A sweet, soothing vegan porridge made with pumpkin, sticky rice, and coconut milk — perfect as a light dessert or gentle breakfast.
🥥 From the Summer Kitchen｜ A Gentle Start
When the summer heat softens my appetite, I find comfort in something quiet — a bowl of warm, creamy porridge, or better yet, this lightly sweet, chilled dessert made with coconut milk and tender kabocha squash.
This vegan coconut pumpkin porridge is a gentle blend of glutinous rice, golden squash, and rich coconut milk. It’s soft on the tongue, calm on the stomach, and kind to the heart — the kind of food that makes you feel cared for.
Served warm, it soothes on a cool morning — perfect as a cozy vegan breakfast.
Served chilled, it refreshes in the summer light — a nourishing vegan dessert for warm days.
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🕊 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Coconut Pumpkin Porridge
- Naturally vegan and dairy-free — made with coconut milk and plant-based ingredients
- Simple to prepare — just pumpkin, glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sweetener
- Seasonally adaptable — serve warm in fall, or chilled in summer
- Gentle sweetness — no heavy spices, just the flavor of real kabocha
- Wholesome and satisfying — high in fiber, minerals, and plant-based comfort
🌼 Ingredients
- Kabocha squash – Choose a firm, sweet variety like bocchan or roron for best results. Avoid watery or fibrous ones like butternut squash.
- Glutinous rice – Adds natural sweetness and a pillowy texture. No soaking required.
- Coconut milk – Use a rich, creamy type for full flavor. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Beet sugar – Powdered beet sugar offers a clean sweetness that complements the pumpkin and coconut without overpowering.
👉 See the recipe card below for full measurements and steps.
🥣 How to Make
- Steam the kabocha squash:
Cut into quarters, remove seeds and pith, and steam until tender (about 15-20min). Let cool, then scoop out the flesh.
- Cook the rice porridge:
Rinse glutinous rice and cook in a rice cooker with water. Once soft and slightly sticky, transfer to a pot.
🕊 If you don’t have a rice cooker, see the FAQ section below for stovetop instructions.
- Blend with pumpkin:
Add the steamed pumpkin to the pot and blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. - Sweeten the porridge
Stir in sugar to taste. Adjust slowly to keep it delicately sweet.
- Finish with coconut milk
Add coconut milk gradually, tasting as you go. A little at a time helps balance the richness. - Serve warm or chilled
Reheat gently if serving warm (stir constantly to avoid burning). Or chill in the fridge for a refreshing summer dessert.
☝️ Gentle Cooking Tips
▶︎ Taste and adjust. Pumpkin sweetness and coconut richness vary. Let your senses guide you.
▶︎ Always add sugar before coconut milk. It helps release the coconut’s aroma and prevents it from overpowering the pumpkin flavor.
▶︎ Steam kabocha skin-side down. This keeps the interior dry and prevents the steamed flesh from getting watery.
🫙 Storage Notes
This porridge is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1–2 days. Keep in mind: rice porridge spoils easily, especially in summer. If possible, make small batches and finish within a day.
💭 FAQ
A: It’s often caused by tasting with a used spoon. Enzymes in saliva break down starches, thinning the texture. Use a clean spoon each time you taste.
A: You can, but it tends to be more watery and mild. If using, reduce the coconut milk and increase the sugar slightly to balance the flavor.
Yes, absolutely. Here’s a gentle stovetop method:
Rinse the glutinous rice and place it in a heavy-bottomed pot with 200 ml of water (adjusting as needed). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover the pot and simmer for about 30–40 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent sticking. Add more water if it begins to dry out. You’re looking for a soft, creamy texture — warm and spoonable, like something slow-cooked and nourishing.
This method takes a little more attention, but it makes a beautiful bowl all the same.
🎃 More Pumpkin Recipe
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If you like this recipe or have already made it, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the COMMENTS 🐒. Also feel free to ask any questions or leave any requests!
📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Coconut Pumpkin Porridge
Equipment
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- Bowl
- Spoon
- steamer
- rice cooker
- hand blender
- wooden spatula
- pot
Ingredients
For the porridge:
- ¼ cup glutinous rice (using a 180ml rice cooker cup)
- 200 ml water
For the pumpkin:
- 250–300 g kabocha squash (adjust to taste)
To finish:
- 1 tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
- Up to 7 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk (add gradually)
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Rinse the glutinous rice and place it in the rice cooker with 200 ml of water. Cook on porridge mode (no soaking needed). Once finished, transfer to a pot.¼ cup glutinous rice200 ml water
- Steam the pumpkin: Remove seeds and pulp from the kabocha. Place in a steamer with the skin facing sideways to prevent excess water. Steam until a skewer slides in easily — about 15–20 minutes for large pieces, 10–15 for small. Let cool completely, then scoop out the flesh into a bowl.250–300 g kabocha squash
- Combine and blend: Add the pumpkin flesh to the pot of rice porridge. Use a hand blender to mix until smooth and creamy.
- Sweeten: Stir in 1 tablespoon of sugar, or adjust to your taste.1 tablespoon sugar
- Add coconut milk: Add coconut milk one tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go. Stop when it reaches your desired richness — up to 7 tablespoons.Up to 7 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
- Serve: Serve warm, stirring gently as you reheat to avoid sticking. Or chill in the fridge and enjoy cold as a light dessert.
Notes
- Use sweet, dense pumpkin varieties like bocchan kabocha or Roron for best results. Avoid watery squash like butternut.
- Sweeten before adding coconut milk — this helps draw out the aroma without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the kabocha.
- If eating warm, reheat slowly and stir with a spatula to avoid sticking.
- For the smoothest result, blend the porridge and pumpkin thoroughly.
- Chill for at least 2–3 hours if serving as a cold dessert.
🎐 Closing Thoughts
As the long days of summer begin to soften, kabocha becomes sweeter, richer — a quiet sign that autumn is near. From kabocha soup to pumpkin pudding, from chewy kabocha mochi to caramelized daigaku-imo… and finally, itokonisimmered gently on the winter solstice — I love savoring this golden squash through each changing season.
And so, even this sweltering summer will pass. Let’s taste it slowly, tenderly — and let each warm or cool bite become a gentle memory.
If you enjoy seasonal vegan recipes rooted in simplicity and care, I hope you’ll stay close. I’ll be sharing more as the light shifts and the kitchen turns toward autumn — quiet meals, cozy bowls, and small comforts to carry us through.
💬Did you try this recipe? Let me know how it turned out in the comments— or mention #vegin_vegan_vegun or just tag us @veginveganvegun with your delicious creations!
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