Almond Milk Pudding
Updated Oct 15, 2026
A dairy-free almond milk vanilla pudding made with almond milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Makes about 2 cups of pudding.
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I grew up loving vanilla pudding, and I wanted this almond milk pudding to be creamy like I remembered. I was a little surprised it worked so well with just cornstarch. No eggs or anything. It does need time in the fridge, but once it’s chilled, it has that smooth pudding texture I wanted.
I’ll make this vanilla almond milk pudding ahead for dessert. Then when the kids want some, I’m just adding berries and maybe a little whipped cream. That part depends on what we have.
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Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this almond milk pudding recipe.
I walked away while the pudding was heating and ended up with lumps I couldn’t get out. I stood there whisking for a while to fix it, but it didn’t get any smoother, so I trashed it. It only needs a few minutes on the stove, so now I stay with it.
It thickens more after chilling, too. I want it to thicken a bit on the stove, but it doesn’t need to be as firm as I want it when I’m eating it.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Almond Milk Pudding Ingredients
- Pudding base: Almond milk, granulated sugar, and cornstarch form the base of the vegan pudding. Use plain, unsweetened almond milk so you can control how sweet it is. Oat milk also works. You can substitute the granulated sugar with honey or maple syrup, but they’ll make the pudding slightly darker.
- Vanilla extract: I love the flavor vanilla adds here, but you can also try a citrus, almond, or mint extract. A little goes a long way!
- For serving: I top the pudding with vegan whipped cream and fresh berries!
How to Make Almond Milk Pudding
These photos show how to make Almond Milk pudding for dessert. The full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below, or you can jump straight to the → Vegan Vanilla Pudding Recipe
1. Combine the milk and sugar
Pour the almond milk into a small saucepan and stir in the sugar.
2. Whisk in the cornstarch
Add the cornstarch and break up any visible lumps before the mixture gets hot so it stays smooth.
3. Simmer until thickened; add Vanilla
Keep the whisk moving as the mixture heats, reaching around the edges and across the bottom. Reduce the heat once it simmers and continue until the pudding is thick and smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt, if using.
4. Add the Almond Milk Pudding To Cups
You’ll end up with right around 2 cups of finished pudding. Split four ways, that’s about ½ cup each.
Full Vegan Almond Milk pudding
Almond Milk Pudding Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt if not included in your milk
- Whipped cream for serving
- Berries for serving
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the almond milk, cornstarch, and sugar, and stir well to combine all the ingredients together.
- Start whisking lightly but constantly as the mixture heats. It's important not to stop whisking in order to avoid any clumps. Once it reaches a simmer, turn down the heat to low and continue whisking.
- After whisking for about 5–7 minutes, the mixture will thicken like pudding. Stir in the vanilla extract and pinch of salt (if using), then divide the pudding equally into four cups or containers.
- Place the containers in the fridge for at least one hour to allow the pudding to set and chill.
- Serve with whipped cream and berries, if desired, and enjoy cold.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Banana and cookie crumbs: Top the chilled pudding with sliced banana and crushed vegan vanilla cookies just before serving so the cookies keep some crunch.
- Cinnamon: Whisk ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon into the milk mixture before cooking.
- Toasted coconut: Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes over the finished cups just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Start with a cool mixture. Whisk the milk, sugar, and cornstarch together before turning on the heat. Adding cornstarch directly to hot liquid can make it clump.
- Whisk your pudding constantly. Keep whisking the pudding throughout cooking so that you end up with a smooth, thick mixture.
- Get into the corners of the saucepan. The pudding can thicken along the bottom and edges first, so whisk through those areas instead of only stirring in the center.
- Give your pudding plenty of time to chill before serving. As it chills, the pudding will set and become firm. I recommend at least an hour of chilling time.
Troubleshooting
This almond milk pudding needs to reach a simmer and thicken on the stove before chilling. If it’s still thin in the saucepan, keep cooking and whisking over low heat until it has a pudding-like consistency. Once portioned, give it at least an hour in the fridge to set.
Try whisking vigorously while the pudding is still warm. If small lumps remain, push it through a fine-mesh strainer before dividing it into cups. For the next batch, make sure the cornstarch is fully mixed into the cool milk before heating.
A skin can form as the exposed surface cools. It doesn’t mean the whole batch has gone wrong. You can remove that layer or stir it into the pudding, though stirring may leave a less even texture. Covering the surface directly before chilling helps prevent it.
Comments
I don’t see any measurements or recipe on this page, only ingredients and instructions but not quantity of each ingredient
Hi! You can find the quantities and instructions in the recipe card, which I’ve linked here.
Recipe card link brings me to the same web page. must be something not loading on the page, or not accessible via phone. broken site?
Would this work with soy milk? We have a total nut anaphylactic allergy in our house so almond milk is out of the question. Is your tablespoon size 15 or 20ml? I’m in Australia and ours is 20ml. I think some countries have a 15ml capacity & that would make quite a difference. Would this recipe work for a cake topper (or middle & topper) could it be whipped after its set for on a cake to make it “fluffy”?
Great questions! Yes, soy milk should work well in this pudding. I recommend using an unsweetened, plain or vanilla soy milk with a simple ingredient list. Since soy milk can vary by brand, the pudding may need an extra minute or two of whisking to fully thicken. My tablespoon size is 15 ml. And I wouldn’t recommend this pudding as a cake topping because it won’t whip up light and fluffy after it sets. You could use it as a soft filling between cake layers, but be sure the cake and pudding are completely chilled, and keep the finished cake refrigerated. For the top, a vegan whipped cream or buttercream would be more stable. Hope that helps!
Made the recipe exactly as written. Came out like a glue/rubber consistency. Had to throw it away. 🙁
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear the texture didn’t turn out how you had hoped. There are a few things that could’ve gone wrong. Did you use the recommended amount of cornstarch? How long did you stir for? And did your almond milk have any additives?
A bit confused about the recommendation for making whipped cream to top a vegan pudding…?
You can make a homemade vegan whipped cream with with coconut cream! I like putting the can in the fridge and only use the solid coconut cream (I discard the liquid). You can whip by hand or with a mixer and add the sugar of choice.
Thanks very much, Yumna. The pudding tastes great! I topped it with some vegan lemon curd. Yum!
Yum, that sounds so good!! So happy you enjoyed it!
I was wondering what a good cornstarch substitution might be? I’m allergic to corn and can’t use it!
Great question! The best alternative is arrowroot powder because you can use it as a 1:1 substitution. You could also try tapioca starch, but you would probably need 2x the amount and I’m not sure how it might impact the flavor. Hope that helps!
Good recipe. I would add a note that, due to the nature of cornstarch, this pudding will begin to thin in the fridge after about 36 hours. The process is called “weeping” or syneresis, and occurs frequently with cornstarch as the starch and protein molecules contract, forcing water out of the swollen granules.
Huh, I didn’t know that! I haven’t had this issue myself but added a note to the recipe in case others do. Thanks for sharing, Matt!
Is there a vegan cream? Or you just omit the cream for vegans?
You can skip the whipped cream or make your own homemade vegan whipped cream with coconut cream! It works best if you put the can in the fridge and use the solid coconut cream, discarding the liquid. Whip by hand or with a mixer and add your sugar of choice. Enjoy!!
I have a question before making this. Where is all the fat coming from in this recipe?
Woah thank you so much for pointing this out, Jessica! Something was wrong with my nutrition calculator—this recipe has 2 grams of fat per serving, not 24! I’ve updated the recipe card; you should be able to see the accurate nutrition information now. Hope you enjoy!!
I was wondering if unsweetened soy milk could be used? I’m also slightly confused concerning the amount of cornstarch that should be added. Thanks to one of your of your commenters, I will use in an All Clad pot.
Hi Mary Ellen! I think that unsweetened soy milk will work, as long as it doesn’t have too many extra ingredients (I’ve found that additives can ruin the consistency of the pudding). You will need 3 tablespoons of cornstarch—the full recipe can be found at the bottom of the post (above the comments section). You can tap on ‘jump to recipe’ as a shortcut. An All Clad pot should work great. Hope it turns out amazing for you!!
Thank you for this recipe!!! We have a “Friendsmus” tomorrow and I have a vegan friend so I’m making banana dessert with this layered with vegan graham crackers, fresh bananas and topped with cinnamon and nutmeg! In terms of previous comments that it doesn’t thicken, I do think the non-reactive pan helps – I used an Our Place pan with enamel coating and it thickened in about 7 minutes. Thanks again!
Amazing!! So happy the recipe worked for you, Angela. I hope your vegan friend loves your dessert!! Thanks!
The flavor is ok, but the texture is like rubber. Didn’t care for it at all and will not make it again.
I’m sorry to hear the texture didn’t turn out how you had hoped, Bea. Did you use the recommended amount of cornstarch? And how long did you stir for?
Followed to the letter, stainless pan but with oat milk. 20 minutes of whisking and 2 extra tblsps of corn starch finally showed some thickening. In the refrigerator chilling BUT with the extra cornstarch (8g carbs per tblsp) now it is not a dairy free dessert I planned to be suitable for my diabetic husband. Brings the count from your stated 19 to 27 per serving. Ugh.
So sorry this didn’t come out as expected. Just so I understand, you had to add 2 additional tablespoons of cornstarch for it to thicken? Did you add anything else?
Yeah, because of the oat milk. They are not interchangable in these recipes.
And yet the recipe states one can use any kind of milk…
“INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE PUDDING
Almond milk: The base for the vanilla pudding is vanilla flavored almond milk. You can use any other type of milk you’d like for the recipe.”
Hey! Oat milk is known to spike blood sugar, could it be from that?
Would not thicken
Bummer, I’m sorry to hear that! The 3 tablespoons of cornstarch should work well as a thickener. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I used this recipe to build a banana pudding. I doubled the recipe and used some banana flavoring as well as the vanilla, and used sugar substitute (2tb Truvia and 3tb Stevia in the Raw for a double batch) instead of sugar. The pudding didn’t get thick enough for my liking even after chilling for several hours. I’ll definitely make this again but I might add an extra tb of cornstarch to make it thicker. I think maybe the lack of “real” sugar changed the consistency. Thank you for a great recipe!
So glad you liked it, Jack! I love the idea of turning it into a banana pudding!!
If I substitute the sugar for honey or maple syrup, how much do I use?
You can use a 1:1 ratio for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
I’m usually pretty good in following all your recipes but this recipe won’t thicken. I followed the instructions and now I have this mixture I don’t want to throw out. I was whisking it for an hour and nothing happened. What do you recommend I do to thickened this recipe without messing up the flavor. I’m making it for a special meal Saturday and is too late for me to start over again. Please help!
Did you let it chill? The real thickening process happens in the refrigerator.
I was hoping that would be the trick but is still too thin and I don’t want this to go to waste. Is going to be dessert for my guests and I don’t have time to start something else so I’m hoping I could fix it. I would like to add more starch but I don’t want to mess it up and have it taste too starchy. What do you think?
Hmm, I am sorry. I am not sure what is going on in that case. You can try adding one more tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder if you have it.
Problem solved as you mentioned. I took the chance of adding a couple of tablespoons of starch mixed a water and poured in the pudding boiling in low heat and it worked. What I did different this time was using a non-reactive pan a friend advised me to use. I was using a non-stick pot. She told me that was very important when making pudding. Thank you for the rescue. My 40 guest I fed this weekend was happy with the pudding and I caught them licking the cups I served them in after theirs was gone.
Phew!!!! I am so relieved to hear that it turned out after all. I was feeling really stressed for you and trying to rack my brain on what was causing it not to set. That is a great tip from your friend as well. Thanks for coming back and letting me know it worked out in the end.
OOPS! I did it again with coconut milk, for me to snack and it came out perfect. I used stainless steel sauce pan and that made a huge difference. I layered on top of toasted Graham crust. Sorry, I didn’t mean to stress you out.
Yay!!! Problem solved! Oh no, I didn’t mean you stressed me out in a bad way. Just that I was worried it wasn’t going to turn out for your guests and that my recipe had put you in a pickle. It turned into a “happy accident” because now we know that the stainless steel saucepan is the way to go! I appreciate you troubleshooting it with me!
It say in the Baking and Pastry book I have from Culinary school to only use non-reactive pan for pudding, custard, pastry cream or anything like it. Look up non-reactive so you can see the type of pans. Porcelain is non-reactive as well. You may want to add that information on your recipe book I can’t wait to get.
Outstanding and easy to make! Required stirring longer than indicated, but well worth it!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it and found the recipe to be worth the time!
Can I use maple syrup instead of granulated sugar?
You can use honey or maple syrup, but they will lend a slightly darker hue to the pudding.
Hi, is this thick enough to use as a pie filling?
I have yet to try that!
Can oat milk be used instead of coconut milk?
Yes, oat milk can be used instead!
I goofed, I added 2 cups of cashew milk to instant pudding. How can I thicken it? Thanks
You can use some arrowroot starch. Let me know if that works!
An interesting video to watch. New tricks to scoop kiwi & mango. I tried it with all the fruits in one bowl. Simple and delicious.
Can oat milk be used instead of coconut milk?
Yes!
I’m trying this for Memorial Day! Thanks for the recipe!!
Yay! Hope you loved it!
This looks so refreshing for summer!!! Can I use KOH coconut milk though? Or should I use the canned ones?
Thank you! It tastes great, and I actually used Califia coconut milk in the bottle, so you can definitely use KOH coconut milk! It would work better than canned in this recipe. Enjoy!