Creamy 5-Minute Peanut Butter Pudding (Dairy-Free)

A while back, someone close to me was on a super strict elimination diet…no gluten, dairy, etc. plus staying away from refined sugars.  As we were planning a dinner party, my eyes lit on this creamy peanut butter pudding that I’d had bookmarked for a while…specifically, a dairy-free pudding (obviously gluten-free) with just a hint of maple syrup.

I decided to give it a whirl, and fell in love with this recipe because it is shockingly easy.  

(One quick caveat on the “5-minute” piece…it only takes five minutes to make this pudding.  However, it does need to cool in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, and ideally longer.  So just keep that in mind when making.)

The peanut butter is strong enough to overpower the coconut-y flavor of the milk base, though other nut butters should work as well.  It’s minimally sweetened by maple syrup, but I would love to try honey at some point, to give this a “peanut butter & honey” vibe.

It’s a dairy-free pudding (and vegan, I might add) by virtue of a coconut milk base.  We’re talking the good canned stuff, not the boxed “for drinking” nonsense. 

I will note that the quality of your coconut milk really does matter, and in particular whether it has additives and stabilizers.  I use this Chakoah coconut milk (I order it by the case, since I go through so much, for curries and such).  Trader Joe’s full-fat canned coconut milk is usually a good mass option too.

What I love about this peanut butter pudding recipe is that it’s very flexible, so can scale up or down as needed…like when I made the dressing for my delicious thai chicken salad, but it only used half the can of coconut milk, I just roughly halved the rest of the ingredients and VOILA!  

To make this, we add the coconut milk and cornstarch or arrowroot powder to a saucepan and whisk to combine.

Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened (approximately 5 minutes, but may be less).

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. 

Taste and adjust flavor as needed (realizing that when it’s cool, the flavors will pop a bit more)…you may need to adding more maple syrup for sweetness, salt, or peanut butter. 

Pour the mixture into a heat-proof glass container and let cool on the countertop for 10 minutes.

Then cover the pudding with plastic wrap or parchment paper so that it touches the surface of the pudding completely (to prevent a film).  See photos if this doesn’t make sense.

Chill for at least a few hours before eating, or ideally overnight. 

Serve your dairy-free pudding as-is, or topped with coconut whipped cream, crushed peanuts, or cacao nibs. It would also work well as a pie filling!  Leftovers should last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I love knowing that I can whip this up on a whim and have a little treat myself, or be able to accommodate a last-minute guest with restrictions…something they rarely expect and are always super excited about!

Other delicious desserts that are great for dietary restrictions:

• The Best, Easy Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes (gluten-free)
• Chocolate, Cinnamon, & Almond Loaf Cake (gluten-free)
• Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream (dairy-free, naturally gluten-free)
• Healthy Banana Almond Butter Donuts with Chocolate Glaze (gluten-free, dairy-free, no refined sugar)
• The Best Black Bean Brownies (naturally gluten-free, can be dairy-free)

Adapted slightly from Minimalist Baker

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5-Minute Creamy Dairy-Free Peanut Butter Pudding (Vegan)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

This creamy, delicious peanut butter pudding is dairy-free and naturally vegan, and only takes 5 minutes to whip up! A great dessert option for gluten-free, dairy-free, and other dietary restrictions.

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Ingredients

• 1 can (13.5 ounces) of full-fat coconut milk (see notes; NOT the boxed kind)
• 2-3 heaping teaspoons of cornstarch
• 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup (try with honey)
• 1/3 cup of creamy salted peanut butter (to taste)
• A couple big pinches of sea salt or flaky salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add coconut milk and cornstarch/arrowroot to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
2. Cook over medium heat until bubbly and thickened (approximately 5 minutes, but may be less).
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.  Taste and adjust flavor as needed (realizing that when it's cool, the flavors will pop a bit more)...you may need to adding more maple syrup for sweetness, salt, or peanut butter.
4. Pour the mixture into a heat-proof glass container and let cool on the countertop for 10 minutes. Then cover the pudding with plastic wrap or parchment paper so that it touches the surface of the pudding completely (to prevent a film).  See photos if this doesn't make sense.
5. Chill for at least a few hours before eating, or ideally overnight. 
6. Serve as-is or topped with coconut whipped cream, crushed peanuts, or cacao nibs. It would also work well as a pie filling!  Leftovers should last in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Notes

1. The quality of your coconut milk really does matter, and in particular whether it has additives and stabilizers.  I used this Chakoah coconut milk and it was amazing.  Trader Joe's regular and reduced-fat canned coconut milk are good mass options too.
2. It's easy to scale this recipe up or down (like if you have half a can of coconut milk left to use up, just roughly cut back the rest of the ingredients by half...it's very forgiving).
3. I haven't had a chance to yet, but you could try swapping honey for the maple syrup, to give this a "peanut butter & honey" vibe.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Pyrex Simply Store 10-Pc Glass Food Storage Container Set
• 
  Anthony's Organic Corn Starch, Non GMO
• 
  Chaokoh Coconut Milk Unsweetened