Lactose-free vanilla rice pudding with strawberries

This creamy stovetop rice pudding uses lactose-free milk, vanilla and fresh strawberries for a simple dessert or make-ahead breakfast. It is gently sweetened, uses everyday Australian supermarket ingredients and needs only one saucepan.

Serves: 4   Preparation: 10 minutes   Cooking: 35 minutes   Total: approximately 45 minutes, plus cooling if serving chilled

Ingredients

• 150 g short-grain white rice
• 500 mL lactose-free full-cream milk
• 300 mL water
• 40 g caster sugar
• 5 mL vanilla extract
• 1 g fine salt
• 150 g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 g ground cinnamon, optional

Method

1. Place the rice, lactose-free milk, water, sugar and salt in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Stir to combine.
2. Bring just to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly so the milk does not catch on the base.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered for 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes and more frequently near the end, until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy. Add a splash of water if it thickens before the rice is cooked.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Rest for 5 minutes; the pudding will continue to thicken.
5. Divide among four bowls. Top each serve with sliced strawberries and a light dusting of cinnamon, if using. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate for a chilled pudding.

Intolerance considerations

• Lactose: use milk specifically labelled lactose-free. Lactose-free cow’s milk still contains milk proteins, so this recipe is not suitable for a cow’s milk allergy.
• Wheat and gluten: no wheat-containing ingredient is intentionally added. For coeliac disease or wheat allergy, verify the vanilla, cinnamon and all packaged ingredients, and prevent cross-contact.
• FODMAPs: this recipe has not been laboratory tested or certified low FODMAP. Lactose-free milk may suit people who need to limit lactose, but the full serve, toppings and individual tolerance still matter. Use current tested serving guidance if you are following a structured low-FODMAP plan.
• Histamine: this recipe is not labelled low histamine. Strawberries may be relevant to some individual plans; follow personalised guidance if histamine is a concern.
• Sucrose and starch: the recipe contains both added sucrose and rice starch. It will not suit every carbohydrate intolerance or enzyme deficiency.

Practical substitutions

For a dairy-free version, replace the lactose-free milk with 500 mL of an unsweetened, calcium-fortified plant drink that suits your needs. The flavour and thickness will vary, so check the saucepan a little earlier and add water as needed.

Blueberries or sliced kiwifruit can replace the strawberries. Use a portion that fits your own tolerance and any tested serving guidance you follow. For a less sweet pudding, reduce the caster sugar to 25 g; the rice will still cook, but the flavour will be milder.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate at or below 5°C within 2 hours and use within 2 days. Reheat only the portion you need until steaming hot, adding a little lactose-free milk or water to loosen the texture. Do not reheat more than once.

More useful reading

Browse the full Intoleran Australia recipe collection, read our guide to increasing fibre gently, or learn more about lactose intolerance. If several restrictions overlap, an Accredited Practising Dietitian can help protect variety and nutritional adequacy.

For Australian food-safety guidance, see Food Standards Australia New Zealand.