Vegan vanilla pudding is creamy, sweet, and easy to make from scratch. All you need are 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time. With grain-free and refined sugar-free options, vegan pudding is an easy, allergy-friendly dessert!
Why You'll Love It
Cool, sweet, creamy, vegan vanilla pudding - what's not to love? I've always loved pudding, especially vanilla. There's just something so nostalgic about the flavor.
Although I have to say, this vegan cheesecake pudding is giving vanilla a run for its money! Check that one out next.
You might think making pudding without dairy and eggs would be difficult. But au contraire, my friend! Pudding is just as easy to make vegan as other desserts, like cake, ice cream, brownies, and even jell-o!
Even if you don't consider yourself much of a cook or baker, I promise you can make this dairy-free pudding. It really is easy.
And if you're a fan of healthier desserts or need allergy-friendly options, this recipe has you covered! You can:
- choose between cornstarch (easy to find) OR arrowroot starch (grain-free)
- sweeten it with regular sugar OR maple syrup - heck, you can even use date sugar or coconut sugar!
- and prepare it with a variety of different non-dairy milks
Plus, there's no special equipment needed and only about 15 minutes of hands-on time!
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Ingredients
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- milk - I like to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk because it's an easy way to boost the vanilla flavor, and almond milk has a clean, neutral taste. Oat milk is also great for pudding, as is a combination of almond and soy milk. More on this in the FAQs below.
- sweetener - choose regular granulated sugar for the most classic, neutral flavor. I use this organic cane sugar. Or if you're a fan of maple syrup, it creates a delicious vanilla-maple pudding. Keep in mind it will affect the color of the pudding.
- starch - cornstarch is the standard choice for homemade pudding. If you need an alternative, arrowroot starch is a great substitute.
- vanilla - either pure vanilla extract OR a clear imitation vanilla. Beside the difference in color, the two do taste different. Clear imitation vanilla tastes more like those pudding cups you probably remember from childhood.
Tip: If you're using a store-bought milk, it probably already has salt added for flavor. But if you use a homemade nut milk, I recommend adding a pinch of salt to the mixture.
See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Vegan Vanilla Pudding
- First, whisk everything together in a sauce pan to dissolve the starch.
- While whisking frequently, slowly bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Now whisk constantly, and the reduce heat to low. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour the pudding into individual serving bowls or one large dish, and refrigerate uncovered until chilled, at least 1 hour.
A skin will form on the surface of the pudding, but I don't mind it. You can whisk the pudding to break it up just before serving if you like.
Most pudding recipes suggest placing a piece of plastic wrap against the surface before refrigerating. I tend not to do that because it's messy and seems unnecessary.
Serving Suggestions
This pudding is delicious on its own or with fresh fruit and non-dairy whipped cream.
You can also incorporate it into other desserts like a vegan trifle, parfaits, or cream-filled pastries. It's also perfect for vegan banana pudding. In that recipe, just use this pudding instead of instant vanilla pudding.
Recipe FAQs
Technically, you can make pudding with any type of milk, but my favorites for vegan vanilla pudding are almond milk and oat milk because they taste the most neutral. Soy milk and coconut milk are also great if you don't mind their unique flavors. Cashew and macadamia milk are also good options.
Absolutely. Feel free to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegan butter to the pot. Another option is to blend raw cashews or a spoonful of cashew butter into the milk. You can also makes a delicious peanut butter pudding by adding a big spoonful of peanut butter and some powdered peanut butter (like PB2), to taste.
Store homemade vegan pudding in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Top Tips
- Use a vanilla non-dairy milk for more of a classic, box pudding mix flavor. My go-to is Trader Joe's unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
- Simmer, don't boil. Avoid using high heat, and don't allow the mixture to boil, which can scald the milk and cause the pudding to taste burnt. Use lower heat, slowly bringing the milk to a simmer and reducing the heat as needed.
- Whisk frequently at first, and then constantly! As the mixture comes to a simmer, keep an eye on it and whisk frequently. Once it's hot and starting to thicken, whisk constantly to prevent lumps.
- Allow enough time for the pudding to chill before serving. Pudding needs to chill in order to thicken and set. Allow at least one hour if the pudding is in small, individual portions, or 2-3 hours if the entire batch is in one larger dish.
I hope you enjoy this super easy vegan vanilla pudding recipe. If you give it a try let us know in the comments below!
Recipe
Vegan Vanilla Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk - almond and oat taste the most neutral
- ½ cup organic cane sugar - or ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup cornstarch or arrowroot - tap Metric above for weight
- ½ to 1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract, real or clear imitation - use lesser amount if using a vanilla flavored milk
Instructions
- Combine the milk, sweetener, and starch in a medium, heavy bottom sauce pan. Whisk to dissolve the starch. Whisking frequently, slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once steamy and nearing to a simmer, begin whisking constantly. Reduce the heat as needed so it doesn't come to a full boil. Continue whisking and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Pour the pudding into individual serving bowls or one large dish. Refrigerate uncovered until chilled, at least 1 hour. A thin skin will form on the surface of the pudding, but we don't mind it. If desired, whisk the pudding just before serving to break up the skin and make it creamier.
Notes
- Store-bought non-dairy milks usually have added salt, which rounds out the flavor. If using a homemade milk, add a pinch of salt to the pot.
- Use vanilla non-dairy milk (unsweetened) for more of a classic, box pudding mix flavor. My go-to is Trader Joe's unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Or if you have sweetened milk, simply reduce the sugar to taste.
- Simmer, don't boil. Avoid using high heat. Boiling will scald the milk and make the pudding taste burnt. Reduce the heat as needed.
- Allow time for the pudding to chill before serving. This causes it to set.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Liz says
This is the best pudding recipe I’ve ever made! The texture is perfect. It’s not too sweet and turned out beautifully with unsweetened soya milk. Thanks!
penny says
Could the recipe be used with freeze dried raspberries/strawberries? I read somewhere here the corn starch might not set with lemon/lime and to use arrowroot. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Penny. Adding freeze dried berries would be fine. You might run into the cornstarch issue if there's a lot of citrus juice.
penny says
Thank you for sharing we loved it. Used my homemade almond milk and Birds Eye custard powder which is essentially just corn starch. Next time will try flavors and dirt cups;)
Leila Anne Jenkins says
I am jumping the gun with my rating, because as I type it is chilling in the fridge. But the consistency is perfect. At the moment my younger sister is adjusting to new Crohn's medicine and can only have soft foods. Pudding is one. We have been using Snack Pack, but it has a lot of non-good things, including dairy that causes bloating. Finding this so simple recipe is a lifesaver. We are able to adjust the sugar. Once chilled we can also add her protein drinks to add more calories and water it down. So thank you so very much, for your help in this recovery journey.
Lori Rasmussen says
I'm glad to hear the recipe is helpful, Leila. All the best to your sister on her healing!
Rebecca Harrison says
Great recipe! Curious how much cocoa would you add to make it a chocolate vegan pudding?
Lori Rasmussen says
So glad you enjoyed it, Rebecca! For chocolate pudding, I would start with 1/4 cup cocoa, and add a pinch of salt. Give it a taste, and depending on how sweet you like your desserts, you may want a bit more sugar.
Hiroshi says
I used actual grapes (around 1/3 cup) instead of any sweeteners and blended it up with the soy milk and also used 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder instead of the extract. It turned out tasting really vanilla-y and amazing. Thanks so much for the recipe. I love it. It works great for a beginner making it for the first time.
Sharon says
I wanted to love this recipe because of the simplicity. I followed the recipe exactly & measured carefully and accurately using unsweetened almond milk. it just didn't get thick enough. I left it in the fridge overnight hoping that it would miraculously thicken during that time, but it did not. The consistency was more like a sauce. Maybe more cornstarch? I actually used 1/4 cup, the recipes states scant 1/4. I gave it 3 stars but the flavor was what I was looking for but the consistency was a disappointment.
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Sharon - Sorry to hear it didn't thicken up for you. I'm not sure why, other than possibly measuring too little cornstarch or cooking it too long? If over-cooked it can eventually lose its thickening power. By chance do you have a kitchen scale? Verifying the weight of 33 grams against the cup measurement is always a good idea, since measuring powders like this can be wildly inconsistent. Hopefully an easy fix for you next time!
Yulonda Moore-Hayes says
So easy and delicious. Love the only four ingredients
Jul says
I made this today and it tasted good and set nicely. I used Silk coconut milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.
Suzanna Tihonova says
Is it ok to use tapioca starch?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Suzanna - Tapioca tends to be more "stretchy" than creamy, but if that's all you have it doesn't hurt to experiment! I would reduce the amount to 3 Tbsp.