I couldn’t believe it when food writer Justina Huddleston told me about it: cauliflower rice pudding. It’s a thing, and people (mainly people who dig Paleo) are into it. I didn’t think it could possibly work, and yet I was intrigued. So I decided to whip some up at the SheKnows offices, and we’d all try it out.
Cauliflower rice is so popular right now, the premade stuff is rationed at Trader Joe’s. No joke. Right now demand outstrips supply, and you can purchase only two bags at a time there. Get your hands on some if you can, though, because it sure makes this recipe a snap. I based mine on the cauliflower rice pudding recipe from Cheap Recipe Blog.
More: The easiest rice pudding ever
I was surprised. I expected it to be horrible, but it was … good-ish. It has the flavor profile of rice pudding (from the coconut cream and cinnamon), but with a softer texture. Here’s what my colleagues thought.
“This is what I’d eat if I had no teeth.”
Video contributor Reshma Gopaldas hated the rice pudding. I mean, hated it. “I don’t like cauliflower with sugar!” But then she started coming around when she reconsidered the soft texture. “This is what I’d eat if I had no teeth.”
Photo editor Tiffany Hagler-Geard agreed. “Yeah, when I’m in hospice, this is what I want to eat.”
“I could maybe eat this for breakfast,” Reshma added. “It’s like a very sweet oatmeal.”
“I bet my husband [who hates vegetables] would eat it if I didn’t tell him it’s cauliflower,” Tiffany said. She thought the dish could be a clever way to get picky eaters to try cauliflower. “Watch out, Jessica Seinfeld. We’ve got a new vegetable-hiding recipe for you!”
“It makes my bum go funny.”
SheKnows editor-in-chief Amy Boshnack said she could still taste the cauliflower, and she didn’t like that. “I would choose rice pudding over this. Hands down.”
Deputy editor Melissa Kirsch, on the other hand, really liked it. “What if you knew the cauliflower was lower in calories?” she asked.
“Still picking the rice pudding,” Amy said firmly.
“I’d make it,” Melissa said, “but you’re talking to someone who makes vegan mac and cheese. I’m into comfort food simulacrum recipes.”
Hatch program director Cole Grissom said, “It kind of weirds me out that it’s made of cauliflower. It makes my bum go funny.” And yet he found it strangely intriguing. “I want to eat more, though. But I don’t want to eat a whole bowl. Firm no on the whole bowl.”
More:Coconut rice pudding with mango purée and rum caramel sauce
So there you go. Cauliflower rice pudding: We can see why this is a thing. Watch out, Tiffany’s husband — you may soon find yourself eating cauliflower and liking it!
Keep reading for our cauliflower rice pudding recipe.
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