NOTE: This recipe does contain tree nuts (almond and cashews). At the end of this post, I will tell you of a dry pudding mix that will setup with dairy-free milk (at least it does with So Delicious Original Coconut Milk).
Okay, I am really excited about this recipe! My 3 year old LOVES chocolate pudding, but over the past 2 years that he has been “dairy-light,” I could not find a packaged pudding mix or a recipe that has actually turned out well for me. The mixes I have tried (with the exception of one, which I will tell you about in a minute), would not setup with our preferred dairy-free milks (Coconut [not the canned coconut milk], or Rice Milk). Every scratch recipe I have tried has produced a less than desirable rubbery texture; chocolate pudding “Knox Blox” (a.k.a. Jello Jigglers), if you will.
Once my youngest son’s Enterolab results came back positive for anti-Casein antibodies a few weeks ago, I stepped up my search for a creamy dairy-free chocolate pudding and I hit pure gold yesterday! I have only made this recipe one time, so I would still like to tweak it a bit more to fit our nutritional needs (low to no added sugar), but I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you! 😀
I want to tell you about MimicCreme first. A few weeks ago, I discovered MimicCreme, a dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free cream substitute. I must say, I have been BLOWN AWAY by this product (and I am not dairy-free)!!
From the MimicCreme website:
MimicCreme is the non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free substitute for cream that truly is both tasty and healthy. And we make it available to you in five versions. There is an Unsweetened version; two sweetened versions– Sweetened, made from natural cane sugar and Sugar-free Sweetened made with a 100% natural sugar substitute– a Coffee Creamer (which is available in a convenient 16 oz. carton) and Healthy Top, the first totally non-dairy, non-soy, shelf-stable whipping cream.
The first product I ordered (yes, I paid for it), was the Healthy Top dairy-free, gluten-free soy-free whipping cream. Holy cannoli, this product is AMAZING! Everyone I had sample it, actually thought it was BETTER than homemade dairy-based whipped cream, and (since my old favorite was actually Cool Whip), I think this is much tastier than Cool Whip (and healthier to boot!).
The whipped topping you see on the chocolate pudding (in the above photo) is made from Healthy Top. I also used it to top the Strawberry Shortcake in my Gluten-Free Bisquick review, and as the filling in the gluten-free, dairy-free Cream Puff photo I shared in a recent post (I will get that recipe up shortly, I promise).
Then, two weeks ago, while on our way to California for our family vacation, we made a stop in Arizona to visit with Kim (of Cook It Allergy Free) and her family. Kim cooked a delicious meal for us, and for dessert, she made a dairy-free chocolate fondue, using the Sweetened MimicCreme. Pure heaven!
So last weekend, while shopping at my local Co-Op (La Montanita on Rio Grande Blvd. for my fellow Albuquerqueans), I saw that they now carry the MimicCreme Sweetened and Unsweetened varieties. So, I bought several of each and that brings me to this pudding recipe!
This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, over at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.
I found a recipe online by Chef Joe Toma for MimicCreme Vanilla Pudding and he offers a variation for Chocolate Pudding. I am going to list his recipe here just so I can tack on my changes/notes.
MimicCreme Vanilla Pudding by Chef Joe Toma
2 cups Unsweetened MimicCreme
¼ cup Sugar (I did use granulated sugar this first time around, plus a bit of Agave Nectar at the end, because I used a 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Bar by Ghirardelli for the chocolate. The end result was too bitter for our taste preference, so I will use something different next time; such as Sunspire’s Tropical Source GF/DF Chocolate Chips or Enjoy Life’s chocolate chips).
2 Egg Yolks
1 Whole Egg
2 tbs. + 1 tsp. Cornstarch (I am going to try this next time with Arrowroot, for those with corn allergies)
¼ cup Sugar
1/8 cup Butter (I used Dairy-Free Earth Balance)
1 tbs. Vanilla
- In saucepan dissolve the sugar in Unsweetened MimicCreme and bring to a boil and remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolk and whole egg then add cornstarch and sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the hot MimicCreme mixture to the egg mixture while mixing. It is important to add the hot MimicCreme mixture slowly so as not to “cook” the egg mixture while you are mixing.
- Return the combined mixture to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from heat.
- Stir in butter and vanilla (and melted chocolate, see variation below). Mix until butter is melted and pudding is smooth.
- Pour into individual serving dishes.
Variation:
Chocolate Pudding – 1 oz. melted chocolate may be added into hot mixture during Step 6. (I used 2-ounces of Ghirardelli’s 100% Cacao Unsweetened Baking Bar, see note above).
I plan on making the boy’s pudding cups for their lunchbox this year since we are trying to avoid the all chemicals, added dyes, sugars, sodium, etc., that are in most processed foods and Glad now has containers that are BPA-free!
Okay, now for a quick dairy-free Chocolate Pudding option. The Jello Brand Chocolate Cook and Serve Pudding will setup with So Delicious Original Coconut Milk (this is the only dairy-free milk substitute I have tried). For your reference, here is Kraft’s gluten free labeling policy. While I personally prefer not to use this version due to the high amount of sugar in the mix, this is the only version of Jello brand pudding (that I have found anyway) which does not contain any synthetic food dyes, so there’s a plus!
A 1/2 cup serving of the Jello Chocolate flavored Cook and Serve Pudding has 15 grams of sugar, way too much in my book, but like I said, it does firm up with So Delicious Original Coconut Milk:
I will be sharing a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and egg-free recipe next! 😀
And welcome to my blog!
Whether you're here looking for advice on how to go gluten free (with delicious kid-approved recipes of course!), or to read some of the latest medical research on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity...or even to read about one woman's rise from the depths of gluten-free despair to a place of downright enthusiasm, it makes no matter. The point is, you are here now so let's have some fun!
Thank you!! I'm bookmarking this one for sure. Cream based dairy dishes are the one thing I have not been able to replicate for my gluten/casein/soy free kidlet! And there is *very* little refined sugar in his diet too. I'm pretty excited about your share here!!
As for casein free milk substitutes, my son likes drinking rice milk. He drank skim milk before he was casein free, so the rice milk is a good switch out in terms of how thin they both are. I've heard from a lot of families whose kidlets were drinking 2% or even whole milk before they switched to casein free and the rice milk was too thin to feel like an equivalent. Drinking Hemp milk, because it is creamier, was a better switch out for them, plus it has protein.
Personally, I cannot stand the taste of rice milk, so when I'm making something for all of us & need a milk substitute I use either coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk, which I really like (try some unsweetened vanilla almond milk in a latte…delish!).
Thank you again for a fantastic share!! Our kidlet has been casein free for two and a half years now and the only things he missed were cheese (initially, but since Daiya has come out, that's no longer a problem!), yogurt (initially, but I found coconut yogurt last year, so that one is no longer a problem either), and something creamy….and now, that won't be something to miss either…which means there is no longer anything with casein in it that he misses!! Yahoooooo!! :>
Karen: YEA!!!! 😀 I so love to hear that, especially for the little ones! I agree with everything you said, Luke loves Rice Milk (Whole Foods brand is what we use), and he drank Hemp milk for a long time before the economy tanked and we had to find a less expensive alternative for everyday use (Luke drinks A LOT of "milk!"). I use the So Delicious Coconut Milk for cooking and baking, Luke loves the coconut milk yogurts and Sam drinks the Hazelnut Coconut Creamer in his decaf on the weekend (yes, he is only 6 and no, I don't get it either, LOL!). We all love the So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream, in fact I think it's better that dairy-based ice cream.
Luke is a fan of Daiya cheese too! I have been meaning to give the GF Goldfish Cracker recipe a try with the Daiya Cheddar Shreds, but time has run short on me this summer (thankfully school starts soon!). 😉
Dairy-Free is definitely getting tastier!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I became allergic to milk when I was 16 and had been having milk anyways til I was 18 or 19, then got seriously ill once (think food poisoning, but only from drinking some milk). Since then I have been on a mission to find a healthy and yummy substitute for the things I love, and you have provided one of them. As I'm sure you know, soy DOES NOT set Jello Pudding so I was very happy to find this recipe.
Also the comment about coconut yogurt has got me super excited! Thanks for all the great tips and ideas.
Thanks for the Link Love, my dear! I am literally going to make the Vanilla Mimic Creme pudding right now for a surprise for dessert! We were just at Whole Food's and the boys saw pudding cups and Conner was telling me how ALL of his friends get to bring them to school. I told him, "Thank goodness you are not like all of your friends and you get the special homemade (and healthier) version of those!!" ;0)
Okay, off to thicken some pudding!
Thanks again, Heidi!
PS The countdown is on!
PPS An email coming your way about our project!
xox
k
Forgot about the ice cream! lol How could I though?! There are probably five different flavors in our freezer right now! We used to get one flavor of the So Deliscious, but the store wasn't always consistent about carrying it and when it was out one time, we tried Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss……and yes, it is bliss! :> My daughter likes the Mint Galactica (even Hubby loves that one), Naked (coconut), and Vanilla and my son's favorite is Hazelnut Fudge. Sooo tasty and they only have a handful of ingredients, all organic, in each one. I get it at Whole Foods and every time they go on sale, I stock up!
Thanks for posting this!
I have been looking for gluten-free dairy-free chocolate recipes. I'm going shopping tomorrow, look forward to trying to make this pudding tomorrow night!
All I have to say is OMG! I already love all the dairy free solutions you mentioned (So Delicious, & Daiya) but have not seen the Mimic Creme. I am super excited and hoping it will be coming to a store near me soon. My son does not have a confirmed allergy or intolerance to Dairy (allergy tests have come out negative) but he can't seem to tolerate it. One drop of it in his food tears up his tummy. I notice that I feel better without it, but miss my dairy. I too don't like the soy. It looks like pudding and whipped cream will be in my future soon (hopefully). Thanks!
Hi, Came across this recipe while Googling for recipes. Congrats on an excellent blog! I'm an adult sans kids, but I've been plagued by food allergies my entire life. I just wanted to point out for your readers that if foods aren't rotated, new allergies will develop. So don't just use rice milk every day, use "milk" made from rice, then almond, then hemp or something. The voice of experience here.. I am now allergic to rice!! And soy. 🙂 Thanks again for a great site, and I look forward to reading more of your recipes.
Hi Heidi!
I wanted to share that I tried making the cook and serve Jello pudding using almond milk instead of coconut milk and it works perfectly!
Thanks for sharing this. 🙂
Woo-Hoo! That is great to know Cinde, thanks for sharing! :0)
I have been lurking on your site for some time and have found so many yummy recipes (the GF ravioli and vegan ranch are our favorites!!) but just stumbled on this recipe. It sounds great! But my son is also allergic to eggs, I was wondering if you have any tips on an egg free version?
My recent post Wheat and Soy Free Vegan Crispy Baked Eggplant
I’m in tears right now. No lie. I have spent months of frustration and deprivation with my kids intolerances and it hit me hard today when I found out that my daughter’s class is making dirt pies on Friday, and I just KNEW there was no chance of find dairy, gluten AND soy free pudding mix that all my kids could eat. THANK YOU, so, so, so, much. I will definitely be tuning into your blog more regularly to figure out how to rise from the depths of my kids’ food allergies. It has been a long, exhausting, awful uphill battle.