This vegan vanilla pudding is smooth and creamy and so easy to make with 6 simple ingredients. Serve topped with vegan whipped cream for a fabulous dessert.
Ever since making our vegan chocolate pudding recipe I knew we needed to make a vegan vanilla pudding.
It’s divine served with vegan whipped cream (and some crushed Golden Oreo cookies on top) but you can also use it in other desserts such as vegan banana pudding.
What’s also great is that it keeps super well in the fridge for up to a week, so you can make up a batch and take care of your dessert needs ahead of time! Meal planning win.
Also check out our vegan custard which is made in a similar way to these puddings but works wonderfully poured over other desserts like vegan sticky toffee pudding.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan butter – can be swapped for coconut oil, though vegan butter works best for flavor.
- Cornstarch – works as the thickening agent in this pudding recipe. If you don’t want to use cornstarch you could experiment with tapioca or arrowroot, but we have not tested this ourselves.
- Soy milk – works great for this as it’s a creamy non-dairy option, but I’m sure you could use any non-dairy milk that heats well.
How To Make Vegan Vanilla Pudding – Step By Step
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add white granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt to a saucepan and whisk them together.
- Add soy milk slowly and whisk it in. Heat on medium heat and whisk constantly while it heats.
- Bring to the boil and let it boil for a full minute, whisking all the time, until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add vegan butter and vanilla extract and whisk in.
- Pour into small glasses or ramekins and smooth down.
- To prevent the puddings from forming a skin on top, you can top them with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is pressed directly onto the surface of the puddings.
- Place into the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.
- Serve topped with vegan whipped cream and crushed Golden Oreo cookies (optional).
Chef’s Tips
Medium heat. If you try to speed up the process by using too high a heat, your pudding could burn. So medium heat works best.
Stir/whisk constantly. To prevent lumps from forming you have to be hands on all the way with this pudding – whisk or stir non-stop as it heats and then as it boils and thickens.
It must be thickened before you remove it from the heat. Usually once it reaches a boil you will need at least one full minute of boiling and whisking for it to thicken, but if it is not noticeably thickened, then you may need even a little longer.
Plastic wrap is optional. If you don’t mind it forming a skin on top (I don’t see that as any big deal) then you don’t need to worry about the plastic wrap. But to avoid a skin from forming, covering with plastic wrap (so that it touches the surface of the pudding) works great.
Make Ahead, Storing and Freezing
Make Ahead: This vegan vanilla pudding is a perfect make ahead dessert as it needs to set in the fridge anyway, so if you want to make it the day before that will be perfect.
Storing: These puddings will keep very well in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: They are not ideal for freezing.
More Vegan Desserts
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Vegan Custard
- Vegan Apple Crisp
- Vegan Bread Pudding
- Vegan Chia Pudding
- Mango Chia Pudding
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Vanilla Pudding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup White Granulated Sugar (150g)
- 3 Tbsp Cornstarch
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 ¼ cups Soy Milk (540ml)
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Serving (Optional):
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Crushed Golden Oreo Cookies
Instructions
- Add white granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt to a saucepan and whisk them together.
- Add soy milk slowly and whisk it in. Heat on medium heat and whisk constantly while it heats.
- Bring to the boil and let it boil for a full minute, whisking all the time, until it thickens.
- Remove from the heat and add vegan butter and vanilla extract and whisk in.
- Pour into small glasses or ramekins and smooth down.
- To prevent the puddings from forming a skin on top, you can top them with plastic wrap (optional) so that the plastic wrap is pressed directly onto the surface of the puddings.
- Place into the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.
- Serve topped with vegan whipped cream and crushed Golden Oreo cookies (optional).
Notes
- Cornstarch – works as the thickening agent in this pudding recipe. If you don’t want to use cornstarch you could experiment with tapioca or arrowroot, but we have not tested this ourselves.
- Soy milk – works great for this as it’s a creamy non-dairy option, but I’m sure you could use any non-dairy milk that heats well.
- Vegan butter – can be swapped for coconut oil, though vegan butter works best for flavor.
- Make Ahead: This vanilla pudding is a perfect make ahead dessert as it needs to set in the fridge anyway, so if you want to make it the day before that will be perfect.
- Storing: These puddings will keep very well in the fridge for up to a week.
- Nutritional information is for pudding only and excludes the optional vegan whipped cream and crushed cookies.
So simple and so delicious!
I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, added extra vanilla and added the butter.
I layered a few banana slices in a couple servings and it was so good!
The consistency begins silky like traditional pudding, after a day in the fridge, it becomes slightly congealed but still good. A little stir and it was creamy again.
Will definitely keep this recipe around for the future. I think it would be good as a creme brulee.
Thanks!
Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
Hi! This recipe tastes PERFECT! The consistency was more jello like for me and slides off a spoon, did I cook it too long or should I reduce starch next time maybe? I did use arrowroot.
Hi Chelsea, it might be that the arrowroot amount was too much, I haven’t tried it with arrowroot myself so I can’t advise. So glad the taste was good though!
Hello Alison,
I am very excited to try this recipe out, but before I do I have a question about the vegan butter. I would prefer not to use coconut oil, but the vegan butter I own is lightly salted. Will it make it taste different, or should I be okay using salted butter?
Thanks and happy baking,
Deanna
Salted vegan butter is absolutely perfect and what I use. 🙂
This was so easy and so delicious!! I used unsweetened vanilla flaxseed milk and it came out great! Topped with some chocolate chips because why not? I really loved this recipe, it’s a new staple in my house. Can’t wait to play around with other add-ins and toppings!
Awesome Sara! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is AMAZING! Can’t believe how easy it is to make and so much better than the store-bought puddings. Definitely a keeper.
This is the first time I’ve had a less than perfect result from one of your recipes. It’s didn’t set. It’s more like a lovely vanilla cream sauce. I followed it exactly. I make my chocolate pudding frequently which is similar but with more cornstarch. I’ll try again with an extra tablespoon of cornstarch. Otherwise….it will be delish drizzled on fruit salad!
Hi Bonnie, sorry to hear it didn’t set! I would think it might have needed to boil a bit longer. It should be quite thick before coming off the heat.