Banana Coconut Rice Pudding

I’m not going to lie: I was expecting great things from this beautiful looking dessert. All those scrumptious layers of pudding, coconut, banana, and whipped cream lead me on.

Jerks.

Okay, okay. There are some redeeming qualities in this recipe. It looks really pretty. And the banana and coconut and whipped cream tasted delicious. Unfortunately the rice pudding part of it fell flat.

Really flat.

Like, won’t-ever-make-that-again flat.

*Siiiiigh*

I think you could maybe salvage this recipe by adding cinnamon and/or your favourite rice pudding spice.

My usual (old fashioned) rice pudding is cinnamon and raisins and is delicious just like that. I should have known that trying to get all fancy with bananas and coconut was too “crazy” for rice pudding.

*Siiiigh*

I’m still posting the recipe though because maybe you will have more luck with it and/or maybe you will like the flavour better than we did. (We being mom and dad and I, not Sue, because Sue thinks rice pudding is “yucky”) Besides, I had to post the photos because they just look so pretty.

How the photo looks, that is how I wanted the dessert to taste. It didn’t.

*Siiiigh*

 

 Banana Coconut Rice Pudding

 

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 cup rice

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 tsp coconut extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup toasted coconut

2 bananas, thinly sliced

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 Tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 

Directions

Stir milk, whipping cream, half & half and rice together in medium saucepan over med - high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med - low; cook, stirring often, until rice is cooked and mixture is thickened. Anywhere from 10 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

In medium bowl, whisk vanilla and coconut extract with eggs. While constantly whisking, slowly add 1/2 cup of hot rice mixture to eggs. Continue to add 1/2 cup at a time until completely mixed. Do NOT do this too fast or eggs will curdle.

Return mixture to saucepan and cook for another1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Transfer to bowl and chill completely.

Whip cream with Tbsp of sugar and tsp vanilla.

To assemble parfaits: layer 1/4 cup cold rice pudding with toasted coconut, sliced bananas, and whipped cream. Repeat layers once more.

 

 

It’s not too complicated to make at all. Which makes it even more unfair. If it is easy and pretty it SHOULD taste delicious also.

It’s okay, I’m not bitter about it at all.

The recipe calls for it to be served cold – which I thought was weird – we eat our old fashioned rice pudding warm so the cream on top gets all melt-y.

Originally we tried it warm so I though, to be fair, I should try it cold to see if that makes a huge difference. Cold version equalled me spitting it out. It was like eating cold rice. I have to give it some credit though; the texture was very smooth and creamy. It just had no flavour.

Who wants to eat flavourless, cold rice?

Not me.

I suggest if you are going to attempt this recipe that you add something to the pudding that will flavour it. The 1 Tbsp of vanilla and 1 tsp of coconut extract really added nothing. I’m thinking cinnamon would be a good start.

Let me know, if you give it a try, what you think.