Chocolate pudding was one of my childhood favorite desserts or snacks should I say. One of my best girlfriends in elementary school lived right next to the school and I spent many afternoons after school at her home. Her mother bought store bought chocolate pudding that I absolutely coveted. We would come in the door from school and try to go straight to the pudding but her mother would catch us just in time to say “eat a piece of fruit first”. I knew if I ate the fruit I wouldn’t be able to eat the pudding, so did my friends’ mother.
Somehow I managed to eat the fruit and then got to indulge in the chocolate pudding. I ate it slow, partly due to the fact I was full already, but also because I loved the velvety smooth texture. I would have licked the container clean but it was a pop top that had a sharp metal edge. 
Many decades have passed since those carefree days and I’ve found myself saying the same thing to my kiddos as my friends’ mom, “eat a piece of fruit first”. Thankfully, I’ve graduated from the store bought pudding to homemade pudding. This pudding is different than most because it’s lactose free, gluten free and vegan too since it has no eggs or dairy in it. Almond milk is a wonderful alternative for those who can’t eat dairy, it has more calcium and less calories than cow’s milk and it taste good. I prefer the almond milk that has vanilla flavor added to it, but the regular almond milk is good as well. The nutty flavor of almonds comes through in this chocolate pudding but not so strong that it over powers the chocolate. Try this smooth velvety pudding recipe the next time you need a healthier snack it’s really easy to make and just takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. My recipe is slightly adapted from Silk Pure Almond
Chocolate Almond Pudding
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate almond pudding is rich, creamy, and a healthier dessert option with a delightful nutty undertone.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (70g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa
- 1/4 cup (48g) cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups (24 oz.) almond milk
- 1 tsp chocolate extract or vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (44g) non-dairy butter substitute
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, unsweetened cocoa, cornstarch, and salt until well combined.
- Slowly whisk in the almond milk, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate extract or vanilla extract and non-dairy butter substitute until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Pour the pudding into serving dishes and let it cool to room temperature. For a chilled dessert, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Notes
- For a stronger almond flavor, use almond extract instead of vanilla.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Use vanilla-flavored almond milk for added sweetness.
- Stir constantly to prevent the pudding from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 0
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this pudding truly dairy-free and vegan?
Yes — the recipe uses 3 cups of almond milk in place of dairy milk, a non-dairy butter substitute, and no eggs. The article explains this makes it lactose-free, gluten-free, and vegan. The thickening comes from ¼ cup of cornstarch rather than egg yolks, which is what keeps it fully plant-based.
How do I prevent a skin from forming on the surface as the pudding chills?
Step 6 instructs you to press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding (not just over the dish) before refrigerating. This eliminates air contact, which is what causes the skin. The pudding needs at least 2 hours in the refrigerator to set fully.
Should I use chocolate extract or vanilla extract?
The recipe offers both as options. The notes say to use almond extract for a stronger almond flavor — notably the recipe itself doesn’t list almond extract but the notes do, so it is a third option if you want to reinforce the almond milk’s nutty character. The article says the almond flavor in this pudding is present but “not so strong that it over powers the chocolate.”
Why must I stir constantly while the pudding cooks?
The notes explicitly flag this: stir constantly to prevent the pudding from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The cornstarch thickens rapidly once the mixture approaches a boil, and any pause in stirring lets it scorch on the pan bottom, which creates lumps and a burnt flavor that is hard to recover from.
I would bet coconut oil (or any oil) would work instead of the butter- I’ve always used oil instead of butter in baking when using coco powder, and it always turns out just fine.
can we use cornflour than cornstarch
Thanks for the clarifying that about the dairy in butter I didn’t even think of that. And your right hazelnut milk would be wonderful too!
Hazelnut milk would work really well too – it’s my new favourite, along with almond milk.
Just as a heads-up, butter definitely isn’t dairy-free, but specialist vegan margarine (especially soy-based) works perfectly in its place. A lot of margarines contain buttermilk, but I use the soya and sunflower ones from Pure and they’re great for baking and desserts. :)