The Best Sweet Recipes are Made of Rice Puddings and Each Country’s Twist on it

To make easy sweet recipes at home, once in a while you should look beyond the beloved favorites and try something new. We are talking about rice puddings and depending on the country, some of these fall under sugar-free sweets recipes as well. So, without further ado, here are the rice puddings from the heart of Armenia to the quaint and charming Guam island.

1. Gatnabour

This rice pudding is from Armenia, also known as Katnapour, and combines long-grain rice with milk, sugar, salt, and water. Many cooks enhance the flavor by incorporating cinnamon powder and rose water. The rice is first boiled in water until nearly soft and then transferred to a pot of warm milk, which is stirred continuously over low heat. Once the pudding reaches the desired thickness, salt and sugar are mixed in. Usually, the rice pudding is dusted with a layer of cinnamon just before eating and can be enjoyed straight from the pot, cooled to room temperature, or chilled for a refreshing treat.

2. Meghli

Lebanon’s rice pudding is called Meghli, Moghli or Karawiyah, which is made with rice flour, water, sugar, and spices like caraway and some nuts. Like most rice puddings this one too cooked on low heat until the rice softens and the mixture is cohesive enough to hold form. It's vegan, gluten-free and also dairy-free, which is usually prepared to celebrate the birth of a baby. The caraway is said to bring down bloating and help new mothers with lactation. It has one of the most simple sweet recipes with few ingredients that can be made without much hassle. Consider making this the next time you feel like preparing rice pudding at home. As for Meghli, the brown color symbolizes the richness of the soil and the chopped nuts on top represent the sprouting of seeds.

3. Sombi

Made with rice, water, coconut milk, sugar, and salt, Sombi hails from Africa’s Senegal. This coconut rice pudding is best enjoyed warm but during hot summer months, it's eaten chilled as a refreshing dessert. While it might have roots in Senegal, it is popular all over the world due to it having one of the easy sweet recipes that can be made at home. It's a comforting dessert like most rice puddings and it's recommended to serve this dish with coconut flakes on top. Modern variations use added flavors like vanilla, cinnamon, and even brown butter to change the color and look of the whole dessert.

4. Champulado

A Chamorro dish from the island of Guam, this rice pudding features short to medium-sized grain rice that is cooked until it's soft. To it, milk, sugar and cocoa powder are added for the color and impeccable taste. It's based on a chocolate drink from Mexico called Champurrado that uses plenty of cornmeal in it. It tastes good, both hot and cold depending on how you'd like your pudding. Perhaps Champulado has one of the best sweet recipes in the rice pudding department.

5. Rizogalo

Rizogalo is a Greek-style rice pudding that is a popular breakfast item given its sugar content isn't as overpowering as many other desserts. However, some also like it as an afternoon indulgence or just as a plain old dessert too. Rice is cooked in milk for a long time until it's mush and reaches a thick custard-like consistency. True to Greek culinary habits, a little vanilla or citrus is added to the rice when it's cooking. For a more thick consistency, cornstarch or egg yolks are mixed into the pudding. Like the rest of the lot, this one too tastes great chilled or straight off the stove with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

6. Sutlijaš

The Ottomans brought this rice pudding to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sutlijaš is the Turk’s version of Sütlaç. It's also dubbed the Balkan rice pudding and a reminder of simpler times when sophisticated desserts didn't exist or weren't so accessible. It's simply made with rice, milk, and sugar and most Bosnians might just tell you that their home made it when there was leftover rice from other dishes, and milk or water would be added with sugar to make the Sutlijaš.

7. Rýžový nákyp

Popular in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia, this is a baked rice pudding that uses canned cherries or plums in it and comes with the main course. The rice is first cooked in milk and then chilled, after which it is mixed with butter, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and egg whites. This is then mixed with whatever fruit is being used and a layer of egg white (meringue-like) rests on top of it and it’s then baked.