Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding

Looking for a homemade chocolate pudding without the dairy milk? This Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding recipe is for you! Only 10 minutes to make and 7 simple ingredients.This recipe is egg-free and can easily be made vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free!

With a blend of almond milk and coconut milk and lots of chocolate, this Almond Milk Chocolate Pudding has a creamy and velvety texture and tons of rice chocolate taste. It's quick, it's simple and it's full of rich flavor.

This is not a recipe using instant pudding, but rather an easy from scratch recipe using only 7 ingredients that takes about 10 minutes to make!

It takes just one easy change to make your homemade chocolate almond milk pudding vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free so it's suitable for those of us with dietary restrictions.

Or have some fun with it during the holiday season and make peppermint chocolate pudding or mint chocolate pudding (see below for how!). Use it in our holiday dessert recipes, like Halloween pudding cups and Easter pudding cups.

We love using almond milk in our recipes whenever we can, not just to make them dairy-free but to make them a little better for us. Almond milk has less calories than dairy milk and is rich in many vitamins and minerals.

Our chocolate almond milk pudding is also made with part coconut milk. The coconut milk helps to create a rich and thick pudding. And despite the fact that we're using two nut based milks in our recipe, the pudding tastes like neither.

The combination of coconut and almond milks plus lots of melted chocolate chips make a perfectly rich and chocolate flavored pudding. It's taste cannot be surpassed with store bought pudding!

Ingredients

• Almond milk: plain unsweetened almond milk is used here, but unsweetened vanilla almond milk is good too if you'd like a little vanilla flavor.
• Coconut milk: this recipe uses full fat coconut milk to ensure the pudding gets thick and creamy. Don't use coconut milk labeled "low fat", "light" or "reduced fat". If you use low fat coconut milk, the result will be a thin consistency.
• Cocoa powder: unsweetened cocoa powder gives the pudding a deep, rich chocolate flavor. Try to avoid baking cocoa as it has a very sweet flavor and stick to natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Chocolate chips: use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips, depending on the flavor you prefer.
• Sugar: white sugar is my favorite in terms of taste, but unrefined coconut sugar can be used for a healthier option.
• All-purpose flour: acts as a thickener for the pudding.
• Vanilla extract: a delicious substitution for vanilla extract is chocolate extract (though this is not always easy to find)!

Step-By-Step Instructions

STEP 1: In a medium saucepan, combine the all-purpose flour, white sugar, and cocoa powder (don't turn on the heat yet). Slowly pour in the 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk and can of coconut milk. Turn the burner on to medium heat. Constantly whisk until the milks begin to boil.

STEP 2: Whisk constantly for 2 more minutes once boiling. You'll feel the pudding begin to thicken a lot here. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in the cup of chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use a bit more for stronger flavor if desired). Add a pinch of salt and whisk slowly until chocolate chips are fully melted and pudding mixture is smooth.

STEP 3: Transfer the warm pudding to a bowl for storing and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap down so it's touching the top of the pudding. Chill for 2-3 hours, until pudding is completely set.

Mix-In and Topping Ideas

• Whipped cream: traditional whipped cream, coconut whipped cream, peppermint whipped cream and cool whip are wonderful toppings for chocolate almond milk pudding.
• Fresh fruit: strawberry, raspberry, kiwi, oranges, cherries and bananas taste wonderful in chocolate recipes.
• Chopped nuts: almonds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts.
• Shredded coconut: unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut, especially with fruit.
• Rainbow sprinkles: make it a fun treat for the kids by topping with rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry!
• Cocoa nibs: rich cocoa nibs or broken pieces of a chocolate bar.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• If the chilled pudding is too thick for you, add a little more almond milk and whisk until it's blended in. Add as much milk as needed to thin it out as you'd like.
• To chill, place a piece of plastic wrap over the pudding and gently press down on it so it touches the top of the pudding. This will prevent a film from forming on the top, which would create flakes in the pudding if mixed into it.

Recipe FAQs

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