Zen and Zaatar

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbook
  • About
  • Meal Plan
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • Meal Plan
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Zen and Zaatar » Recipes » Middle Eastern

    Riz bi Haleeb | Vegan Rice Pudding with Orange Blossom

    Published: Nov 21, 2017 · Modified: Apr 29, 2025 by Zena | Zen and Zaatar · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    Love it? Share it!

    133 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    How to make vegan rice pudding reminiscent of the classic Middle Eastern Riz bi Haleeb, a light and creamy orange blossom rice pudding topped with pistachio. This vegan Arabic rice pudding recipe is decadent and delicious.
    middle eastern vegan rice pudding with rose water orange blossom kheer roz riz b bel haleeb vegetarian dessert food blog blogger recipe zenanzaatar mediterranean

    I have been working on developing a good vegan rice pudding recipe for a while now. Riz bi haleeb, a Middle Eastern rice pudding flavored with orange blossom and sometimes rose water, has a distinct consistency slightly different than a classic custard-like pudding. It is lighter, with an almost gelatinous consistency, but extremely creamy and smooth. After a few tries, I am delighted to share my vegan version with you. It evokes the same childhood memories that my mom's rice pudding did, whenever she would make it as a treat for special occasions.

    middle eastern vegan rice pudding with rose water orange blossom kheer roz riz b bel haleeb vegetarian dessert food blog blogger recipe zenanzaatar mediterranean

    The orange blossom flavoring and crunchy pistachio topping are some of what makes this Middle Eastern rice pudding so irresistible. It immediately takes me back to my visits to the Middle East, where no dessert is found without crushed pistachios on top, and the fragrant aromas of rose water and orange blossom syrup linger throughout the air, as you sip your post-dinner tea.

    middle eastern vegan rice pudding with rose water orange blossom kheer roz riz b bel haleeb vegetarian dessert food blog blogger recipe zenanzaatar mediterranean
    I hope you enjoy this vegan rice pudding as much as I do! Please tag @zenandzaatar if you recreate this on Instagram, and don't forget to pin this recipe for later! 🙂

    Recipe

    riz bi haleeb two bowls

    Riz bi Haleeb | Vegan Rice Pudding with Orange Blossom

    Zena Hassoun
    A vegan rice pudding reminiscent of the classing Middle Eastern Riz bi Haleeb, a light and creamy orange blossom rice pudding topped with pistachio.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Middle Eastern
    Servings 6
    Calories 268 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup medium grain rice
    • 1 ½ cup water
    • 2 14 oz. cans light coconut milk
    • 1 cup non dairy milk from a carton, such as almond or soy milk
    • 3 tablespoon corn starch
    • 2 teaspoon orange blossom water
    • 6 tablespoon sugar
    • crushed pistachio for topping

    Instructions
     

    • Rinse and drain the rice. Place the rice and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the rice is cooked- about 5 to 10 minutes. This will be when most of the water has been absorbed, but the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
    • Add coconut milk and sugar to the rice and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer on low for 30-35 mins, until thickened.
    • Meanwhile, mix the 1 cup non dairy milk, orange blossom water, and corn starch in a small bowl.
    • Once the pudding has thickened, add the orange blossom milk mixture to it. Stir through until combined and cook for 10-12 minutes on medium low heat. You want the pudding to be a relatively uniform texture, but not to the point where all the liquid has been absorbed. The liquid should still drip, slowly, from the back of a spoon.
    • After no more than 12 minutes, remove pudding from heat. Divide between 5-6 serving bowls and cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Top with crushed pistachio and serve!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 141mgPotassium: 71mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @zenandzaatar on social!

    More Vegan Middle Eastern Recipes

    • A bowl of Arabic lentil soup topped with pita chips, crispy onions, and parsley, and served with lemon.
      Authentic Arabic Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
    • The freekeh recipe shown with the cooked freekeh, topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzled with tahini.
      Simple Middle Eastern Freekeh with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
    • Lemon tahini sauce being drizzled with a spoon to show consistency.
      Creamy Lemon Tahini Sauce (Vegan, Mediterranean Dressing)
    • This is the featured Palestinian salad photo, showing all the components of the salad.
      Palestinian salad (Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad)

    Love it? Share it!

    133 shares

    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Niao Bai says

      April 04, 2018 at 6:38 am

      5 stars
      Hi Zena,
      And thank you for the yummy and pretty recipe.
      I've tried a version of this in Palestine where the rice or semolina (not sure anymore which one it was :D) milk pudding was covered with a clear pink rose water pudding or syrup with pomegranate seeds and topped with caramelized pistachios.
      It was so tasty and fragrant that I'd love to recreate it, preferably as a vegan version so my whole family can enjoy it, however, the rose water I get from Arab grocery shops isn't that pink so I was wondering if beet juice would work as a coloring agent? The rose layer was extremely sweet and the whole thing was mixed together before eating so should I cut down the sugar in the rice pudding layer to balance it out?

      Reply
      • Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says

        April 25, 2018 at 10:30 am

        Hello Niao! That sounds like an amazing version of this dessert and so pretty! I think a little bit of beet juice would definitely work to color the syrup. If you are adding a lot of sugar to the rose syrup layer, I would cut down the sugar in this recipe a little bit, maybe by half depending how much sugar you add to the syrup. Let me know how it goes! <3

        Reply
    2. Rita says

      February 19, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      I can't wait to try this! I have perfected my late Teta's recipe I grew up with. Now I am unable to eat dairy or gluten. I am missing so much. I just Google and found your recipe 😋

      Reply
    Headshot image of the author of Zen and Zaatar, Zena Hassoun, MS.

    Welcome!

    Hi, I’m Zena, a passionate home cook with a Master’s in Medical Health Sciences. I’ve been vegan for nearly a decade and love creating approachable, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that nourish your body and soul.

    More about me

    55+ Vegan Recipes for Real Life

    The cover image of my e-cookbook, with text overlay "Vegan is Delicious: 55+ nourishing, innovative, plant-based recipes to satisfy vegans and omnivores alike! by Zena Hassoun, M.S., creator of Zen and Zaatar."

    Tired of the same meals or relying on takeout? Vegan is Delicious is full of flavorful, plant-based recipes (with photos!) plus a 7-day meal plan to make home cooking feel effortless.

    Get it now!

    Trending Recipes 🔥

    • How to make a super flavorful tofu scramble with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Forget about “bland” tofu, this tofu scramble is bursting with umami flavor, seasoned with nutritional yeast and tahini. A great plant-based alternative to scrambled eggs, this flavorful tofu scramble recipe is sure to be a vegan breakfast favorite!
      Super Flavorful Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes
    • This healthy vegan nutella is date sweetened
      Healthy Vegan Nutella (Date-Sweetened)
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • The sweet potato and chickpea quinoa bowl with brussels sprouts, pepitas, and topped with maple tahini drizzle.
      High-Protein Sweet Potato and Chickpea Quinoa Bowls

    Vegan Summer Recipes

    • Finished image of the kale salad topped with tahini dressing, chickpeas, and slices of avocado.
      Hearty Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing and Chickpeas (Savory)
    • The green apple kale smoothie featured image
      Green apple kale smoothie
    • Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta and a gluten free tart crust
      Vegan tomato tart with basil cashew ricotta (gluten-free)
    • a photo showing the mediterranean tomato salad with zaatar, lemon, and olive oil
      Middle Eastern tomato and red onion salad with za’atar
    • This is the featured image of galayet bandora, the finished product of Palestinian sautéed tomatoes and olive oil.
      Galayet Bandora (Palestinian Pan Fried Tomatoes) Recipe
    • Mediterranean pearl couscous salad featuring moghrabieh couscous, lemon, cucumber, and olives, in a lemon herb olive oil dressing.
      Irresistible Pearl Couscous Salad (Vegan)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Connect

    On this site, we share products we genuinely love through affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps keep this blog running, and we appreciate it!

    Copyright © 2025 Zen and Zaatar LLC

    133 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.