Carrot Cake Breakfast Pudding

Happy Meatless Monday! Want One Good Reason to go vegan today, even if it's just for today? It's my birthday, and I'd be ever so happy if you'd spend even one meatless day with me! Breakfast is always a good place to start, and what's a better birthday breakfast than cake? This Carrot Cake Breakfast Pudding is sort of a cross between the pancakes I made last week, and a hot rice cereal I had once on the Oregon coast. It's fast and easy to make, especially if you have some leftover rice in the fridge, and it's packed with get-you-going goodness. Serve this like any hot cereal, with non-dairy milk, and maybe some extra maple syrup. There's no added fat in the recipe, so maybe you'll want to add a little bit of Earth Balance "butter," although I don't think you'll need it.

Carrot Cake Breakfast Pudding
This will serve 2-4 people, depending on appetites, and what you serve with it.

2 cups cooked rice (I had some brown/wild mix in the fridge, and it was perfect)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 carrot, grated
2 T chia seeds
2 T ground flax seeds
2 T unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup non-dairy milk (for store bought, we like Tempt hemp milk the best these days)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla


Stir everything together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it's hot and bubbly. Add more milk if it's too thick. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, to soften the carrots and plump the raisins. The flax and chia seeds will give it a nice tapioca sort of texture, but if you don't have them, don't worry. It will still be good.