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Home » Recipes » Desserts

Vegan Vanilla Pudding

Published: May 5, 2023 by Lexi

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With only 6 ingredients, this easy Vegan Vanilla Pudding comes together in one pot and a blender. It's a sweet, creamy and versatile dairy free dessert that tastes great on its own or in parfaits, trifles, pies and more.

Finished vanilla pudding in glasses topped with berries and whipped cream.
Top with fresh berries and (vegan) whipped cream for a delicious dessert.

Remember those pudding cups you'd get in school lunches growing up? This vegan vanilla pudding tastes surprisingly similar, but without the dairy!

It's sweet, custard-like, smooth, and absolutely delicious. Better yet, it's super versatile. You can use this as a base for other dessert recipes, like trifles, parfaits, or even a no-bake pie.

Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • Uses for Vanilla Pudding
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Dessert Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Quick and easy: You only need 6 ingredients and about 15 minutes of hands on work to make this pudding. It's a great recipe for any skill level!
  • Make ahead dessert: This is the type of recipe you can make up to a few days ahead of time, so it's a great option for holidays or dinner parties that require a lot of prep time.
  • Extremely versatile: There are so many ways to enjoy this vegan vanilla pudding! It's great on its own, in a trifle or a parfait and so much more (see below for more suggestions).

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan vanilla pudding:

Vegan vanilla pudding ingredients including oat milk and cashews.
Feel free to use any dairy free milk you prefer!

Ingredient Notes

  • Nondairy milk: We typically use oat milk, which has a relatively neutral flavor and a creamy consistency. If you want your pudding to be even creamier, try using 1 cup of nondairy milk and 1 cup of nondairy creamer or a heavy cream subsitute.
  • Cashews: Cashews make for a thick, super creamy pudding texture once blended. Make sure to use unsalted, unroasted (raw) cashews in this recipe. It's also important to soak your cashews in water ahead of blending so they can soften, otherwise they may not fully blend.
  • Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is the best option in this vegan vanilla pudding. You can use a liquid sweetener if preferred (agave or maple syrup), but note that it will make the color significantly darker.
  • Cornstarch: This is the key ingredient to make sure your pudding thickens up correctly. You can also use arrowroot starch.
  • Vanilla extract: Have some pricey vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste sitting in your pantry? Now's the time to use it! For a strong vanilla flavor, we recommend using a good quality vanilla extract. Feel free to sub in vanilla bean paste or the beans from 1 vanilla pod for 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract for an extra strong flavor.
  • Kosher salt: We always use Diamond brand kosher salt in our recipes unless otherwise. We do not recommend using table salt. Sea salt is fine to use, but it has a finer grain than kosher salt, so you may want to start with less and add more if needed.

Instructions

PREP: Soak cashews in warm or room temperature water for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse. 

STEP 1: Add cashews, milk, sugar, cornstarch, 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and the salt to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

Left: pudding ingredients in the blender. Right: pudding ingredients after blending.
Blend until completely smooth – there shouldn't be any cashew pieces.

STEP 2: Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.

STEP 3: Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until it thickens, about 15 minutes, whisking frequently so it doesn't stick or form clumps.

Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Left: pudding mixture in a saucepan. Right: thickened mixture in saucepan.
Whisk frequently to prevent lumps from forming.

Uses for Vanilla Pudding

  • Enjoy plain as a dessert topped with fresh berries, jam and/or vegan whipped cream.
  • Add chia seeds and let it sit overnight for a sweet and easy vanilla chia pudding.
  • Make a trifle: Alternate layers of vanilla pudding, our vegan lemon cake, and fresh fruit, then top with the nondairy whipped cream of your choice for the perfect trifle.
  • Parfaits: Vegan vanilla pudding can be used in layered parfaits. Alternate layers of pudding with layers of fresh fruit and granola for a delicious and healthy dessert.
  • Pudding pie: This pudding can be used as the filling for a pie. Simply pour the pudding into a pre-baked crust and let it chill in the refrigerator until set. You can also add a layer of fresh fruit on top for added flavor and texture.
  • Pudding pops: Freeze the pudding mixture in popsicle molds for a cool and refreshing treat on a hot day.

Tips and FAQs

  • Stir constantly: While the pudding is cooking on the stove, be sure to whisk frequently to prevent burning/clumping.
  • Blend thoroughly before cooking to make sure your vegan vanilla pudding is as smooth and creamy as possible! This is especially important because of the cashews – you don't want any cashew pieces in the pudding.
  • The pudding will thicken after a few hours in the fridge, so don't be too concerned if it doesn't look thick enough when it comes off the stove.
  • Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge. It should keep for about 3-5 days.
Can you freeze vegan pudding?

No, vegan pudding does not freeze well as it can separate and become grainy when thawed.

Overhead of the finished pudding in little glasses.
We love using this vegan vanilla pudding in trifles!

More Dessert Recipes to Enjoy

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    Vegan Toffee

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Finished vegan vanilla pudding in a glass topped with berries.

Vegan Vanilla Pudding


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  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

With only 6 ingredients, this easy Vegan Vanilla Pudding comes together in one pot and a blender. It's a sweet, creamy and versatile dairy free dessert that tastes great on its own or in parfaits, trifles, pies and more.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups nondairy milk (we used oat milk)
  • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 2 hours
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3-4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in warm or room temperature water for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse. 
  2. Add cashews, milk, sugar, cornstarch, 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and the salt to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  3. Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.
  4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until it thickens, about 15 minutes, whisking frequently so it doesn't stick or form clumps.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Cornstarch: You can substitute with arrowroot starch. 

Sugar: You can use a liquid sweetener (like maple syrup or agave), but the color of the pudding will be much darker.

Stir constantly: While the pudding is cooking on the stove, be sure to whisk frequently to prevent burning/clumping.

The pudding will thicken more as it cools, so don't be too concerned if it doesn't look thick enough when it comes off the stove.

Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge. It should keep for about 3-5 days.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It may vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

  • Prep Time: 60 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 251
  • Sugar: 19.4 g
  • Sodium: 101.5 mg
  • Fat: 12 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.5 g
  • Fiber: 1.6 g
  • Protein: 5.3 g

Keywords: vegan vanilla pudding

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Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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