Skip to content
Vegan Kheer
- by S R
Vegan Kheer
Creamy Indian Rice Pudding · Plant-Based · Fragrant with Cardamom & Saffron
Kheer is one of the oldest and most beloved desserts in South Asian cooking — a slow, gentle simmer of rice in fragrant milk, sweetened with care and perfumed with cardamom, saffron, and rose water. It is the dessert of celebrations, of comfort, of ending a meal the right way.
This version is entirely plant-based, made with creamy coconut milk and oat milk in place of dairy, and every bit as rich, fragrant, and satisfying as the traditional recipe. It is the kind of dessert that fills the kitchen with warmth before it even reaches the bowl.
Whether you are vegan, dairy-free, or simply curious — this kheer will not ask you to compromise on anything. It sets just as beautifully, perfumes just as deeply, and tastes every bit as festive as the version you remember.
Ingredients
The Base
- Basmati rice, rinsed 80g / ⅓ cup
- Full-fat coconut milk 400ml / 1 can
- Oat milk (or almond milk) 600ml / 2½ cups
- Caster sugar or coconut sugar 4–5 tbsp
The Fragrance
- Green cardamom pods, crushed 6
- Saffron strands a generous pinch
- Rose water 1 tsp
- Vanilla extract ½ tsp
The Garnish
- Pistachios, chopped a small handful
- Flaked almonds, lightly toasted a small handful
- Dried rose petals (optional) to scatter
- Extra saffron strands to finish
Optional Add-ins
- Raisins or golden sultanas 2 tbsp
- Medjool dates, sliced 2–3
- Desiccated coconut, toasted 1 tbsp
- Chironji seeds (charoli) 1 tsp
"Kheer is patience made delicious — the slow simmer, the gradual thickening, the way the whole kitchen fills with cardamom before it even reaches the bowl."
A recipe worth taking your time overMethod
Bloom the saffron
Add the saffron strands to a small bowl with two tablespoons of warm oat milk. Let them steep for at least 10 minutes — the milk will turn a deep, beautiful gold. This blooming step unlocks both the colour and the full fragrance of the saffron. Do not skip it.
Start the base
Pour the coconut milk and remaining oat milk into a wide, heavy-based saucepan. Add the rinsed basmati rice and the crushed cardamom pods. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, stirring to combine.
A wide pan gives more surface area and speeds up the thickening. Avoid a narrow pot — the rice catches more easily.
Simmer low and slow
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The rice should soften completely and the milk should thicken to a creamy, porridge-like consistency. If it thickens too quickly, add a splash more oat milk. Patience here is everything — the flavour develops with every passing minute.
Sweeten and perfume
Once the kheer has thickened to your liking, stir in the sugar and taste — adjust to your preference. Add the bloomed saffron milk, rose water, and vanilla extract. Stir gently and cook for a further 3–4 minutes. The kitchen should smell extraordinary by now.
Rose water varies enormously in strength. Add half, taste, then decide whether to add more.
Add any extras
If using raisins, dates, or desiccated coconut, stir them in now and cook for a further two minutes to let them warm through and absorb some of the kheer's sweetness.
Serve warm or chilled
Ladle into bowls or small clay cups if you have them. Scatter over the chopped pistachios, flaked almonds, dried rose petals, and a few extra strands of saffron. Kheer is wonderful served warm straight from the pot, and equally beautiful chilled and set from the fridge — it thickens further as it cools, becoming almost pudding-like in texture.
For a dinner party, serve in small individual glasses chilled — it sets beautifully and looks stunning with the garnish layered on top just before serving.
Baker's Notes
Which rice to use
Basmati is traditional and gives the best flavour, but short-grain rice will make a thicker, creamier kheer if you prefer that style. Avoid pre-cooked or parboiled rice — it will not absorb the milk correctly.
Coconut milk matters
Full-fat coconut milk is essential here — the light version will not give the same richness. Shake the can well before opening, and if the cream has solidified, scoop it all in.
Stir, stir, stir
The rice will catch on the bottom if left unattended. A few minutes between stirs is fine, but do not walk away entirely. A heavy-based pan and a low heat make this much more forgiving.
It thickens as it cools
Remove from the heat when it looks slightly thinner than you want — it will continue thickening as it cools. If serving from the fridge, you may want to loosen it with a splash of oat milk before serving.
Make it ahead
Kheer is an ideal make-ahead dessert. It keeps well in the fridge for up to three days and the flavours deepen beautifully overnight. Store with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming.
Sweetness is personal
Traditional kheer tends to be fairly sweet. Start with less sugar than you think you need and taste as you go — it is easy to add more, and different milks vary in their natural sweetness.
Variations Worth Trying
- Mango Kheer — Stir in two tablespoons of mango pulp at the end and serve with a spoonful of fresh mango. A summer celebration in a bowl.
- Kesar Pista (Saffron & Pistachio) — Double the saffron and load generously on pistachios. This is the festive version — rich, golden, and deeply fragrant.
- Vermicelli Kheer (Seviyan) — Swap the rice for fine vermicelli broken into short pieces and toasted lightly in a dry pan first. Cooks faster and gives a slightly different, silkier texture.
- Chilled Rose Kheer — Use an extra teaspoon of rose water, skip the saffron, and serve cold topped with dried rose petals and crushed pistachios. Delicate and floral.
- Date & Cardamom — Omit the sugar entirely and sweeten only with medjool dates, stirred in and simmered until they dissolve into the milk. Naturally sweet, deeply warming.
Serving Suggestions
Serve it warm
- Straight from the pot after a curry feast
- In small clay cups or katoris for an authentic touch
- With a dusting of ground cardamom on top
- Alongside a simple fruit chaat for contrast
Serve it chilled
- In individual glasses or ramekins set overnight
- Garnished just before serving to keep it fresh
- With a drizzle of rose syrup for a dinner party finish
- Topped with pomegranate seeds for colour and brightness
- Posted in:
- gluten free
- healthhy
- healthy lifestyle
- healthy living
- homemade
- indian dessert
- kheer
- Vegan
- vegan dessert
