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    Home » Simple Vegan Recipes » Desserts

    Southern-style vegan vanilla pudding

    Last Modified: Sep 7, 2021 by Becky Striepe

    Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Recipe Video Print
    glasses of vegan vanilla pudding layered with strawberries and blueberries
    glasses of vegan vanilla pudding layered with strawberries and blueberries, text overlay
    glasses of vegan vanilla pudding layered with strawberries and blueberries, text overlay

    Creamy, southern-style vegan vanilla pudding is rich, thick, and so satisfying. Serve it with your favorite fruit or layer it into a classic banana pudding.

    glasses of vegan vanilla pudding layered with strawberries and blueberries

    Oh my word, y'all. It took me ages to perfect this vanilla pudding recipe. I tried so many bases:

    • silken tofu with ground chia seeds
    • firm tofu
    • oat milk with ground chia seeds
    • cashews

    The thing about vanilla is that it has a delicate flavor. Nothing is there to mask any other tastes, and all of these had other tastes that overpowered the finished product.

    I was truly about to give up when I decided to try something different: a classic, Southern-style stovetop pudding method.

    And, y'all. It worked! It's so easy, and I can't wait for you to try it.

    Jump To:
    • Important recipe notes
    • How to serve and store it
    • Vegan vanilla pudding recipe

    blue table with measuring bowls of milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and salt

    Important recipe notes

    The vegan vanilla pudding uses oat milk as the base with cornstarch to thicken it.

    You can use other plant-based milks, as long as they are nice and creamy. I would not recommend homemade milks for this recipe, because the gums or thickeners in boxed plant milks actually work in your favor in this recipe.

    If you don't do cornstarch, you can use potato starch instead, same amount. I have not tested this recipe with arrowroot or other thickeners.

    If your plant milk is very sweet, you may want to back off on the added sugar. If it's unsweetened, you may want to add another tablespoon.

    It is fine to add sugar later on in the cooking process, so start low and add to taste.

    The last important thing to know is that whisking is critical! When you add the cold milk to the cornstarch/sugar/salt mixture, whisk well until there are absolutely no lumps.

    Once you turn on the stove, whisk constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, especially at first. The cornstarch is going to want to fall to the bottom of the pan, so you need to keep it moving to get a nice, thick pudding.

    It takes about 10 minutes of cooking to get the pudding nice and thick. At that point, turn off the heat and add the vanilla. Adding the vanilla at the end allows it to retain more of its flavor.

    How to serve and store it

    After you add the vanilla, let the pudding cool for a bit, then either serve or transfer to your storage container. You can eat it warm or let it set up in the fridge. It will firm up more as it chills.

    I like to eat this layered up with seasonal fruit. Berries are my favorite, but sliced peaches or nectarines are really nice in this, too.

    You can also use this pudding to make the vegan banana pudding of your dreams!

    The finished pudding will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator.

    glasses of vegan vanilla pudding layered with strawberries and blueberries

    Vegan vanilla pudding recipe

    Creamy, southern-style vegan vanilla pudding is rich, thick, and so satisfying. Serve it with your favorite fruit or layer it into a classic banana pudding.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Southern, Vegan
    Keyword: vegan vanilla pudding
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 194kcal
    Author: Becky Striepe

    Ingredients

    • 6 tablespoons cornstarch - or potato starch (see note)
    • ¼ cup organic sugar - (see note)
    • scant ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups oat milk - or your favorite plant milk (see note)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour in the oat milk, whisking to completely dissolve the dry ingredients.
    • Turn the stove on low, and cook, whisking almost constantly, for around 10 minutes. Your pudding is done when it reaches that nice, thick pudding consistency. Do keep in mind that it will firm up when you chill it, but it should still be pretty thick at this point.
    • Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the vanilla extract. Serve the pudding warm or chilled (see note).

    Video

    Notes

    Please be sure to whisk almost constantly as you cook the pudding. Whisking is what stands between you and lumpy pudding.
    You can use cornstarch or potato starch in this recipe. I have not tested it with any other thickeners.
    If your vegan milk is very sweet, you may want to back off on the sugar some. If you are using unsweetened milk, then you may need another tablespoon of sugar. It's fine to add sugar, to taste, during the cooking process.
    I do not recommend homemade plant milk for this recipe. Boxed plant milks contain thickeners that work in your favor in this recipe.
    If you're going to chill the pudding, let it cool on the counter for 10 minutes or so before transferring to your storage container. Hot-off-the-stove pudding could shatter your glass, and then you won't have pudding to eat!
    Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan vanilla pudding recipe
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    194
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    2
    g
    3
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    0.003
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    0.003
    g
    Sodium
     
    159
    mg
    7
    %
    Potassium
     
    92
    mg
    3
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    41
    g
    14
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    27
    g
    30
    %
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    369
    IU
    7
    %
    Calcium
     
    259
    mg
    26
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo!Mention @GlueAndGlitter on Instagram or Twitter!

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    About Becky Striepe

    Headshot of Becky Striepe in front of a teal wall

    Hi there! I'm Becky Striepe (rhymes with sleepy), and I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here.

    Learn more about me >>>

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Bobbi

      February 17, 2023 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      I made it with oatmilk and some vanilla bean- so so good!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        February 20, 2023 at 9:48 am

        Oh I bet vanilla bean gave it such an amazing flavor!

        Reply
    2. Darlene Smith

      February 14, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      Has anyone tried using this as a base for vegan oat milk ice cream?

      Reply
    3. Ariane

      January 20, 2022 at 6:36 pm

      I used this recipe as a base to veganize a favorite citrus custard I have been making every January for years now, when bergamot oranges and Meyer lemons come into season. I used Meyer lemons and replaced about 1/2 cup of the oat milk (I used Planet Oat Extra Creamy) with the juice of the lemons, and also stirred in the zest of the lemons (about 1 1/2 tbsp).
      Came out great! Nice jumping off point for all kinds of puddings and custards.

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        January 21, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        That's great to hear, Ariane! I'm curious about how it came out replacing half the milk with juice. Did it still thicken up ok? I haven't tested it that way, but it sounds delicious, if it worked well!

        Reply
    4. Wendy V

      December 04, 2021 at 4:08 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe because it aligned with the migraine elimination diet that I am currently following. I used Oatly and the recipe is quite good. I bet it would be even better with a milder milk like almond. I also worried about it not thickening up and I ended up raising the heat a bit which helped- I must have had it too low. After several days in the refrigerator it started to separate but we just gave it a stir and it was perfect!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        December 05, 2021 at 8:19 pm

        I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, Wendy! Thank you for coming back to leave a comment and rating on the recipe.

        Reply
    5. Jen

      September 18, 2021 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      Worked wonderfully. I was worried it wasn't working, but then it thickened up quickly in the last few minutes of cooking. I hope more people try this recipe- easy and delicious!

      Reply
      • Becky Striepe

        September 20, 2021 at 9:46 am

        I know this feeling! Maybe I should add something about that in the recipe notes, so people don't have to fret.

        Reply

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    About Me

    Glue and Glitter
    Hi! My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”). I love using gadgets and shortcuts to create easy vegan comfort food recipes for busy people. Whether you love your Instant Pot, your air fryer, or just love delicious plant-based meals, stick around. You'll like it here. → READ MORE

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