This luscious vegan chocolate pudding might be naturally gluten-free AND dairy-free, but it still has all the creamy, chocolatey flavor you crave. Best of all–it’s made with simple ingredients! No tofu, avocado or other weird ingredients here!
We’ve been making this easy chocolate pudding for over NINE YEARS. Isn’t that crazy!? I first developed the recipe for my daughter’s preschool snack time, and we’ve loved it ever since. Over the years, I’ve lost count of how many messages, comments, and reviews I’ve gotten about it. It’s a major fan-favorite and for good reason:
This vegan chocolate pudding is the real deal–it’s smooth, thick, and not too heavy, with delicious chocolate flavor in every spoonful.
A lot of dairy-free chocolate pudding recipes use avocado, banana, or tofu to help the texture, but we find we can make the BEST vegan chocolate pudding from just a few simple ingredients…
Simple Ingredients To Start
Our easy vegan chocolate pudding recipe is made WITHOUT tofu, avocado, or bananas. Instead, we rely on simple pantry ingredients it’s easy to keep on hand any time. Let’s take a peek at the ingredients list:
- Coconut Sugar (Or Granulated Sugar). For a more natural sweetener, we usually make this dairy-free chocolate pudding with coconut sugar. If you’re not a fan or simply don’t have it on hand, you can absolutely use vegan white sugar instead. Just keep in mind that it’ll be a little sweeter this way.
- Cornstarch. We use cornstarch to thicken the pudding, since it gives the most consistent results, but if you prefer to use arrowroot, check out the FAQ below for some tips!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. I prefer the flavor of natural cocoa powder (regular cocoa powder) instead of dutch-processed cocoa powder for homemade pudding.
- A Pinch of Salt. The perfect tiny pinch to balance the flavors.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk. This is where we get our richness. Since most chocolate pudding recipes use whole milk, we need something thicker than just almond milk (which is mostly water). I find the full-fat canned coconut milk is the best option here.
- Almond Milk. Then, you’ll round out the liquid with your favorite dairy-free milk. We usually use unsweetened almond milk, but you can also use cashew milk, soy milk, or whatever plant-based milk you typically drink/use at home.
- Dairy-Free Chocolate or Chocolate Chips. Good-quality dark chocolate melts even better, so feel free to use that instead of chocolate chips! If chocolate chips are easier, we usually buy Enjoy Life or Guittard Extra Dark chocolate chips for this homemade chocolate pudding.
- Vanilla. Chocolate + vanilla extract forever!
Ingredient Check: Is It Vegan?
It’s important to note that dairy-free is NOT the same as vegan. To keep this dairy-free chocolate pudding vegan, make sure you check:
- Sugar. Use coconut sugar (which doesn’t use bone char for processing!), or use organic cane sugar/vegan granulated sugar.
- Chocolate. Not all dairy-free chocolate is vegan, but we love Enjoy Life chocolate when we need a vegan option. It’s certified gluten-free AND vegan, plus free of 14 allergens! Equal Exchange, Endangered Species, Pascha, and Hu Kitchen are other great brands. Even brands like Simple Truth, Toll House, and Ghirardelli offer plant-based chocolate chips these days! Good-quality dark chocolate melts even better, so feel free to use that instead of chocolate chips!
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Pudding, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, step-by-step instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a medium saucepan, combine coconut sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. whisk to combine until well blended.
- Add Milk & Cook. Next, pour in coconut milk and almond milk, then whisk and cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture has come to a low simmer and the pudding has thickened. (You should be able to see the path of the whisk in the pudding and if you let pudding drip off the whisk back into the saucepan, it should rest on the surface of the pudding briefly before absorbing. You can also check by dipping a spoon or spatula into the pudding and running your finger down the middle. It should leave a clear line.)
- Add Chocolate & Vanilla. When the pudding has thickened, turn off the heat and mix in chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate has full melted and the pudding is smooth. (You will likely see some bubbles, but there shouldn’t be any lumps. If, by chance you do have lumps, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve before refrigerating.)
- Cover & Chill. Pour the chocolate pudding into a heat-proof bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent the pudding from developing a “skin” on top of the pudding. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours to thicken completely. If you check it after 1-2 hours, it’ll still be on the thin side.
- Serve & Store. Spoon the pudding into individual dishes and top with whipped coconut cream, fresh berries, chocolate, etc. as desired. Leftover pudding will keep in an airtight container the refrigerator 3-4 days.
Pro Tips: How To Avoid Lumps In Your Pudding
While you may see some air bubbles from whisking, this creamy pudding shouldn’t have any lumps. My best tricks for lump-free chocolate pudding are:
- Whisk The Dry Ingredients Well At the Beginning. This will help break down any lumps in the cocoa or sugar.
- Whisk Constantly As It Cooks. Next, don’t walk away from the pan while you’re cooking the pudding. You want to whisk the whole time. Cocoa is hydrophobic, which means it’s “afraid” of water/liquid at first. As the milk heats, the cocoa powder will blend in better. Just keep whisking!
- Use Good-Quality Chocolate When You Can. Lastly, use the best quality chocolate that easily fits your budget. Some chocolate chips have added stabilizers to prevent them from melting in cookies, so using a higher quality option (like Enjoy Life, Guittard, or Ghirardelli) can help your chocolate melt better at the end.
- Strain It If You Need To. Making this with kids? Get distracted? Found some lumps anyway? No worries. Just strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve before transferring it to the fridge. This will help press out any lumps.
Yummy Toppings To Try
Now that you know how to make dairy-free chocolate pudding, we can talk about TOPPINGS! You know I love a garnish–it doesn’t need to be fancy, but that little extra “something” can easily elevate this from fun kids treat, to luscious dessert.
- Fresh Berries. I love berries and chocolate, so this is always my first pick! Strawberries and raspberries are my favorite, but all berries work.
- Whipped Cream. Try some whipped coconut cream on top. Coco Whip is a great store-bought option (like vegan Cool Whip!)
- Sliced Bananas. I love bananas and chocolate together.
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries. If you want to really go for it (say, for Valentine’s Day or another special occasion), try serving each bowl of chocolate pudding with one of our vegan chocolate covered strawberries on top!
- Cacao Nibs. I love the crunch these add! They’re not sweetened, so use a light hand when you add them.
- Mini Chocolate Chip. If you want your crunch a little sweeter, go for mini chocolate chips.
- Toasted Almonds. Add a nutty crunch with some toasted almonds (or hazelnuts!)
- Fresh Mint Leaves. A pretty pop of green adds such a lovely look!
- More Chocolate. Some chocolate curls, chocolate shavings, or even a light dusting of cocoa powder can add even more rich chocolate flavor!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Can You Freeze Vegan Chocolate Pudding? I don’t recommend it, unless you’re pouring it into popsicle molds to make frozen pudding pops. Let the popsicles freeze 3-4 hours or until solid, then enjoy!
What Milk Can You Use For Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding? I like using a combination of almond and coconut milk in this vegan pudding recipe, since it prevents either flavor from overpowering the chocolate and the coconut milk lends a nice richness. You can substitute other dairy-free milk (like soy milk, cashew milk, or oat milk), but know that if you’re skipping the coconut milk, your end result will be a bit thinner.
Arrowroot VS Cornstarch. I usually use cornstarch to thicken this creamy vegan chocolate pudding because it gives such consistent results. If you can’t have corn, you can try arrowroot instead. Arrowroot powder (sometimes labeled arrowroot starch) is a grain-free starch that’s common in allergy-free and paleo cooking. (Note: for paleo chocolate pudding, be sure to use the arrowroot option!)
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Vegan Chocolate Pudding recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
The Best Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
For The Vegan Chocolate Pudding:
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar or vegan granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder (I prefer regular cocoa powder, NOT Dutch-processed cocoa for this pudding)
- 4 Tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder, for paleo)
- pinch salt
- 1 13 oz. can full fat coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk
- 2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips or 4 ounces chocolate chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
- Fresh raspberries chopped chocolate, fresh strawberries, sliced bananas, a drizzle of peanut butter, etc.
Instructions
- Whisk Dry Ingredients.In a medium saucepan, combine coconut sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. whisk to combine until well blended.
- Add Milk & Cook. Next, pour in coconut milk and almond milk, then whisk and cook over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture comes to a low simmer and pudding has thickened. (You should be able to see the path of the whisk in the pudding and if you let pudding drip off the whisk back into the saucepan, it should rest on the surface of the pudding briefly before absorbing.
- Add Chocolate & Vanilla. When the pudding has thickened, turn off the heat and mix in chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Whisk until the chocolate has full melted and the pudding is smooth. (You will likely see some bubbles, but there shouldn’t be any lumps. If, by chance you do have lumps, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh sieve before refrigerating.)
- Cover & Chill. Pour the chocolate pudding into a heat-proof bowl and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent the pudding from developing a “skin” on top of the pudding. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours to thicken completely. If you check it after 1-2 hours, it’ll still be on the thin side.
- Serve & Store. Spoon the pudding into individual dishes and top with whipped coconut cream, fresh berries, chocolate, etc. as desired. Leftover pudding will keep in an airtight container the refrigerator 3-4 days.
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.
- Can I Use Another Milk? We recommend a mix of coconut milk & almond milk since the coconut milk adds thickness/richness, while the almond milk keeps the flavor more neutral. If you use all almond milk, your pudding will turn out much thinner. If you need to substitute another plant based milk for the almond milk portion (oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc.) you can follow the same instructions.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/the-best-vegan-chocolate-pudding/Originally shared October 2015. Updated January 2017, then fully updated again July 2024.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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’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!)
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…
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 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!
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!