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Instant Pot Coconut Rice Pudding is a light, gently flavored, vegan coconut rice pudding. This is an Instant Pot Dump and Start recipe that has 5 ingredients. You will love how fast you can make this pressure cooker coconut milk rice pudding!
Recipe updated 4/12/2025
Coconut Rice Pudding in the Instant Pot
Instant Pot Coconut Rice Pudding is a light, yet creamy dessert made by cooking arborio rice in a mixture of coconut milk, sugar, and cinnamon.
The Instant Pot makes it effortless, just add the ingredients, set it, and let the pressure cooker do all of the work!
What makes this version special is the coconut milk, which gives the pudding a rich, tropical flavor and lighter creamy texture.
Serve it warm or chilled, and you can top it with optional toasted coconut, fresh fruit such as mango (or some raisins), or a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.
This rice pudding recipe is a bit healthier than the traditional one, it’s vegan, and perfect for a healthy-ish dessert.
What Type of Rice For Rice Pudding?
This coconut rice pudding is made using arborio rice (the same kind used in risotto) or you could try jasmine or basmati rice.
Dump and Start Recipe
- I have several Dump and Start Instant Pot® recipes, and this is a good one! The Instant Pot makes it fast and hands-off, no need to stand over your stove stirring.
- When making Instant Pot Coconut Rice Pudding, you get to toss all of the ingredients into the pot and start it up. With typical rice pudding recipes, you will add an egg mixture and sauté it after pressure cooking.
- Because this pressure cooker coconut rice pudding happens to be vegan, there are no eggs, so you only need one step!
What Sweetener Can I Use?
- This coconut rice pudding recipe uses granulated sugar. If you don’t want to use white sugar, you can use the sweetener of your choice.
- I do recommend adding it in AFTER pressure cooking. That way you can add a little, taste, and get the perfect amount.
- The amount of sugar in this coconut rice pudding recipe is so it’s not too sweet. It won’t overpower the delicate coconut flavor.
Lightly toasted shredded coconut adds a nice texture as a garnish. Also, you will frequently see this coconut rice pudding served with fresh mangoes. Yum!
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If you make this delicious coconut milk rice pudding recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Coconut Rice Pudding
Equipment
- 3 or 6 qt pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) can Coconut Milk (unsweetened)
- 2 ½ cups Water
- ¼ cup Sugar* (or equivalent of preferred sweetener)
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 cup Arborio Rice (dry)
Optional
- Splash of Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (optional)
- ½ cup Raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the entire can of coconut milk into the pressure cooker. Stir it well to dissolve the coconut cream.
- Add the water, sugar, and salt. Stir well to dissolve sugar.
- Add the cinnamon stick, and coconut, if using, and the rice. Add the raisins, if using. Stir.
- Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Then press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 3 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.
- When the cook cycle has ended, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute natural release). Then turn off the pot.
- Slowly turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to manually release the remaining steam/pressure. If any of the rice pudding starts to come out of the vent, quickly turn the knob back to Sealing and release the steam in shorter bursts.
- When the pin in the lid drops down, open it up and stir the rice pudding. It will be fairly thick, and will thicken more as it cools (stir in some water or more coconut milk if you want it thinner). Remove and discard cinnamon stick.
- Serve the coconut rice pudding warm or chilled, topped with toasted coconut, coconut cream, fresh mangoes, or other fruit, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Substituting cardamom for cinnamon might make this pudding similar to the Indian rice pudding, kheer.
Also if one is not fond of raisins, she could substitute craisins (dried cranberries) or not use either of course.
Great tip! I didn’t know that. Thanks!
Did you try the cardamom? I might try it myself, but wondered how you liked it?
I just made this and it is really good. Not too sweet. It is a little thick, so I added some coconut milk to my serving.
I just made this and it is really good. Not too sweet. It is a little thick, so I added some coconut milk to my serving.
It came out very runny I’m bummened gonna try putting in fridge to see if it thickens enough but it’s soup consistency. Not sure when you do manual does it need to be on low Norma or high?
I put it on high.
I only have sweetened coconut milk. Could I use that and then eliminate other sweeteners?
Sure. Then if it isn’t sweet enough, you can add some honey or sugar.
Gotta have raisins in my pudding. Would you recommend adding before or after cooking?
I would soak the raisins in hot water for a few minutes and add them before cooking if you like them softer, after cooking if you like them chewier.
Delicious! We ate it all!
Just made this and it’s quite runny. Will it thicken as it cools?
Yes, it does thicken as it cools.
Can I leave out the cinnamon?
Yes!
I left out the cinnamon but added 1/2 tsp of cardamom and it was AMAZING!
Sounds delish! Does it have to be at arborio rice? Only have Jasmine. Thanks!
Hi Anon, I haven’t made this with jasmine rice, but I’m pretty sure you can.
This is so so good! Made it with powdered cinnamon and jasmine rice and the whole family loved it. We thought it was the perfect consistency! Definitely will make again!