Homemade Vegan Pudding Mix (Instant or Regular)
Servings:8 servings
Skip the box and make your own pudding mix at home! This simple, pantry-friendly recipe gives you two options: instant pudding mix or classic cook-and-serve. Both are vegan, work with any non-dairy milk, and serve as a flexible base for creating different pudding flavors.
Ingredients
For Instant Pudding Mix:
- ¾ cup Instant Clear Jel
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla powder, optional - or add extract to prepared pudding
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Regular Pudding Mix (cook-and-serve):
- 1 cup cornstarch - or arrowroot
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For Prepared Pudding:
- 2–2¼ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk - such as soy, oat, coconut, almond
- optional: a source of fat such as cashews, nut or seed butter, coconut cream, etc - keeping in mind the affect on flavor and color
Instructions
To make the pudding mix:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the starch, sugar, vanilla powder, and salt. Transfer to an airtight jar or container, and store in the pantry. Whisk well before use.
- Note: The instant pudding recipe yields about 1⅓ cups dry mix. The cook version makes 1½ cups. Each is comparable to two standard (3.4 oz) boxes of pudding, or 6-8 servings. Feel free to double.
For prepared pudding (prep):
- First, decide whether you want to add a source of fat or any other flavors to the milk. For low-fat pudding, use non-dairy milk as-is (the result is light and sweet). For a richer pudding, blend the milk with your choice of added fat, such as cashews, pistachios, or a dollop of nut butter or coconut cream, for example. A combination of soy and oat milk blended with ⅓ cup cashews is a personal favorite.
To make instant pudding:
- Pour 2 cups non-dairy milk into a deep mixing bowl. If using vanilla extract, whisk it into the milk. With a hand mixer running on low speed (preferably with whisk attachment), slowly pour ⅔ cup dry mix into the milk. Moving the hand mixer around as you pour helps incorporate the mix and prevent clumps. The pudding will thicken quickly. You can adjust the consistency by adding more milk or mix. The flavor improves after 30-60 minutes in the fridge.
To make cook-and-serve pudding:
- In a heavy-bottom saucepan, whisk together 2¼ cups non-dairy milk and ¾ cup pudding mix.
- Place over medium-low heat and whisk frequently. As it gets hot, whisk constantly to avoid lumps. When just short of a simmer and slightly thickened, remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla extract if your mix didn't include vanilla powder. The pudding will thicken in the fridge.
- Immediately pour into a bowl or other dish, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or until cold. Optional: to prevent a skin from forming on top, press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface before refrigerating.
Notes
**Be sure to review the helpful tips, substitutions, and flavor ideas in the post above.**
Serving size: You'll generally need about ¼ cup dry mix and ½ cup milk per serving of pudding, but this depends on the style, additions, and end use.
Store: Keep the pudding mix in an airtight jar or other container in the pantry for up to 6 months (possibly longer). Whisk well before using.
Nutrition info represents approx. one serving or 4 tablespoon of instant pudding mix (no milk).
Nutrition
Serving: 4tablespoon | Calories: 140kcal
