Felt like having rice pudding. Using leftover arborio rice and change the ingredients to called it my own. Added vanilla custard, skim milk, full cream milk, water, butter, Italian seasoning, stuffed dates and lychee from my friend, cinnamon powder, light brown sugar, honey, nutmeg powder and chia seeds.

“Yes, Italians use chia seeds. They are becoming popular in Italy as a healthy ingredient, especially recently. While traditional Italian cuisine did not include chia seeds, they are now found in various dishes like gluten-free products, baked goods, and gelato. Cinnamon is popular in Sicilian cuisine, both sweet and savoury. It is used in Italian sweets like biscotti, cakes, and pastries. In northern regions like Friuli Venezia Giulia, it’s used in dishes such as cinnamon-spiced pork ragu. Nutmeg powder is also widely used in Italian cuisine for both savoury and sweet dishes. It is an important ingredient in many pasta dishes and sauces.”

“Yes, Italians eat lychee, a tropical fruit not traditionally native to Italy, commonly found in supermarkets during the winter holiday season. Some Sicilian farmers cultivate lychees, which are small, sweet fruits with pinkish-red skin and juicy white flesh. Lychees are rich in Vitamin C, polyphenols, and potassium, promoting health benefits such as supporting the immune system, heart health, and hydration. They also provide dietary fiber, which aids digestive health.”

“Arborio rice is a short-grain Italian rice known for its high starch content, which gives it a creamy texture when cooked. This makes it perfect for dishes like risotto, where creaminess is desired. While it’s mainly a carbohydrate source, Arborio rice also provides some energy, B vitamins, and is a better option for managing blood sugar due to its slower digestion. It absorbs flavours well, making it a great base for adding other ingredients and spices.”

Today, I have multi-cultural fruits for my rice pudding. It’s a fusion dessert that is something new, something given, creative and delicious. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

about 3/4 c arborio rice
3 Tbs butter
2 Tbs granulated sugar
2 Tbs light brown sugar
2 Tsp vanilla essence
1/4 Tsp salt
1 1/2 c water, plus 1/4 c if needed
1 3/4 c skim milk
1 c vanilla custard
1/4 c full cream milk
140 g craisins
cinnamon powder
nutmeg powder
Italian seasoning
runny honey

Garnish

20 stuffed dates
20 canned lychee
chia seeds (OPT)
runny honey (OPT)

Method

Rinse arborio rice and drain well; set aside. Bring 1 1/2 c water, salt, and 1 Tbs butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add arborio rice, return to a boil, and then reduce heat to the lowest setting. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until rice has absorbed the water but it still al dente, about 15-20 minutes.

Bring vanilla custard, both milks, both sugar, squirt a bit of honey, vanilla essence, and a few dashes of Italian seasoning, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg powder to a simmer in a separate saucepan. Add cooked arborio rice, 140 g craisins and cook at a simmer over medium low heat; stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of saucepan until rice absorbs most of the milk and mixture starts to get thick and silky, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove arborio pudding from the heat and let it cool about 10 minutes. If too dry, add 1/4 c water. Carefully taste arborio rice for sweetness. Make sure to blow on it so you don’t burn your mouth when you taste it. Squirt some more honey if needed.

Spoon arborio rice pudding into ramekins, glasses, or bowls of your choice. I decided to add mine to cocktail glasses. Serve with stuffed dates and lychee; divide and scatter them over the top of each cocktail glass, followed by some chia seeds (OPT). Enjoy it warm or let it cool completely, cover it with cling wrap and press it to touch the pudding, don’t put the stuffed dates, lychee and chia seeds (OPT). Transfer it into the fridge for about 1 hour.

Before serving add in stuffed dates and lychee and followed by some chia seeds (OPT). The picture above is mine. I preferred cold and before I eat mine; I add in stuffed dates and lychee and followed by some chia seeds (OPT). Then I squirt some more honey around the top and at the edges of the pudding. Enjoy!!!

Note: The stuffed dates are quite big pieces, I cut into halved. You don’t have to. You serve with craisins or any fruits of your choice. You can make brown sugar syrup instead of using runny honey. I suppose you can drizzle some marsala wine if you want boozy rice pudding.

This rice pudding will keep, refrigerated, for up to two days. Rice pudding tastes best cool, but not cold. From one of the recipes, I browsed: Instead of—or along with—the cinnamon, and nutmeg, try adding a pinch of Italian seasoning or ground cardamom, both of which make a delightful addition to rice pudding. You can also add a few cardamom pods to the milk as the rice is cooking, just be sure to remove them before chilling.

From another recipe: Try adding a touch of freshly grated orange zest (one teaspoon should work) when stirring in the heavy cream for a citrusy twist. If you’re a fan of raisins, stir some in while the pudding is still warm, which will help them soften slightly. From another recipe: For a dairy-free alternative, you can certainly try coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk instead.

https://helenscchin.com/2026/06/30/arborio-rice-pudding-stuffed-dates-lychee-chia-seeds-with-honey/

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