Mocha Risotto

I overbought Arborio rice, and my family was sick of eating risotto (I didn’t think that was possible), so I came up with this recipe for a dessert risotto made with cocoa and instant coffee. It’s essentially a creamy, not too rich, intensely flavored mocha rice pudding.

Risotto takes a while to cook, so make sure you have plenty of time to make this pudding. You make it in two pans. Heat up water and non-dairy milk in a saucepan, and stir in cocoa powder, sweeteners and instant coffee. In a separate pan, sauté the rice in coconut oil and non-dairy butter until it turns slightly golden.

The trick is adding the liquid to the rice very slowly, in 1/2 cup increments, and stirring until the liquid evaporates before adding the next dose of liquid. It takes about half an hour to stir all the liquid into the rice, but it’s worth it because the rice becomes very smooth and creamy. If you pour in the liquid in all at once, the pudding never acquires that luxuriously rich texture.

This mocha risotto is filling and full of flavor, but contains very little fat. The rice absorbs the mocha flavor from the liquid while you cook it.  I use erythritol/monkruit plus coconut sugar and stevia to make this pudding taste quite sweet without using any refined sugar.

I serve mocha risotto in small cups topped with non-dairy whipped cream with a dusting of cocoa powder. You can stir in chocolate chips or shaved chocolate at the last minute to add even more chocolate flavor and texture. I use Lilly’s brand chocolate chips that contain no refined sugar.

Springhouse Turtle

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Mocha Risotto

By Springhouse Turtle – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Creamy and full of flavor, this dessert risotto is filling without fat and sweet without refined sugar.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups filtered water
• 2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I use almond or oat milk)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee (or 2 tablespoons instant espresso)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup erythritol/monkfruit or xylitol
• 3/4 teaspoon liquid stevia
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 cup Arborio rice, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or shaved chocolate (optional) I use Lilly's brand

Instructions

1

Put the milk and water into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.

2

Whisk in the cocoa powder, instant coffee, vanilla and sweeteners.

3

In a separate saucepan, melt the non-dairy butter and coconut oil.

4

Stir in the rice, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the rice turns a light golden color.

5

Add 1/2 cup of the barely simmering liquid mixture to the rice, and stir constantly until the liquid evaporates.

6

Repeat until all the liquid is used up. The rice should be rich and creamy, not dry.

7

Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.

8

Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips, if using.

9

Serve in small cups, topped with non-dairy whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.

Whisk together non-dairy milk, water, cocoa powder, instant coffee and sweeteners.

Sauté Arborio rice in a separate saucepan. Stir 1/2 cup liquid into rice, and stir until absorbed.

Repeat with the remaining liquid, stirring into rice in half-cup increments until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat, then stir in chocolate chips (optional) for more flavor and texture.

Serve mocha risotto topped with non-dairy whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.

Springhouse Turtle