White Chocolate Candy Cane Kheer

This is a rich and creamy rice pudding that is perfect to serve all through the holidays. This tastes amazing whether you serve it hot, warm, or chilled. Every bite of this pudding brings the ultimate cozy comfort with the peppermint flavor.

Rice pudding is easy and delicious and it can be flavored in many ways. I guess every region will have its own traditional pudding with rice. It is just comforting! We call it kheer or paal payasam. Rice is sautéed in ghee and then cooked in milk and sweetened with sugar or jaggery. Cardamom and saffron are commonly used to add flavors to traditional kheer recipes. Check this Instant Pot Kheer for a quick and easy dessert. Kheer is a must have dessert on the menu for very special occasions and festive meals, and we still follow it with added twists in flavors.  Growing up in a hot and humid city, mint candies were occasional. After moving here, this is the flavor that I love all through the winter. No wonder it entered into kheer and here I am sharing one of my favorite rice kheer/pudding.

Talking about the flavor, this kheer gets its sweetness and flavor from white chocolate and candy canes as the name suggests. The candy canes give the peppermint flavor and add a nice pink color to the kheer. During this season, every home will have candy canes and hence making this kheer is all the more easy. Crush the candy canes and add it along with white chocolates to the kheer and stir until it is completely incorporated into the kheer. 

This kheer is easy to make and takes about 45 minutes to make. I love to cook and simmer the milk to reduce to the desired consistency. Though this can be done by adding half and half or using Instant Pots, I like the traditional simmering as it lends a beautiful flavor to the kheer. When you do so, some of the rice may break down resulting in a creamier texture too.  But if you are in a time crunch, cook the rice until the first half of the recipe and add one and a half cups of half and half. 

Almonds are added in this recipe. The sliced almonds give a crunch here and there. For a nut free kheer, omit the almonds. I personally like almonds and used in this kheer. Toasted cashews can also be used. Nuts are optional.

This peppermint flavored kheer is the best dessert of the season. It is a huge hit every time I make it. Holidays and peppermint are natural partners and this kheer will be the perfect and comforting dessert of the season and I can guarantee that you and your family too would love it. 

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Like I said before, kheer is always a part of our festive menu. Thirupullani Paal Payasam is flavored with brown sugar and Black Rice Pudding with sugar. This Thengai Arisi Payasam uses coconut, rice, and jaggery as the sweetener. For a pudding with millets, try this Barnyard Millet Paal Payasam and any millet can be used in the recipe.

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

Basmati rice - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Milk - 5 cups

White chocolate - 1/2 cup

Candy cane - 11-12

Extra candy canes for decoration.

Method

Rinse the rice with water and drain it completely. In a heavy bottomed pan/pot add ghee, when it melts add the rinsed rice and sauté for a minute until it turns aromatic.

Add the water and two cups of water. Simmer for 17-19 minutes on medium low heat, stirring now and then to prevent scorching at the bottom. The rice would absorb all the liquid and would have cooked nicely.

In the meantime, crush the candy canes and set aside.

Add the remaining three cups of milk to the rice and cook until the milk reduces to half. This may take about 15-18 minutes. Stir now and then to prevent scorching at the bottom.

Add the almonds, white chocolate, and crushed candy canes. Stir thoroughly until the chocolate and candy melts completely.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from the flame.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot, warm, or chilled. Add extra crushed candy canes on top when serving.

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