi or warm gulab jamuns!
More Indian Desserts to try:
Vegan Rabri – Indian Milk Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup oat milk
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 15 mins
- 2 tablespoons raw pistachios
- 1 1/4 cups water, 2 cups of water if you like you rabri a bit thinner
- 7 to 8 saffron strands
- seeds of 1 green cardamom pod
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond flour
- a good pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped raw pistachios or chopped pistachios and almonds for garnish
Instructions
- Blend the coconut milk, oat milk, cashews, pistachios, water, saffron , seeds of the cardamom pod until well blended.
- I usually blend it for a minute then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes for the nuts to rehydrate. Then I blend again for 30 seconds and I do this again once or twice until the mixture is incredibly smooth.
- Add this mixture to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
- Then add in your almond flour, salt, and sugar and mix in the mixture. After it has come to a boil, the mixture will tend to thicken and stick to the sides. So keep stirring.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the mixture dry a little bit on the edges and then mix it in after half a minute and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes this way or until the mixture is thickened to preference.
- Take off heat. Let it cool for a few minutes. Let a film form over the mixture, mix that and repeat this a couple of times until the mixture is just about lukewarm.
- Then transfer it to your serving bowls. Top it with the pistachios and almonds and serve as is or chill and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- For milk base, I go with a blend of coconut milk and oat milk. This allows for creaminess without being too overpowering in taste
- raw cashews act as a thickener and make the milk creamy. We want to soak the nuts in warm water for 15 mins
- pistachios are added for more flavor
- water is also added. The amount depends on whether you like your rabri thick or a bit thinner
- saffron strands and green cardamom pods are the traditional flavors and I stick to those
- I use cane sugar as a sweetener
- almond flour adds the gritty ness that you get in the Rabri. Thickening the milk slowly deposits milk solids in the pudding
- a pinch of salt helps brings out the sweetness
- I like to decorate the pudding with some chopped raw pistachios but any chopped or sliced nut will do
Tips & Variations:
- Garnish your rabri with chopped nuts like pistachios or cashews or sprinkle with sliced almonds and a few strands of saffron. Dried culinary rose petals would also look pretty here
- this dessert tastes best when chilled before serving
- You can fold in some fresh yuba (tofu skin) into the warm Rabri for a more Malai effect.
Ingredients for Rabri below. I usually have frozen coconut milk frozen in ice cubes when I open canned coconut milk.
How to Make Vegan Indian Milk Pudding:
Blend the coconut milk, oat milk, cashews, pistachios, water, saffron, seeds of the cardamom pod until well blended.
I usually blend it for a minute then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes for the nuts to rehydrate. Then I blend again for 30 seconds and I do this again once or twice until the mixture is incredibly smooth.
Add this mixture to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring occasionally.
Then add in your almond flour, salt, and sugar and mix in the mixture. After it has come to a boil, the mixture will tend to thicken and stick to the sides. So keep stirring.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the mixture dry a little bit on the edges. Now, mix it in after half a minute and continue to cook the milk pudding for another 3-4 minutes this way or until the mixture is thickened to preference.
Take the pot off the heat. Let the pudding cool for a few minutes. Let a film form on top of the pudding, mix that in and repeat this a couple of times until the mixture is just about lukewarm.
Then transfer the milk pudding to your serving bowls. Top your rabri with the pistachios and almonds and serve as is or chill and serve.
What is a good replacement for coconut milk (due to coconut allergy)?
any plant-based alternative including almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, hemp milk, flax milk, macadamia milk or cashew milk
Thanks for letting us know about the coconut milk being canned! thankfully you have Indian heritage so the veganised versions include the important notes of authenticity. I am going to try this to make an Indian version of Tiramisu, I’ll dip the biscuits in tea, Darjeeling or perhaps Earl Grey do it still has caffeine as the pick me up, although I guess a herbal rose would be nice or Chai made with Assam. And top with rose petals, saffron and toasted flaked almonds / pistachios. I really like this idea for taking to someone’s house or having as a premade the day before dessert when you are making a big meal on the day.
Yum! Would love to hear how your Tiramisu turns out. 🙂
Hello! Will ground cardamom work instead of seeds? I don’t have any pods at the moment.
You can use ground cardamom, but note that this will change the taste and texture of the pudding.
I tried the recipe and it turned out delicious. I have been craving for Rabri since I turned Vegan and this satisfied my craving. Instead of sugar, I used maple syrup and still was very yummy.
great to hear Suma
This sounds lovely, is the coconut milk from a can, or the drinkable type from a carton please?
Can
Hello, Richa! Thank you for this recipe. The flavours are so delicate and the pudding very creamy
Will the pudding thicken as it cools?
Yes it thickens on chilling. It’s not set kind of pudding. it’s a thick custardy milky pudding
Hi Richa, love all your recipes. I don’t usually buy oat milk since it’s easy at home. Did you use store bought or home made here? Can I use the one I make at home? I know that some of the store bought ones when heated don’t thicken and mine does when heated so asking.
either is fine – homemade will be great!
Question: when you say coconut milk, you’re referring to the one in the can, not the box? And if it’s from the can, I should shake it first b4 opening? Thanks
Yea canned and yes shake it
I just made this tonight and added rose water and almond extract. My family loved it!
Awesome!!
Lovely. Will try it. What can I replace the cashew and pistachios with in the recipe? We have allergies to this in our family
It would be really hard to sub nuts in this recipe and get the same result. You can use a mix of full fat coconut milk and oat milk (no water) and add in a little bit of starch and flour for thickening (start with 2 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp all purpose flour) .
Thank you, it looks great!
I’m wondering though if you know if honey might work in place of the sugar?
Thank you.
This looks like a good recipe to try for the holidays. I am always looking for easy gluten free dairy free treats I can make for my little cousins who can’t have those.
Yea totally