This easy vegan chocolate pudding features a creamy mousse layer topped by a richer, darker chocolate layer for an indulgent finish. Garnish with cocoa powder, grated chocolate, or a dollop of coconut cream for an elegant dessert.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- More Vegan Chocolate Desserts
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding Recipe
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tips
- How to Make Chocolate Pudding (step pictures)
- Frequently Asked Questions
This chocolate pudding is rich, silky, and satisfying—perfect for any chocolate craving. The texture sits between a mousse and a pudding and can be adjusted by chilling longer for a firmer mousse-like result or refrigerating for a softer, pudding-like consistency.
Made with just a handful of ingredients and easily blended, this recipe comes together quickly. Use cocoa powder or shaved chocolate to finish, or serve it over cake or freeze it for a scoopable ice cream.
Why You’ll Love Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Rich, creamy base with a light, mousse-like texture
- Two contrasting chocolate layers for depth and decadence
- Made with simple ingredients
- Naturally gluten-free and soy-free
- Options for nut-free or coconut-free variations
More Vegan Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Snickers Cake
- Brookie
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cake
Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Equipment
-
blender
-
double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water)
Ingredients
For the base mousse:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 15-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
For the darker layer:
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For topping:
- Cocoa powder or grated chocolate; optional whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Make the mousse:
- Soak the cashews in hot water at least 15 minutes (or up to an hour). Drain and add to a blender with the coconut milk, vanilla, almond extract, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. Blend for one minute, let the mixture rest five minutes, then blend again. Repeat until the mixture is completely smooth and slightly fluffy.
Make the darker layer:
- Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth, then remove from heat. Stir in half of the blended mousse mixture until combined. If the mousse is too cold and won’t mix, briefly warm the bowl over the double boiler while stirring until fully incorporated.
- Divide this darker mixture among serving cups and freeze for 15–30 minutes so it firms slightly and you can pour the next layer on top.
Assemble the pudding:
- Remove the cups from the freezer and pour the remaining mousse mixture over the darker layer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
- Finish with a dusting of cocoa powder, grated chocolate ribbons, or a spoonful of whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream.
Video
Notes
Nut-free: replace the cashews with 1 cup coconut cream (the solid white part from a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk).
Coconut-free: use 2 cups soaked raw cashews total, blended with 3/4 cup water or a neutral nondairy milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cashews and coconut milk form the creamy base. Swap proportions to make it more cashew-forward or more coconut-forward.
- Vanilla and almond extracts enhance the chocolate flavor—use vanilla alone if preferred.
- Cocoa powder provides the chocolate backbone.
- A pinch of salt brightens the chocolate while sugar balances the bitterness.
- Melted chocolate chips transform half the mixture into a deep, darker layer.
- Toppings: cocoa powder, grated chocolate, whipped coconut cream, or vanilla ice cream all work well.
Tips
- Soak cashews until soft—this is key for a smooth, creamy texture.
- Blend the mousse thoroughly and allow short rests between blends to achieve a silky, slightly airy result.
- Chill longer for a mousse-like set; shorter chilling keeps it pudding-soft.
How to Make Chocolate Pudding (step pictures)
Begin with the mousse: soak cashews in hot water for at least 15 minutes (longer if convenient). Drain and blend with coconut milk, extracts, cocoa, salt, and sugar. Blend, rest five minutes, and blend again until very smooth and slightly fluffy.
For the darker layer: melt chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth. Stir in half of the blended mousse mixture. If the mousse is cold and resists mixing, briefly warm the bowl over the double boiler and stir until uniform.
Divide the darker mixture between serving cups and freeze 15–30 minutes so it firms slightly. Then pour the remaining mousse on top and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Garnish with cocoa powder or chocolate ribbons, and serve with whipped coconut cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coconut cream is the thick, white portion that separates from the translucent liquid in a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk. Use only the white part when a recipe calls for coconut cream.
Vegan puddings can be made from a variety of bases. This recipe uses a blend of soaked cashews and coconut milk, but you can adapt it to be cashew-free or coconut-free as needed.
This pudding is naturally soy-free and gluten-free. To make it nut-free, substitute 1 cup coconut cream for the cashews. To make it coconut-free, use 2 cups soaked cashews blended with 3/4 cup water or nondairy milk.