Dairy Free Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding

Apr 21

Apr 21 Dairy Free Chocolate or Vanilla Pudding

Remember Snack Packs? The individual servings of pudding? I tried to eat the chocolate but after a bite of two I’d hand it off to a sister or my Dad. I wouldn’t even touch the vanilla — I never thought the pudding packs tasted right. But I could always eat my Mom’s homemade cooked vanilla (excess pudding from banana cream pies.)

For years I thought I hated pudding but as it turns out, I just prefer making my own. Trevor still likes SnackPacks, but something about pudding from scratch just tastes better to me. For one, I can easily make it dairy free! And for chocolate pudding, I can choose high quality chocolate for the best texture and flavor.

Like these chips from Guittard, produced in a peanut free and gluten free facility with simple ingredients like cacao beans, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and sunflower lecithin instead of soy! (Not an ad, just a PSA.)

I’ve used different plant based milks and I’ve had the most consistent results with a coconut based milk. I often use full fat canned coconut milk (or cream) but this time I used this (pictured below) So Delicious style. It isn’t gum free (so if that’s an issue for you, opt for canned) but that didn’t seem to hurt the pudding at all. It came out very smooth and actually seemed to thicken and set up quicker. Whichever milk you use, be sure to shake it (or whisk it) thoroughly — it should be smooth, thick, creamy with no chunks, and opaque.

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups coconut milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice (semisweet for sweeter, dark for richer)

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a sauce pan. Combine egg yolks and coconut milk, mix well. Gradually pour milk mixture into cornstarch mixture while stirring to avoid clumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate and vanilla. Pudding consistency should be thinner (not thin) and easy to pour. Transfer to containers, cool slightly and chill. Pudding will finish setting in the fridge.

Note: Easy vanilla pudding — follow recipe as written, simply increase sugar to 1/2 cup and omit the chocolate!