Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (2024)

By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 13 Comments

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Surely I can’t be the only one who craves good old fashioned vanilla pudding from time to time! I’ve created a creamy vegan almond milk pudding, flavored with real vanilla. This is a proper pudding that sets and develops a skin. It’s perfectly suited for festive holiday garnishes or a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (1)

Thank you The Fresh Market for sponsoring this post. Visit a store near you to get everything you need for a memorable and delicious holiday!

Many classic pudding recipes already include cornstarch as a thickener, but also use egg to bind the mixture and add richness. In my trials I found that adding a little bit of tapioca starch and coconut oil did just fine for replacing the egg. I thought about whipping out the aquafaba for this recipe but honestly it’s just not necessary. This vegan vanilla pudding is already thick and creamy and sets up great to be enjoyed as-is or incorporated into other desserts. (For example, a version of this same custard is used in my pumpkin bread pudding).

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (2)

Of course, swapping in almond milk for the dairy milk was an easy substitution to make. I purchased my almond milk, as well as all of the other ingredients for this pudding, at The Fresh Market. The Fresh Market is a gourmet supermarket chain with stores all across the USA. I headed to the northern Baltimore location this weekend and bought The Fresh Market private label almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla paste. The latter is the star ingredient in this vegan vanilla pudding, giving it a robust bourbon vanilla flavor and beautiful flecks of vanilla bean throughout. All of these ingredients, in addition to using them in the almond milk pudding, are staples that I use throughout the holiday baking season. You can learn more about The Fresh Market’s holiday offerings in their Christmas brochure.

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (3)

I was particularly excited to make my vegan almond milk pudding using The Fresh Market maple syrup. There are actually some quite tasty vegan pudding cup brands available at stores in my area these days. But all of them are sweetened with cane sugar. I’m happy to report that my experiment with using a less refined sweetener, maple syrup, was a total success! The texture, flavor, and sweetness are all perfect.

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (4)

If you have a The Fresh Market location in your area, check it out! It’s a great place to shop around the holidays. The inside of the store is warm and inviting and I found myself enjoyable browsing the holiday gift offerings and semi-prepared options. Some of the other vegan offerings include freshly-prepared zucchini and butternut squash noodles; pre-chopped mirepoix; a variety of vegan snacks, sweets and soups; and a selection of fresh produce. There’s also an excellent bulk snack section. You can check The Fresh Market’s store locator for stores near you.

I hope you enjoy this easy, 6-ingredient vegan almond milk pudding flavored with real vanilla paste! If you give it a try, let me know!

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (5)

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4.84 from 6 votes

Vanilla Bean Almond Milk Pudding

Old-fashioned thick and creamy vanilla pudding, made vegan with almond milk. With only 6 ingredients and a few minutes of active time, this almond milk pudding comes together in a snap; just be sure to allow time for the pudding to set.

Course Dessert

Cuisine dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian

Keyword almond milk pudding, almondmilk pudding, vegan vanilla pudding

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 5 jars

Calories 133kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 2 and 1/2 cups plain almond milk divided (cold)
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil (use refined unless you don't mind a mild coconut flavor)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Instructions

  • Measure 1/2 cup of the almond milk into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch and tapioca starch until there are no lumps.

  • Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat the remaining almond milk and the maple syrup over medium-low heat. As soon as you see bubbles on the surface, add the cornstarch mixture and stir in well.

  • Continue to cook the pudding, stirring occasionally, until mixture is beginning to thicken and reaches a gentle boil/steady simmer, 4-6 minutes.

  • Reduce the heat slightly. Continue to cook the pudding, stirring occasionally, for another 4 to 6 minutes until thick. You can test this by dipping in a spoon and checking that the pudding falls off of the spoon slowly. Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut oil and vanilla bean paste. (It may take a few seconds of stirring for the coconut oil to melt completely).

  • Divide the pudding into 4 to 6 jars or ramekins. If you want to prevent pudding skin, press a piece of plastic wrap into the surface. Otherwise, loosely cover the dishes. Transfer to the refrigerator and let cool completely before eating, about 3 hours.

Notes

GRAIN-FREE OPTION: You can try making this pudding without cornstarch by substituting additional tapioca starch for all of it. I do not prefer the texture this way; it gets a little "gloopier" and doesn't set quite as well, but it definitely does work if you need your almond milk pudding to be grain-free!

ALMOND MILK: This pudding works best with commercial almond milks, rather than homemade. This is because store-bought almond milk is usually pasteurized and has added ingredients to help thicken and emulsify it. These same qualities will help your homemade almond milk pudding set better. If you want to use homemade almond milk I recommend adding a pinch of xanthan gum to reduce your risk of watery pudding.

VANILLA PASTE: If you aren't able to purchase The Fresh Market vanilla paste or another vanilla paste, you can substitute vanilla extract with a 1:1 substitution.

TAPIOCA STARCH: A combination provides the best texture, but if needed, you can use additional cornstarch instead of the tapioca starch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Adapted from Hell Yeah It’s Vegan.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Almond Milk Pudding | Dairy-free and Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why can't you use almond milk in instant pudding? ›

Most of those instant puddings are made to react with the milk proteins, and since there are no milk proteins in the non dairy milks, they don't work. Cooked pudding that sets thanks to cooked starch should work, even with plain water, though it might not taste very good that way!

How much almond milk do you put in pudding? ›

To make Jell-O pudding with almond milk, whisk the Cook & Serve pudding mix into 2 cups of refrigerated unsweetened almond milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let sit untouched for at least 5 minutes.

How do you thicken instant pudding with almond milk? ›

Use a thickening agent: If increasing the pudding mix doesn't give you the desired thickness, you can try adding a thickening agent such as cornstarch or gelatin.

What is the best vegan milk for pudding? ›

I recommend soy milk as it has a naturally sweet flavor, so it will enhance the flavors of the jell-o pudding. It's also a great vegan milk option that has a rich texture. To substitute one cup of milk in instant pudding, use one cup of unsweetened soy milk.

Will instant vanilla pudding set with almond milk? ›

Will Pudding Set with Almond Milk? Yes, pudding – both instant and cooked – will set with almond milk as long as you use the right amount of almond milk. If you use the same amount of almond milk as you do regular milk, it will be too thin and will not set.

How do I substitute almond milk for milk in instant pudding? ›

Directions
  1. Pour 1 cup almond milk into a small saucepan. Add cornstarch and heat over medium heat. ...
  2. Pour remaining almond milk into a bowl; add pudding mix. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed until very thick, about 1 minute. ...
  3. Transfer pudding to 4 individual serving bowls. Cover and refrigerate if desired.
Sep 21, 2022

What is the best milk for pudding? ›

When developing this recipe, we found that oat milk created a pudding with the plushest texture. Soy, almond and coconut milks work, too, although they might impart their own flavor and the pudding texture may vary.

What makes almond milk extra creamy? ›

Almonds, of course! Added authentic Blue Diamond almond oil blended with the Almondmilk you already know and love creates the extra creamy texture reminiscent of whole dairy milk. So basically, our answer to make our new Almondmilk was the use of more of our almonds because the Best Almonds Make the Best Almondmilk®.

Can you use non dairy milk in instant pudding? ›

If you don't have nut allergies, you can totally use almond milk, or even coconut milk or cashew milk. My favorite kind of non-dairy milk to use in Jell-O pudding is rice milk. I find it is the one with the least amount of after taste.

Why is my instant pudding so runny? ›

To avoid runny pudding, make sure the amount of water does not exceed the amount stated in the serving suggestion, even reduce it slightly from what is specified. For example, the water listed on the package is 500 ml, so Elmer Lovers just add 400 ml of water. This is to keep the pudding from containing too much water.

How do you fix pudding that didn't set? ›

Your best bet would be to mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of sugar with some of the beverage and add it to the warm pudding. Heat it to a bubble and stir until it thickens. You may have to adjust the seasoning, particularly vanilla.

Is there vegan pudding? ›

Available in both Vanilla and Chocolate flavors, Vivian's Vegan Pudding Mix is perfect for when you need a simple, sweet treat or an ingredient for a dessert recipe. These mixes are great to keep on hand! And, for a little extra credit, Vivian's also offers a Vegan Whipped Topping Mix for garnishing.

What is the creamiest vegan milk? ›

Oat Milk. Oat milk is perhaps the creamiest of all the plant milks. Its thick creamy texture means it's one of the closest plant-based milks to resemble dairy milk. Oat milk is quickly becoming a favorite non-dairy alternative to milk with popular brands like Oatly disrupting the traditional milk industry.

What is the sweetest vegan milk? ›

Innocent coconut

It's naturally sweet but still tastes fresh, and we love that it's got the odd fleck of coconut in there.

Why doesn t soy milk work for instant pudding? ›

Its the same reason you can create whip cream, because even without the starches you can make pockets strong enough to trap air. Soy milk lacks the right proteins and fats to create these structures.

Can I use almond milk instead of milk? ›

Almond milk is a one-to-one substitute for traditional cow's milk, meaning that if a recipe calls for 1C of milk, you can substitute it with the same amount of almond milk. Almond milk does not have a strong almond flavor, which is another reason it makes a good choice for baking.

How do you thicken almond milk? ›

Another natural thickening option is the use of potato starch or cornstarch, which can be mixed with a small amount of water before adding it to your almond milk. These starches act as a binding agent, absorbing excess liquid and creating a thicker consistency.

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