This vegan chocolate pudding is so rich and chocolaty, no one will know its dairy free! Cocoa powder and oat milk combine into a decadent dessert.

Bookmark this recipe stat. This vegan chocolate pudding is so creamy and rich, you’ll think it’s the real thing! The flavor is pure rich chocolate, and it gives you all those nostalgic Snack Pack-style vibes. (It did for us, at least.) The best part: there are no weird “tricks” to this dairy free chocolate pudding. Ever made pudding with avocado or tofu and while it’s good, deep down part of your brain is not quite convinced? This one tastes like the real thing — and it’s made with real ingredients, just like a traditional pudding.

Ingredients for vegan chocolate pudding

Like we said: there are no crazy ingredients for this easy vegan chocolate pudding. No avocado aftertaste, or weird tofu tricks for a pudding like consistency. This one is pure real ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cocoa powder
• Cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
• Granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
• Oat milk or almond milk
• Semisweet vegan chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract

Use your favorite non dairy milk (almond or oat milk)

You can use your favorite non-dairy milk in this recipe! Here are a few notes about the types of non dairy milk and what works the best in vegan pudding:

• Oat milk: We like the consistency and flavor of oat milk: it’s one of our favorite vegan milk options! It’s our favorite for using in this pudding and has a neutral flavor. It’s also nut free.
• Almond milk: Almond milk is a little thinner in consistency than oat milk, but it also works well in this pudding.
• Soy milk: You can use soy milk for this pudding if you like! We haven’t tested it, but it should work in the same fashion.
• Coconut milk: We don’t recommend coconut milk here: it can add a strong coconut flavor. It’s also higher in fat than the other milks. (Of course you can give it a try if desired.)

How to make vegan chocolate pudding: some tips

The method for making this vegan chocolate pudding is the same as a traditional chocolate pudding! You’ll whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and milk until thickened, then remove from the heat and add chocolate. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you go about the process:

• Whisk the dry ingredients fully, then gradually whisk in milk. The dry ingredients can make for lumps later if you don’t get them all whisked in.
• Once it starts bubbling, stir often. Make sure to get into the edges of the pan so the pudding doesn’t stick.
• The pudding will thicken fully as it cools. Pull it off the stove when it’s thick, but not fully set up into pudding consistency. See more below!

Troubleshooting: how to avoid lumpy pudding?

The biggest issue with making vegan chocolate pudding: the pudding can get lumpy! To prevent this, make sure to whisk all the dry ingredients well before starting the process: get out any clumps of cocoa powder and cornstarch. Then make sure to add the milk in gradually, whisking after each addition so that it becomes smooth. This is before you even apply the heat!

When you start heating the mixture, continue to stir often to prevent lumps. If you do all these things and end up with some minor lumps, it’s ok! It shouldn’t affect the overall flavor.

Refrigerating makes it fully thick!

The trick with homemade vegan chocolate pudding is that it thickens fully in the refrigerator. It will thicken to pudding-like consistency after refrigerating for about 2 to 3 hours. Here’s what to know about this process:

• Plan in advance for the refrigeration step! The hands on portion of this recipe takes only about 10 minutes. But the refrigerating takes a few hours. You may want to make this the day before you plan to serve and store in the fridge.
• Press plastic wrap or wax paper onto the surface of the pudding. This prevents a film from forming on the top of the pudding. Once it’s cold, you can remove the wrap.
• Speed up the process by refrigerating in small serving dishes. This can speed up the chilling by about 1 hour or so, depending on the size of the dishes. But you’ll still need to use small pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper for the tops.

It’s kid friendly, too

This vegan chocolate pudding went over very well with our 3 year old! It’s an easy recipe you can make with kids. And it’s a great as a healthy dessert to serve to kids. We served it after a Friday night pizza party and it got rave reviews!

This vegan chocolate pudding recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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A Couple Cooks - Healthy, Whole Food, & Vegetarian Recipes