How to Make Homemade Healthy Rice Pudding and the Nutrition Facts

Because it usually contains heavy cream or evaporated milk, a generous amount of sugar and calorie-rich additions, rice pudding isn't what you might call a light dessert. However, when you're making it at home, you get to choose what's included, and that means you can make some simple substitutions to create a healthier treat. Your pudding will still taste great with low-fat or fat-free ingredients, but if you're modifying a favorite recipe, be aware that it won't turn out exactly the same way it normally does.

Use brown rice for the healthiest pudding. Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images.

Step 1

Cook 1/2 cup rice in a pot according to package directions to make 2 cups cooked rice.

Step 2

Add 3 1/2 cups skim milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk and a large pinch of salt to the cooked rice. Raise the heat to medium and stir the ingredients until the mixture begins to simmer.

Step 3

Cook the rice pudding over simmering heat for a half hour, stopping to stir every five minutes or whenever the pudding begins to stick to the bottom or sides of the pot.

Step 4

Crack two large eggs into a bowl, and use a whisk to beat the eggs thoroughly.

Step 5

Use a large spoon to scoop about 1/3 of the rice mixture into the beaten eggs. Whisk the rice and eggs together, then empty the bowl with the rice and egg mixture back into the pot on the stove.

Step 6

Continue to cook the pudding over medium heat for an additional two to three minutes. Stir for the entire remaining cooking time.

Step 7

Take the pot off the heat and stir 1/4 cup raisins, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 tsp. cinnamon into the rice pudding.

Step 8

Pour the pudding into a large bowl.

Step 9

Cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent it from developing a "skin," and chill the pudding in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight before spooning it into eight dishes and serving.

Tips

• According to recipe authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, each helping of the pudding has about 176 calories, 1.4 g fat, 7.6 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates and 1 g fiber.
• Use brown rice instead of white rice for the pudding if you have it on hand. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a cup of cooked white rice has about 240 calories, 4.5 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 53 g carbohydrates and 0.5 g fiber, but a cup of cooked brown rice has 220 calories, 4.5 g protein, 1.5 g fat, 46 g carbohydrates and 3.5 g fiber.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 c. white rice
• Cooking pot
• 3 1/2 c. skim milk
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk
• Salt
• Spoon
• 2 eggs
• Whisk
• 1/4 c. raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Plastic wrap
• Bowl

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