The BEST Vegan Chocolate Pudding – You’ll never believe this is dairy-free chocolate pudding! This vegan chocolate pudding is the real deal–chocolatey, rich, and creamy, with no avocado, banana, or tofu. It’s the perfect simple dessert (or packed lunch surprise!)
Photos updated + video added January 2017
Sophie’s preschool has an awesome practice of eating class snacks. There’s a snack calendar with pretty healthy snack choices and each parent is assigned to bring snack once a month. There are pros and cons, of course. On the pro side, it’s a great way for positive peer pressure to help kids try new foods, and it makes it easy for most parents to just need to worry about sending in a snack once a month.
The cons mostly revolve around the difficulty of navigating a snack calendar with dietary restrictions. We try to provide a snack as close to what the class is having as possible (it helps her try new things and makes things easier on the teachers), but sometimes the class is having cheese cubes or crackers or something that makes things tricky.
Tricky as it is sometimes, it’s also been a chance to practice some homemade recipes for things since that’s easier and less expensive in lots of cases to tracking down pre-made equivalents of what the rest of the class is eating. Once or twice a quarter, for instance, the kids get to have chocolate pudding as part of their snack, and this is the BEST gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate pudding recipe we’ve put together.
It’s rich, creamy, and ULTRA chocolatey, all without dairy! It’s a decadent, delicious treat whether you have dietary restrictions or not!
OUR VEGAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING: NO WEIRD INGREDIENTS INCLUDED!
A lot of vegan or dairy-free puddings use avocado, banana, or tofu to help the texture. Sophie’s texture issues are so acute that she can detect the avocado or tofu a mile away, and banana, well…it just really makes everything taste like banana.
This dairy-free chocolate pudding is the real deal–silky, thick, chocolatey and not too heavy. Thank heaven that dairy-free chocolate is a real thing. A real, beautiful, wonderful thing. There are several brands out there these days that sell dairy-free chocolate chips, and I want to send them all Christmas cards this year. We buy Enjoy Life or Guittard Extra Dark chocolate chips. (If you’re allergic rather than intolerant to dairy, you may want to avoid Guittard as there is a risk of cross-contamination, but we have never had a problem from the intolerance side.)
FAQ + TIPS & TRICKS FOR PERFECT VEGAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING:
WHAT MILK CAN YOU USE FOR DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE PUDDING? I like using a combination of almond and coconut milk since it prevents either flavor from overpowering the chocolate and the coconut milk lends a nice richness. You can substitute other dairy-free milks, but know that if you’re skipping the coconut milk, your end result will be a bit thinner. If you’re not dairy-free, you can also use cow’s milk in the same proportions (the more skim the milk, the thinner the pudding).
ARROWROOT VS CORNSTARCH. You can use cornstarch instead of arrowroot if you like here. Arrowroot is a grain-free starch that’s common in allergy-free and paleo cooking. I like it here because it gives such a gorgeous texture, but if you’re a cornstarch fan, go for it! (Note: for paleo chocolate pudding, be sure to use the arrowroot option!)
MAKE IT THINNER OR THICKER. This vegan chocolate pudding does continue to thicken as it cools (as most homemade chocolate pudding does). If you want to loosen your pudding up a bit, just add a splash of milk and whisk it in.
HOW TO GET RID OF LUMPS IN YOUR PUDDING. I don’t mind a few little lumps here and there in my homemade chocolate pudding, but if you want yours completely smooth or end up with some accidental lumps, you can either whisk-whisk-whisk till things smooth out, or just use an immersion blender to smooth things out. It works like a charm!
CHANGE IT UP! If you want a change of pace, I like a few drops of almond extract in this for a little something extra, but it’s also completely delicious without it if you’re not a fan. I’ve also tried adding a few drops (2-3) of peppermint extract around the holidays and it was AWESOME.
ARE YOU A CHOCOLATE FAN? YOU MIGHT ALSO LOVE…
- No-Bake Chocolate Berry Tart (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Fondue
- The PERFECT Gluten-Free Brownies
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chia Pudding
HELPFUL TOOLS & INGREDIENTS FOR THIS VEGAN CHOCOLATE PUDDING RECIPE:
The Best Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
The best vegan chocolate pudding – made without avocado, banana, or tofu! This is the real deal–chocolatey, rich, and creamy.
Ingredients
- 1 (13oz) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder
- 4 Tbsp arrowroot starch/arrowroot flour
- 1/3 cup coconut or maple sugar
- 2/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, arrowroot, and sugar. Pour in the coconut and almond milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a bubble over medium heat, stirring regularly. The mixture will slowly thicken as it comes to a low boil. Whisk it for about 2 minutes after it starts bubbling. You’ll feel it thicken.
- Remove from the heat and stir in chocolate chips, vanilla, almond (if using), and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Transfer to a container or serving cups. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the pudding (to prevent a “skin” from forming). Refrigerate until completely chilled. Pudding will continue to thicken as it cools.
- If the pudding ends up thicker than you prefer, you can thin it out with a tiny drizzle of additional almond or coconut milk.
Notes
Thicker, thinner. This pudding does continue to thicken as it cools. If you want to loosen it up a bit, just add a splash of milk and whisk it in.
What about lumps? I don’t mind a few little lumps here and there, but if you want yours completely smooth or end up with some accidental lumps, you can either whisk-whisk-whisk till things smooth out, or just use an immersion blender to smooth things out. Works like a charm!
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegan chocolate pudding, dairy free chocolate pudding, paleo chocolate pudding, homemade chocolate pudding
This looks so delicious! We’ve been on the hunt for healthier desserts, and I love pudding! We’ll have to try this soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I literally can’t even. SIGN ME UP!!!!!
I don’t even follow a vegan diet, and I want this! It looks divine!
Do you think tapioca starch would work in place of arrowroot here? Thanks! 🙂
HB – You can try it, but in my experience, the texture will be slightly more gloopy. You can sub the same amount of cornstarch in its place.
Hello – I made this last nite subbing an equal amount of cornstarch. It turned out divine: silky, smooth, and even delicate. (Glad I chose the cornstarch as I was on the fence about the tapioca starch since I don’t have any arrowroot.) Would make a great pie filling!!! Bookmarking this one for later – 5 stars!
★★★★★
Dawn – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It makes a GREAT pie filling! We made it for Thanksgiving and it was awesome!
Yeah I used it .came out as some
😄
★★★★
What would be a good substitute for the almond milk, if trying to avoid all nuts for school? We have no intolerances to dairy, etc. and I’d love to be able to send it to school for a small lunchtime dessert. Thanks!
If you’re not dairy free, you can absolutely make this with dairy milk in place of the almond milk. It should work like a charm!
Maybe you can try oat or rice milk 🙂
This looks wonderful! Do the chocolate chips serve as a thickening/texture agent or just another layer of chocolate flavor? Wondering if I can forego them and make the pudding sans chocolate chips.
They do both, I’m afraid. They finish thickening the pudding and lend most of the chocolate flavor. The cocoa powder lends some, but the real chocolatey flavor comes from the chocolate chips.
Approximately how many cups does this recipe yield?
Liz – This is between 3 1/2-4 cups of pudding. (Mine is usually closer to 3 1/2 cups) It’s plenty for a pie filling, or 4-5 servings.
I’m just leaving a comment as I noticed you didn’t have any reviewers to testify if this really is the best vegan chocolate pudding. ? I made this for the first time today and used maple syrup and didn’t have almond extract so left it out and it is really darn good! I haven’t made the weird tofu or avocado puddings just chia -which I do love. But this is a class of it’s own and is so thick and rich it truly is a chocolate pudding, not a vegan-so-it-will-have-to-do pudding either! Yum!
★★★★★
Akela – THANK YOU! You made my day with such a nice comment! I’m glad you liked it! It’s just one of my all-time favorites.
I’ve just made this and followed the recipe to the T , thinking I’ll try the original and probably end up tweaking it to my liking….well lady let me me say, this recipe needs NO tweaking!! It’s perfect!!! It’s delicious!! It’s beyond delicious!!!
I’ve always loved chocolate pudding and but hated the sadness that accompanied the scratching of the bottom of an empty cup of store-bought pudding. I always said “Man I could eat a whole pot of this” ….well….NOW I CAN! Thanks a million!
★★★★★
Oh, I’m SO SO SO glad to hear it! What a fantastic comment to get today. Thank you so very much!
To make a vanilla version of this, would you simply omit the chocolate ingredients and add more vanilla extract? Wondering if anyone has ever tried this…
I haven’t made a vanilla version before… Because you’d be removing the cocoa AND chocolate chips (which also add to the texture), I couldn’t guess at the amounts without doing some more experimenting. Sounds like vanilla pudding is a good recipe for me to try to develop!
I was thinking that too…removing the cocoa and chocolate chips would strip it from its rich texture. I’m going to put on my thinking hat and looking forward to your development 🙂
I was thinking the same thing and maybe, white chocolate chips and extra vanilla extract
mmm
coconut and white chocolate.
drool
★★★★★
How long will this keep in the refrigerator?
At least 4-5 days, but probably up to a week (ours never lasts that long because we eat it!)
Ha! Mine didn’t last until midnight. It’s that good. Make it on a day when nobody else is in the house so you won’t have to share.
★★★★★
Anna – You TOTALLY made my day! This is TOTALLY how it goes at our house, too!
This recipe looks amazing! But I was just wondering if any of the coconut flavor comes through? I have a brother that hates coconut so I can make this and not tell him what’s in it, as long as he cant tell.
I’ve found that by mixing the almond and coconut milks, the coconut flavor is very diluted. If he’s a die-hard hater, he might still be able to tell. I’ve tried making this with all almond milk, and it was just a little too thin for my taste.
I was thinking about a coconut free version, dairy free version..
whole fat coconut is very high in fat. hmmm
how about a cashew nut butter for fat?
omit coconut milk and add nut butter with maybe extra white chocolate
no test kitchen here
I would suspect the chia version might be a good combo
the cooking of the base (sugar/starch/fluids)
this also would make a really excellent non dairy iced numnum
caramel sauce… mini m&m’s
You could certainly try your suggestions, though I wouldn’t be able to guarantee results. Best of luck!
Coconut fat is healthy. This misnomer of fats being bad needs to be erased. Good fats are good for you. Nuts are just as high in fat as coconut. Feed your body healthy foods and it will respond nourishingly.
I made this as is and it’s delicious. Celiac and dairy free here and very easy to make such a chocolate bomb. Is great with some fresh raspberries for relief from the richness or serve with whipped topping for more calories lol. I would say that I didn’t find it very sweet which was excellent for my adult palate but if you wanted something closer to a sweeter milk chocolate version add a bit more sugar. I used the coconut sugar so perhaps it’s less sweet on the palate than white sugar.
Did I mention how fast you can make this??? Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Christina! I love it, too!
I saw the picture pop up on Instagram today and thought I have strawberries, I have to make this! Just cooked it and can’t wait till dinner to eat it. And thanks for a healthier recipe, this is one I won’t feel guilty letting my 20 month old eat!
Oh, I hope you love it! It’s been one of our favorites for the last couple years and it makes me so happy every time!
Could you use regular sugar in place of the coconut sugar?
Absolutely! You can use the same amount of white sugar. 🙂
Made this for a Valentine treat and topped it with raspberries! I have really come to trust the recipes you post. I have made quite a few and they have all been wonderful! Thank you for helping our gluten-free, dairy-free household! My husband is also has to be salt-free if you can imagine.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! (Salt free would be so tough!)
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Can it also be made with reduced-fat coconut milk? I’m worried that the texture will be too thin if I don’t use the full fat version, but I’d like to omit a few calories if possible.
★★★★★
Abi – I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve tried it with reduced fat coconut milk (still the canned kind) and it does turn out a bit thinner. If you’re want to offset this a bit, you can add an extra Tablespoon of thickener (arrowroot/cornstarch) to the mixture. It won’t be exactly the same, but it’s okay! I don’t recommend using the carton coconut milk since it’s VERY thin and your pudding won’t set up properly. Hope that helps! Thanks so much for your comment!
Best chocolate pudding recipe ever.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you love it! It’s my all-time favorite!
Made this a couple of weeks ago and it was heavenly! Ate it with strawberries and it was SO good. Just made it into mini pies tonight for PI day. Chocolate cookie in a muffin liner for the crust and made the pudding with peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips and whipped cream on top. Haven’t tasted it yet but hoping it’s yummy and chocolaty PB goodness!
★★★★★
YUM! Peanut butter chips sound amazing!
yumm..cant wait to try it..i might try it with carob chips even as cocoa causes me some issues.
Sue – I’d love to know how it turns out with the carob chips if you try it that way!
This is delicious! I used maple syrup instead of sugar. I never have it it. It turned out a little soupy so I added a quarter cup chia seeds. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
Eager to give this a try. Thanks for having the “print” so easy to find and keep your recipe in my physical collection!
My pleasure! I hope you LOVE it, Becky!
Made pudding! Excellent and so easy a retired Entomologist could make it!
★★★★
Mark – I’m so glad to hear that! (Also: one of my son’s dream jobs right now is entomologist!)
My 21 year old son just had his wisdom teeth extracted, I bought DF ice cream, sorbet, yogurt, what did he want pudding? Found this recipe, whipped it up (had everything in the freezer or cupboard, and it is AMAZING! Thank you.
Oh, I’m so glad this hit the spot! Wisdom teeth recover can be so rough!
Unfortunately I did not like the texture of this amazing sounding recipe. I followed the recipe as written, but found it to be slimey or glue-like in consistency. Not creamy. Had to dump it, no one in my family would eat it. Is there something you can suggest that I may have done wrong?
★
Susan – I’m so sorry to hear that! Have you made a lot of homemade pudding in the past? I’ve found most homemade puddings are more thick and dense than anything store-bought. Stirring it back up before I serve it tends to help me get a little more air into it (which can lighten it back up a bit). Mine has never been slimy before, though–that sounds awful! Was it from condensation on the top, or all throughout? I’m so sorry!
Sorry, I totally appreciate your recipe, but I found the same issue with texture. I think the culprit was the arrowroot. My daughter is a vegan and I am always looking for dinner/food ideas, I found the pudding had a very rubbery and gluey, icky texture.. I would have used cornstarch, but somewhere in the write up it said the texture that arrowroot added was great. The flavor was good, but the texture was awful, and I couldn’t even eat it. I will try another time with cornstarch, ’cause the texture of arrow root is HORRIBLE! Sorry for any offense – I so appreciate the overall recipe and I will post again to say how it comes out with cornstarch.
★★★
Carrie – No offense taken! Everyone’s tastes and preferences are different, and it sounds like you have a great plan for next time!
Do you have to make this with arrowroot because I couldn’t find any around my area.
Nope! In the “notes on the recipe” section, you’ll see that cornstarch will work too!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Probably the best, and easiest, vegan chocolate pudding I’ve found. It was a huge hit with my kids and my husband even enjoyed it. I usually modify recipes, but I didn’t need to change anything with this.
I’m SO glad to hear that! It truly is my all time favorite!
I had to come back and add… We had a little bit left over from last night and I added it to some CocoWhip vegan whipped topping. It made it like a mousse. Thank you again for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Ooh that sounds so great!
I just made this, the liquid os uber delicious but it’s not solidifying at all. Any tips? Thank you!!
Oh, dear! I’d love to help. How long did you refrigerate it? Did you use arrowroot or cornstarch?
Can you tell me the carb count per serving? Thanks!
Judy – I don’t have nutrition facts available (the software isn’t in my budget right now), but you can import the recipe into any free online calculator. My favorite is MyFitnessPal (the app or the site) because you can import recipes straight from the web. Wishing you well!
I have never used coconut milk from a can. Do you use everything in the can?
Elizabeth – What do you mean? I primarily use fresh ingredients, with a few pantry staples (like diced tomatoes, tamari, coconut milk, etc.) Canned coconut milk is really common where I live, and is much more thick than anything I can find in cartons. It gives such a delicious rich texture to this pudding that I love using it here.
My almond milk is the kind from a carton (sold in the refrigerated section).
Did you use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips?
My favorite are dark, but I usually make this with semi-sweet (my family’s favorite). Use what you like!
I am making the gradual shift to a more dairy free existence and this recipe caught my eye. I made it last night and it is absolutely wonderful. I didn’t add the almond extract but will try when I make this again. The texture reminds me more of a chocolate mousse which thrilled me for it met my individual preference. I did find that the shifting from cows milk to alternative milks (coconut and almond) may take some getting used to but even though the flavor difference is apparent I don’t think it takes away from the taste.
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I love that it feels rich and luxurious! Switching to dairy free milks does take some adjustment time, but I’m wishing you all the luck in the world as you make the transition!
Emily thanks for sharing that seriously amazing chocolate pudding recipe !!! I have made it twice within the past week. I love it 🤗
★★★★
Julia – I’m SO HAPPY to hear that! We made it last week for Halloween “dirt pudding” cups and loved it all over again!
I haven’t had chocolate pudding in years but as soon as I saw this recipe I got an intense craving. This hit the spot! I used coconut cream and it turned out super thick and creamy. I also used cornstarch as that’s what I had. The texture wasn’t as smooth as I hoped but the flavor was so good. Does arrowroot make the texture smoother or is there something else I can do to make the cornstarch texture smoother?
I’m really glad it hit the spot. My biggest tip for smooth pudding is sifting the cocoa powder. It can sometimes create lumps that just never quite seem to go away. Did you sift? I’ll keep thinking…
I’m making this for a pie filling for my daughter’s birthday. I was going to make it, chill it, then rewhip it to pile high in my pie crust. Do you think it will maintain the thickness if I whip it after chilling?
Jennifer – I think it will be GREAT whipped after chilling. My kids just LOVE this in pudding pie. I hope your daughter does, too! (and happy birthday to her!)
Hello, thank you for the recipe, can you substitute the chocolate chips for a vegan chocolate bar? Maybe I could grate it or break into pieces? Thanks!
Yes! I’m sure that would work great! I’d just chop it or grate it so it can melt easily!
I’ve been using this recipe for a while now and I love it! Thank you so much for sharing! I often wonder though what is the purpose of adding the vanilla after removing from heat instead of before? Does it affect the flavor or the texture?
I’m so glad you enjoy it! The reason you add the vanilla after is to preserve its flavor. Because most vanilla extract is alcohol based, it can cook off during the cooking process, which weakens the flavor. You can always add extra at the beginning, knowing that some of it will cook off during the cooking process, or you can add a little extra at the end, if needed. It’s totally up to you!
Just made this and it is soooo delicious!
I had sweetened almond milk, cornstarch, and a 14 oz. can of coconut milk on hand and added a bit more sugar and some maple syrup.
To intensify the chocolate flavor I also added about 1/2 tbsp of espresso powder.
To make the pudding extra smooth I sifted all the dry ingredients into the pan before stirring together then slowly drizzled in the almond and coconut milk while whisking altogether.
Thanks for sharing this recipe; I’ll be making more for sure!
★★★★★
It sounds like you did an AMAZING job making it taste incredible! Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
Bless, I love pudding but dairy hates me.
Gotta try this chocolatey bidness out! <3
★★★★★
Ha! I hope you love this as much as we do!
Made it! Mother and Son approved! I used to try to get him to eat my avocado chocolate pudding but he kept saying something was off and he didn’t like it…BUT this one hits the spot for him! He’s so happy he can eat pudding without worrying about triggering his allergies or eating “something off.” Thank you!
★★★★★
Hooray! That’s so wonderful to hear! My kids both just LOVE this one, and I love that they don’t have to miss out!
Do you think I could use flax or soy milk instead of the almond milk? My little one has dairy and nut allergies.
Yes! You can sub basically any milk for the almond milk. The coconut milk is a little harder (but still possible) to substitute, since using a thinner milk will result in a thinner consistency for the pudding. I hope you love it!
Wow! So good. Sprinkled sea salt on the top.
★★★★
Hooray! So glad you enjoyed it! I love it with sea salt!
Can you freeze the pudding?
Jennifer – I have never had good luck freezing pudding before. I haven’t tried it on this recipe, but it hasn’t worked well for me in the past. The binders don’t always hold and the texture can get gloppy and separated upon thawing. I’m sorry!
what is the nutritional value of this pudding. I do not like tofu pudding so I want to try something else. I am on a daily 1200 calorie meal plan. but i need this pudding to be 110 calories for 1/2 cup and only 7 net carbs. please post nutritional value… i can not find it on this page. thanks
Tammy – I don’t have nutrition facts available on my site for this one yet. You’re welcome to plug it into any free online calculator! My Fitness Pal is my favorite (the app or the site).
Hi I use to buy ZenSoy chocolate pudding but they seem to be out of business. I can’t find Vegan and Gluten free pudding anywhere. So I made yours. Wow it is amazing!
I have a question about the heating. What purpose does it serve? ( sorry for the dumb question)
Also I made it once with corn starch, it came out very think, maybe too think after 24 hours in the fridge.
I made it once with arrowroot, it did not firm up much.
Not sure if I am under heating it, but I don’t want to burn it.
Any tips?
Thanks.
Brandon – Thanks so much for your comment! That’s not a dumb question at all. The heat activates the thickening properties of the cornstarch or arrowroot. If you don’t heat it, it cannot thicken.
This homemade pudding is thicker than some store-bought varieties (many homemade puddings are), but it does sound liker perhaps it was over-cooked with the corn starch and not quite long enough with the arrowroot.
If you keep your heat on medium-low, whisking pretty constantly, then pull it off the heat when it’s visibly thicker, I think that should help. (Did you by chance watch the recipe video? I think it gives a good visual of the state you’re looking for.) One trick is that it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon well (if you run your finger along the back of the spoon, the line where you moved your finger should stay visible). Another trick is that if you *do* accidentally get it too thick, you can loosen it back up with some additional milk and some whisking after it’s refrigerated.
I hope some combination of those tips helps for next time! Thanks again for leaving your comment!!!
Hi Emily,
Just following up- Thank you very much for the tips.
I made the pudding again (with Arrow Root) and kept it over the heat a little longer. It firmed up better.
And a few hours in the fridge made it perfect!
I am a gluten-free vegan and it is very hard to find pudding that I can eat, this is great!
★★★★★
Oh, I’m SO GLAD! It really is so hard to find a good GFDF pudding out there, and this is our favorite!
I’m making a chocolate pudding pie with this recipe. Can I pour the warm pudding into a chocolate crumb pie crust right away? The pudding is delicious and I used the reduced fat coconut milk!! I cannot, in good conscience use the full fat coconut milk.
★★★★★
Paula – You should be able to pour the pudding right into the prepared/baked crust and refrigerate it that way. (Also – The pudding may be a bit thinner with the reduced fat milk!)
Hi there! This looks delicious!! I’m planning to make today but have a quick question- for the can of coconut milk, do you use the full can (including coconut water) or just the cream at the top?
Thank you!!
The full can 🙂 Hope you love it!
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s absolutely delicious and you wouldn’t know that it’s a vegan recipe. The texture and flavor of this pudding are outstanding!
You MADE my day! What a sweet review. Thank you! I’m so glad you loved it as much as we do!!!
I only have coconut cream in my pantry. Can I sub that for the full fat coconut milk?
Wanting to test this recipe today for a wiggly worm / muddy puddles dessert for my daughter’s first birthday!
Thanks!
Jamie – Yes–BUT! If you use a full can of coconut cream, it will be VERY thick, so I recommend doing HALF the amount of coconut cream and adding more water or almond milk for the rest. (So I’d add half the can of coconut cream, put the rest in your fridge and then add half a can worth of extra almond milk (or water)).
It’s been a couple of years since I went vegan, and had chocolate pudding. I had a craving and found your recipe and I’m so glad I did! I thought I had coconut milk in the pantry, but unfortunately I was out so I used all almond milk. It turned out a bit thin, but thick enough and deliciously creamy! Thanks for the awesome recipe (:
★★★★★
Oh, I’m so glad! Hope you love it even more next time when you try it with half coconut milk!
DELICIOUS! Very easy to make, a bit too much sugar for my taste (no, it’s not, I’m just supposed to be on a sugar-free diet), the consistency is just perfect and I will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Lele – This comment made my day! Thank you so much for making me smile!
Holy moly. Best pudding EVER. To the person who had trouble getting it to set up…. I had no trouble but I also whisked the bejeebers out of it the entire time. The texture on this is amazingly smooth and creamy. I’m going to use this as food samples in a class I’m teaching on how to replace dairy in your life. Thank you for this secret weapon in exposing people to the fabulousness of plant-based cooking. Great job.
★★★★★
Oh my GOODNESS! This review totally made my weekend. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!
Wonderful recipe. Thank you! I have to be gluten and dairy free for health reasons and with this recipe I can have pudding again. Insert happy dance here!
I adjusted the ingredients slightly by using Ripple pea protein alternative milk along with Ripple’s version of 1/2 and 1/2 for thickness as coconut milk doesn’t agree with me. I also decreased the cocoa powder to 1 tablespoon, and used a mix of Enjoy Life semi and bitter sweet chips.
Many thanks again!
Oh, I’m SO happy to hear this! Thank you so much for sharing. You’re the BEST!
I just made this while procrastinating schoolwork, and it was completely worth it. This is honestly the best homemade pudding I have ever had! I can’t wait to make it again for a pie or cake filling! Thanks for creating and sharing this with us, keep all the deliciousness coming 🙂
★★★★★
Danielle – YAY! You totally made my day. Thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipe!
Followed the recipe almost exactly just switched out the arrowroot starch for corn starch and used almond milk instead of hazelnut milk because that’s what I had opened already. Turned out great. I had to scrape the bottom of the pan or it got sticky on the pan and whisk throughout, but that was the hardest part (and it wasn’t even hard). Very good and very easy
★★★★★
Oh, I’m SO GLAD you liked it!!!
So many comments! Just discovered that I only have 1 tbsp of cornstarch left and no arrowroot starch. The internet thinks flour might work instead but I’m hesitant. Should I just wait until I can get to the store? Thanks!
I wouldn’t use flour for this recipe myself. I’d wait till you have a chance to get to the store for best results. 😊
I made this once, per the recipe, and found the texture after chilling to be a too firm and gel like. I made it again and reduced the amount of arrowroot down to 1-2 Tablespoons and the consistency and texture (and taste!) were perfect.
★★★★
So glad you found a balance you liked!
How many days does this pudding last for in the fridge?
Covered well, it’ll last about 4-5 days. 🙂
Have you ever made dairy-free banana pudding? I have yet to find a good recipe 😕
I haven’t yet. I wonder if you’d like this? I’ve been meaning to try it!
Awww man, mine didn’t thicken up even after several hours in the fridge. We heated it in the microwave and it sure made delicious hot chocolate haha! Could it be that I used homemade almond and coconut milks? It was still yummy!
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Oh no! It *could* be the homemade milks, depending on how thick they were. Did it thicken in the pan as you were cooking it?
love this recipe, followed mostly but I couldn’t bear to use full fat coconut milk so I used almond/coconut milk and 1 less tbsp of cornstarch and i used vermont maple syrup.
WOW it is wicked good, firmed up nice oh and i didn’t use the wrap to prevent the skin, who doesn’t like that? thanks for this 😺
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I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yum!
I just want to verify when you say 4 tbsp arrowroot starch/flour it means either starch or flour not both correct?
for the vegan pudding
thank you so much
Zeena – Sorry for the confusion! I mean 4 Tbsp arrowroot. It’s sometimes labeled as arrowroot starch or arrowroot flour (or even arrowroot powder). I would not recommend actual flour for this recipe. 🙂
I looooove chocolate pudding and this was one of the first desserts I made upon going vegan, so I’ve been a long time fan. This weekend I made it as a pie filling for my dad (with a graham cracker crust) for my dad for his birthday and he looooved it! He’s not vegan by any means, nor is anyone else in my family, and they all agreed it was the best pudding/pudding pie they’ve ever had! Thanks so much for this recipe <3
My next experiment will be using it as filling in a chocolate layer cake 😀
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Ahhh! I love hearing this! It’s my FAVORITE and it’s often the first pie gone at Thanksgiving when I serve it with graham cracker crust. So good! Using it as cake filling sounds incredible–I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi. I love the recipe but I can’t have chocolate. Can I replace it with something?
Not for this recipe. The chocolate is essential for texture and flavor. I’m sorry!
Does this store for a couple days?
Yes! It’ll keep for at least 3-4 days in the fridge. I recommend pressing plastic wrap on the surface (or beeswax wrap if you prefer), so it doesn’t get the “skin” that homemade puddings tend to develop, but it’ll easily keep for a few days. (That said–some people LOVE that part!) 🙂
Do you use the meat in the coconut milk?
I use the entire can. (I usually give it a good shake before opening it) 🙂
This recipe is amazing! Thank you!! Have you used a variation of this recipe to make vanilla pudding? I can’t find a good vanilla pudding that’s soy, dairy and corn free. Thanks!
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Melissa – I’m SO glad you liked it! I’ve been working on a vanilla version, but don’t have it *quite* ready yet. Stay tuned! I’m hoping to get it out in the next few months! 🙂
I made this with sugar, a mix of soy milk and reduced fat canned coconut milk (because I’m too short to eat that many calories), and an additional tablespoon of thickener to be sure it didn’t come out thin due to my coconut milk choice.
It was very chocolatey and yummy, especially poured into a peanut butter-graham cracker crust. 😋
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PEANUT BUTTER GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST!!!!! That sounds amazing! (So glad you liked the pudding! It’s my favorite!)
I made this recipe times 6 to take to church. It was delicious. I had trouble thickening with arrowroot, so I used cornstarch instead. I also used 2/3 of dark cocoa and 1/3 Hershey cocoa. It balanced the chocolate flavor. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
WOW!!! That’s fantastic! Love the idea of combining dark and regular cocoa. I’ll have to try that!
Awesome Recipe, excited to offer the kids at school a Vegan/GF option for my halloween dirt cups (using zombie sour patch kids) They feel left out most years. so excited to have an option for them and test it out on my 2 year old. 🙂
I’m so excited about trying this recipe! Sounds delicious! I was reading over the comments and noticed that you’ve used this pudding as a filling in a chocolate pie. Would you mind sharing the recipe (or link) you use for the vegan pie (including the crust)? Thanks!
Bess – Yes! I usually make my old banana cream pie graham cracker crust (using dairy free butter) and GF grahams (like Kinnikinnik brand). If you can’t find GFDF graham crackers or crumbs, you can follow a recipe online for GF + Vegan graham crackers or buy a pre-made crust. This one uses honey flavor but no honey.
Or, if you prefer a traditional pie crust, this one is vegan + gluten free! You’ll want to blind bake it till it’s fully cooked through and cooled before adding your filling. (see this post) for a tutorial.
Hello, I’m a little confused about the issue of using cornstarch instead of arrowroot. Up above, in the section labeled, “Notes about the recipe”, you wrote: “Arrowroot vs. Cornstarch. You can use cornstarch instead of arrowroot if you like here. Arrowroot is a grain free starch that’s common in allergy free and paleo cooking. I like it here because it gives such a gorgeous texture, but if you’re a cornstarch fan, go for it!”. To me, this implies that you should do a 1:1 substitution of cornstarch instead of arrowroot. But then down in the comments section, you wrote: “You can sub twice the amount of cornstarch in its [arrowroot’s] place.” Can you clarify? Thanks.
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Alex – I’m sorry for the confusion. I use a 1:1 substitution of cornstarch for arrowroot. That particular response was when talking about tapioca starch and I’ve since updated my stance. (I’ve updated the comment to reflect that as well, so no one else gets confused).
Hi, Emily! I am wondering if I could use agar-agar instead of the arrowroot starch. Do you think it would be a good substitute?
Thank you
Ina – I’ve never worked with agar-agar before, I’m sorry. I don’t feel like I could advise you! If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes!
SO GOOD!!! We made this last night, and we can’t believe how good it is. The mouthfeel is so silky, and it’s deeply chocolaty. Thanks for the recipe.
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I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! It’s my FAVORITE! 🙂
What is the shelf life of this pudding? Can I make it while meal prep? Thanks 😁😁
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It should last at least 4-5 days in the fridge! 🙂
Excellent recipe! If I didn’t know that it was vegan, I would never have guessed. There’s barely a hint of coconut flavor and the balance of chocolate and sweetness is perfect. Thanks for a great recipe!
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Richard – THANK YOU for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so glad you liked it as much as we do. It’s our favorite!
How long do you leave in fridge to chill? Mines still a bit runny 🙁
Brien – Mine is usually set in 2-3 hours. If yours isn’t as thick as you like there are a few things that could have caused this. Did you use another kind of milk? Did you use cornstarch or arrowroot? Also, was the pudding thickened when you pulled it off the stove and added the chocolate chips?
If you used a different milk or milk combination, your pudding can turn out thinner. Also, the pudding should have thickened at least somewhat before pulling it off the stove (the video gives a good idea of what it should look like).
After adding the chocolate chips, it gets even thicker and sets to a quite-thick pudding. I’m so sorry if yours didn’t turn out the way you were expecting!
Yeah I’m thinking I just didn’t let it cook long enough for it to get thick. About how long do you let it cook on the stove before adding the chocolate chips and vanilla? I used arrowroot and coconut milk and almond milk, so same ingredients 🙂
Oh, bummer. I’m so sorry!
It depends on the exact temperature of your stove for how long it takes to come to a boil, but once it comes to boil (you can see bubbles bursting on the surface), I usually cook it for about 2 minutes, whisking the whole time. You’ll be able to see the path of your whisk through the pudding and know that it’s thickened. You can also dip a spoon in the mixture and (carefully) run your finger down the spoon. If the line where your finger went holds its shape well, your mixture has probably thickened enough.
I hope that helps for next time! (SO sorry about the trouble!)
No need to apologize!! 🙂 I appreciate your help! I’m going to retry and hope I do it right this time haha
Okay I got it down this time!!! Put the heat on higher and let it cook for a smidge longer and it thickened! Soooo yummy!!!
YAY!!! I’m SO glad it worked out for you! (Thank you so much for sharing with me! I was thinking of you today, hoping it went well)
I’ve made this so many times I feel like I need to comment. 😂 This pudding is one of our favorite recipes, hands down. I make it probably 6 times a year. My husband loves it so much I make it for his birthday. I’ve been vegan for 9 years and didn’t realize I could eat (let alone make) pudding this good. Thank you so much for this recipe!
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Audrey – You totally made my day! Thank you so much for this review! We LOVE this pudding. I’m so glad you two do, too!
I just have to say that this recipe is amazing! The store bought almond milk puddings have nothing on this one! I can’t wait for my husband to try it because I know he is going to love it! Thank you for posting 🙂
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Bry – That’s SO NICE of you to say! We absolutely love this recipe. I’m so glad you do, too!
Has this been tried in a vitamix? 🙂
Samantha – A vitamix won’t be able to heat this to boiling to allow it to thicken and cook down. It really needs those minutes on the heat to get to the right texture. Once it’s been cooked and thickened, you could certainly blend it to smooth things out if that helps you texturally!
But, if you’re looking for something you can make in a blender, you might like our Chocolate Avocado Mousse 🙂