Vegan Chocolate Pudding

Incredibly easy vegan chocolate pudding. Just 2 ingredients: coconut milk and chocolate. Dairy-free and paleo.

This rich and velvety vegan chocolate pudding is sure to satisfy even the most serious chocolate craving.

It may look and taste fancy, but this dairy-free dessert contains just two simple ingredients and takes less that 20 minutes to prepare.

The texture of this pudding is dense and rich thanks to full-fat coconut milk and good-quality dark chocolate. Mixed together, these two ingredients set into a creamy, spoonable chocolate pudding.

When shopping for dark chocolate, double check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain milk, whey, or casein. Some fairly common brands to look for are Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate, Alter Eco Dark Chocolate and Newman’s Own Super Dark Chocolate. (Also, if you are Paleo, look for dark chocolate that is sweetened with stevia or honey.)

You can vary the depth of the chocolate flavor by using lighter or darker chocolate. I like something in the 65% cocoa range.

This pudding is a fantastic dessert for dinner parties or any gathering. It is beautiful and simple to make, and you can prepare it a couple of days ahead to make your life easier. I love that it will please everyone at the party equally, from your vegan friends to the paleo folks to people who eat everything.

You could even serve it in shot glasses for an open house or cocktail party!

Vegan Chocolate Pudding Recipe

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Chilling time: 4 hours
  • Yield: 4 to 8 servings

Try steeping whole spices in the hot coconut milk for about 10 minutes, then strain through a sieve before reheating to melt the chocolate. If you’re adding extracts, add them a drop at a time at the same time as the vanilla.

Around the holidays, I often make this pudding with a dash of gingerbread spice or a drop of mint extract.

When shopping for dark chocolate, double check the ingredients to make sure it doesn’t contain milk, whey, or casein. Some fairly common brands are Green & Blacks Organic Dark Chocolate, Alter Eco Dark Chocolate and Newman’s Own Super Dark Chocolate. (Also, if you are Paleo, look for dark chocolate that is sweetened with stevia or honey.)

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 10 ounces dark chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • Optional garnishes: Whipped coconut cream, shaved chocolate, berries or other fresh fruit

Method

1 Warm the coconut milk: Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously before opening, then pour into a small saucepan. Heat the coconut milk to a simmer over medium heat. Stir often to avoid scorching. Warm for a couple of minutes, until the liquid almost comes to a boil. Immediately remove from heat.

2 Add the chocolate: Add a third of the chopped chocolate to the hot coconut milk. Stir gently until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Repeat with the remaining chocolate in two separate additions. Stir in the vanilla extract, if using.

3 Pour the pudding into jars, glasses, or ramekins. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

4 To serve: Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Top with garnishes of your choice or just serve with a spoon.