Enjoy the nostalgia of rich and creamy chocolate pudding but in vegan form! This decadent dessert is made by blending just a handful of simple ingredients and then chilling. No stovetop required!
Growing up, I used to love chocolate pudding snack packs (remember those?). What was actually in that pudding wasn't as much a concern to me back then - it was smooth, chocolaty and downright delicious, and that's all that mattered!
Fast forward to now, I still crave the taste and texture of chocolate pudding but I like to avoid processed foods with natural and artificial flavors. So when I perfected this truly authentic chocolate pudding made with healthier ingredients, to say I was excited would definitely be an understatement!
And this vegan dessert recipe is not just easy, it's really easy. No cooking, no weird ingredients and just 5 minutes of prep. Seriously!
The chocolate flavor comes from cocoa powder and the creaminess comes from water mixed with your choice of nut butter (e.g., almond butter). There is no avocado, coconut cream or silken tofu which oftentimes affect the taste of vegan puddings. The result is luxurious chocolate pudding with the perfect texture. Sounds too good to be true, right?!
Why You'll Love this Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Authentic rich chocolate flavor
- Silky smooth creamy texture
- Quick and easy dessert - 5 minute prep and no heating on the stovetop!
- Healthy ingredients
- Chill and store in pre-portioned individual serving dishes
- Perfect for entertaining
- Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and refined sugar-free
Easy, No-Cook and Vegan
Most homemade pudding recipes, whether vegan or not, can create quite a mess and involve multiple steps. These recipes often require whisking corn starch and other dry ingredients, adding milk (whole milk or non-dairy milk) and sometimes egg yolks to a medium saucepan and bringing to a boil before removing from the heat, whisking in more ingredients (like sugar and butter) and setting aside to cool. All that for some warm pudding that you'd still have to chill!
Compare that with simply throwing naturally vegan and unrefined ingredients into a blender before chilling in the fridge. Fewer ingredients, fewer steps, less cleanup and less effort - that is what makes this such an easy chocolate pudding recipe! Plus it truly creates the best pudding!
Ingredients
This vegan chocolate pudding recipe calls for just 5 ingredients plus some water and a pinch of salt. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities and full instructions.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Cocoa powder and water are the two main ingredients as they make the base for this vegan pudding recipe. I use an entire cup of cocoa powder which will overpower any taste from the melted coconut oil.
- Creamy almond butter: Any creamy nut or seed butter will do here (such as tahini). You will not taste the almond butter at all. Its purpose is to add more creaminess, body and thickness to the pudding.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener which keeps this pudding free of refined sugars.
- Melted coconut oil: The coconut oil is important for texture because it helps to solidify or gel the pudding when chilled and soften a bit when brought to room temperature (while not turning completely to liquid). You can use refined coconut oil if you want to ensure there will be absolutely no coconut flavor, but make sure to still melt it before it goes in.
- Vanilla extract: This provides a hint of delicious vanilla flavor which perfectly complements the chocolate.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Chocolate Pudding
This homemade chocolate pudding recipe really couldn't be any easier. Simply place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (watch me make it)!
Once blended, pour the chocolate mixture into ramekins and chill them for the pudding to set. Popping them in the freezer takes about 30 minutes and placing them in the fridge takes a couple hours. I love making this pudding a day in advance to let it chill overnight.
If using the freezer, make sure to transfer the ramekins to the fridge after about 30 minutes (if not serving then) as the pudding will become solid if frozen too long.
Recipe Tips
The pudding will thicken as it chills. The pudding mixture initially will be a bit liquidy after you blend everything together, so don't worry. It will thicken into a rich and creamy pudding once chilled in the freezer or fridge. If you prefer a thicker pudding, add a little more melted coconut oil.
Don't skip the melted coconut oil. The coconut oil is the key ingredient to achieving a true pudding texture. If you don't want to use coconut oil, you'll need to swap it with a creamy, neutral-tasting fat that can also soften and solidify based on temperature. Vegan butter potentially could be an option but my concern would be the flavor and whether the cocoa powder would be strong enough to hide the butter taste.
Dress it up! Make this vegan chocolate pudding even more gourmet by garnishing with optional ingredients such as coconut whipped cream, chocolate shavings and/or dairy-free chocolate chips. You can also serve fresh berries such as strawberries or raspberries alongside it to dip!
Storage
I love how the pudding sets and takes shape of the dish it's chilled in, so I like to pour the mixture into individual ramekins immediately after blending. For long term storage you can use small airtight containers or cover the top of the pudding with aluminum foil. I generally stay away from plastic but covering with a piece of plastic wrap would be fine too.
If you're not chilling in single serving dishes, you can store this homemade pudding in a large airtight storage container and then scoop out servings into small bowls when ready to enjoy.
More Healthy Vegan Chocolate Desserts
This easy vegan chocolate pudding is fun for any occasion. It's also perfect for anyone with food allergies. I mean, who wouldn't want pudding cups for dessert?
If you give it a try, please share a photo @eatingbyelaine so I can see your versions of the best vegan chocolate pudding!
Print
Silky Smooth Vegan Chocolate Pudding (Easy No-Cook!)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Enjoy the nostalgia of rich and creamy chocolate pudding but in vegan form! This decadent dessert is made by blending just a handful of simple ingredients and then chilling. No stovetop required!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- ½ cup raw creamy almond butter (sub any nut or seed butter)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the pudding mixture into six 4-oz ramekins and pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to set. You can also place in the fridge for a couple hours to set.
Notes
If you leave the pudding in the freezer for too long it will become solid so transfer it to the fridge after about 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chilling Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
Caitlin Hastings says
This recipe makes for quite possibly the best chocolate pudding I've ever had, and with clean, minimal ingredients! Thank you, Elaine!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!