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Up close shot of hand holding a glass of chocolate pudding.

5-Minute Vegan Chocolate Pudding (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)


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5 from 5 reviews

Description

The simplest vegan chocolate pudding you’ll ever make (it’s also gluten-free and dairy-free!). All you need is 5 minutes of hands-on time, a handful of ingredients, and a blender for this cashew chocolate pudding. How much easier does making a cashew dessert as decadent as this get? 


Ingredients

Units Scale

Instructions

  1. Combine Ingredients Together: Combine the soaked cashews, vanilla extract, coconut oil, maple syrup, filtered water, and cacao powder in a high-speed blender or food processor.
  2. Blend Well: Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. (If mixture is too thick, add 1 extra tablespoon of water at a time, and blending to get the pudding until it reaches your desired consistency).
  3. Chill to Thicken: Chill the vegan chocolate pudding in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to thicken.
  4. Garnish and Serve: Divide pudding into glasses and garnish with toasted coconut chips and enjoy!

Notes

Raw Cashews: Make sure you use unsalted raw cashews or your chocolate pudding is going to taste salty! Also, be sure to soak the raw cashews in filtered water for at least 2 hours so they are softer to blend and the pudding will be creamier.

Vanilla Extract: I like adding a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavor. It is not absolutely necessary, but highly recommended.

Coconut oil: I prefer using refined coconut oil as it has a neutral taste (as opposed to extra virgin coconut oil which has a stronger coconut flavor and smell). Note that as the vegan chocolate pudding chills in the refrigerator, it will thicken slightly because of the coconut oil in the mixture. If you don’t have a preference, you can eat the pudding straight after blending – it tastes just as good!

Maple syrup: If you prefer another sweetener, you can substitute the maple syrup with agave nectar, or liquid stevia (make sure to check substitution quantities according to brand). If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using monkfruit sweetener (a zero glycemic index sweetener).

Water: I use filtered water but you may also use non-dairy milks (such as almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, or coconut milk). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant or vegan, feel free to use normal milk instead.

Cacao Powder: I used raw unsweetened cacao powder without any artificial sweetener. Alternatively, if you only have cocoa powder, feel free to use that instead.

Storing: To store, place the vegan cashew pudding in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you may pre-serve the pudding in pudding cups and cover them with plastic wrap before storing in the fridge.

Inspired by: Detoxinista

This recipe was initially published in May 2020, but has since been republished to include clearer instructions, recipe notes and ingredient substitutions.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: American