5 from 2 reviews

Hibiscus Rhubarb + Haupia {Coconut Milk Pudding}

By Alanna Taylor-Tobin on May 17, 2014 (updated Mar 6, 2025) / 67 Comments Jump to Recipe

Few people are more supportive of this blog thing than my parents, who subscribe to and read every post. This has its ups and downs. Never mind that they're both psychologists, my parents still enjoy giving me advice on everything from blogging to recipes to food photography.

On a visit back home to LA recently, my mom advised me that people like quick and easy recipes with few ingredients that are easy to find. "Yeah," I said, "...that's not really what I do." My dad often emails a response to my latest post saying something along the lines of, "This looks great, but I would never make it. It's really complicated!" This from the man who taught me how to make pizza dough and fresh pasta.

I'm sure they're right. But figuring out how to use an uncommon ingredient, like bergamot or smoked cardamom, is what I enjoy doing. And I like making recipes the best they can be, even if it means making my own chocolate croissants over a period of three days, or using five different types of flour in gluten-free pie dough.

This, however, is a quick and easy recipe that uses few ingredients. If you can find rhubarb, hibiscus, and a vanilla bean that you don't have to mortgage your house to buy (you can order a quarter pound of organic beans for $30 here, for the record) you're set. The pudding is simply canned coconut milk steeped with vanilla and cooked with cornstarch until thickened. The topping – rhubarb simmered in hibiscus-infused syrup – comes together quickly. Both components can be prepared up to three days ahead, making this an excellent candidate for a dinner party. As a bonus, the whole thing is vegan and grain-free, meaning that most people can and will eat it.

I first learned about haupia from a song written by a Hawaiian band called The Hula Honeys. Robin and Ginger are ladies after my own heart, and many of the songs they write and perform are about food. My all-time favorite, Life Just Got Sweeter (which you can see them perform here), likens the subject's disposition to comestibles: lilikoi, sugarcane, and creamy haupia. After studying ukulele with Robin at a music camp one summer, I came home looking for a haupia recipe. I found one in Mani Niall's Sweet!, where he explains that the pudding is usually cooked on the stove, chilled until firm, then cut into squares and served with tropical fruit.

I whipped up a batch, but must have undercooked it since, even after hours in the fridge, it refused to set. My haupia was more of a coconut cream soup (that still got eaten, though with spoons rather than fingers). But I liked the soft texture, so I've since adapted the recipe into a scoopable pudding flecked with vanilla. (For the record, puddings consist of milk thickened with starch, whereas custards contain eggs. I had to look that up.) This haupia tastes clean and light like a panna cotta, but without the fuss and non-vegetarian-ness of gelatin; its creaminess belies its status as a vegan dessert.

I adapted the rhubarb cooking technique from a recipe in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The original recipe calls for a sliced red beet to color the rhubarb, but I like using hibiscus blossoms, which not only tint the rhubarb a deep red, they also add a tangy, floral flavor that blends seamlessly with the rhubarb. Minimal cooking keeps the rhubarb firm, yet tender, and the remaining syrup gets reduced to a thick sauce which coats the rhubarb and mingles with the pudding.

overhead shot of Hibiscus Rhubarb + Haupia {Coconut Milk Pudding}

I like the way the creamy pudding smooths the edges of puckery rhubarb. But if you want to make this dessert even quicker and easier, simply top the puddings with berries or mango cubes tossed with a bit of sugar and lime juice.

spoon in jar of Hibiscus Rhubarb + Haupia {Coconut Milk Pudding}

More Rhubarb Recipes:

*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this hibiscus and rhubarb pudding recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*

5 from 2 reviews

Hibiscus Rhubarb + Haupia {Coconut Milk Pudding}

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You are going to love this flavorsome dessert!

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 40

Chilling time: 5

Total: 40

Servings: 4 to 5 servings.

Ingredients

For the haupia:

1 can full-fat coconut milk (13.5 ounce / 400 mL)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch salt

For the hibiscus rhubarb:

3 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
2 cups rhubarb, sliced 1/2" thick

Instructions

Make the haupia:

Have ready 4-5 small (4 ounce), heat-proof glass jars or coffee/cappuccino cups or ramekins.
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the coconut milk and vanilla pod and scrapings. Heat over a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until the milk is hot and steamy (don't let it boil or it may scorch or separate). Cover and let steep 10 minutes or up to 1 hour to infuse with the vanilla.
Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl. When the coconut milk has steeped, whisk a few tablespoons of it into the cornstarch mixture to make a slurry, then whisk the slurry into the warm coconut milk. Cook the pudding over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof silicone spatula, until it comes to a boil. Still stirring, boil for 1 minute; it should be the texture of runny yogurt. Immediately strain the haupia through a mesh sieve and into a heatproof measuring pitcher, working it through with the spatula. (You can rinse and dry the vanilla pod and stick it in a jar of alcohol to make extract, or in a jar of sugar. Same with the other half, used below.) Divide the pudding evenly among the jars. Cover and chill until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

Make the hibiscus rhubarb:

In a heat-proof measuring pitcher, combine the hibiscus with the boiling water. Let steep 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, rub the sugar with the vanilla pod and seeds to distribute the seeds evenly. When the hibiscus has steeped, strain the mixture through a mesh sieve and into the pot. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, swirling the pot occasionally to dissolve the sugar. When the mixture is at a rolling boil, add the rhubarb. Return the mixture to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit until the rhubarb is tender when you pierce it with the tip of a sharp knife, about 10 minutes. (If the rhubarb is still too firm, repeat the simmering/steeping process once more.)
Gently strain the rhubarb, reserving the syrup and returning it to the pot. Simmer the syrup over medium heat until thick and reduced by half, swirling the pot frequently, about 5 minutes. Place the drained rhubarb in a heat-proof container, pour the hot syrup over it, let cool, and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
To serve, divide the rhubarb and syrup among the puddings and serve immediately.

Notes

I found hibiscus blossoms (also called Jamaica) in the bulk section of my awesome co-op; they can also be found at Latin-American markets. Alternatively, use a few bags of hibiscus tea.

Be sure to make both components a few hours ahead to allow them to chill; both can be prepared up to three days before serving and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.

Nutritional values are based on one of four servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 18gSodium: 26mgPotassium: 386mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 95IUVitamin C: 7.8mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 4.2mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

top down shot of Hibiscus Rhubarb + Haupia {Coconut Milk Pudding

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Comments

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)