In a medium non-reactive saucepan, combine zest and sugar. Use your fingers to massage the together until fragrant and moist. Add remaining ingredients and use a silicone whisk to combine. Let the lemon mixture rest about 5 minutes to infuse the liquid with the lemon.
Heat the pudding mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl and pour the pudding to strain any solids.
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill completely before serving, about 2-3 hours.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store leftover lemon pudding in the refrigerator. You'll want to make sure it's in airtight jars, or use plastic wrap covering them tightly so it doesn't develop a film. It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator.*The recipe video is for the vegan lemon pudding recipe below and can still be helpful to make other pudding recipes.
Original Vegan Lemon Pudding Recipe:
1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch 5.6 ounces coconut cream ½ cup coconut milk Zest of one lemon 2 tablespoons maple syrup plus more to taste Pinch turmeric optional for coloring Coconut whipped creamInstructions
Add the lemon juice and cornstarch to a small saucepan and whisk to combine and remove any clumps. Add the canned coconut cream, coconut milk, lemon zest and maple syrup and whisk again until well combined.
Turn the heat on medium, add turmeric and bring mixture to a low bubble (not a boil), continuing to whisk, about 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat, let rest for 15 minutes, then whisk once more and transfer to a glass bowl or jar and cover. Refrigerate for a few hours to chill and set. Serve with whipped coconut cream and fresh mint, if desired.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
Instead of coconut milk, you can use any other plant-based milk or regular milk.
I tested this recipe with cornstarch and arrowroot starch. Feel free to try it with other thickening flours and let me know how the result is!
You can replace maple syrup with any other natural sweetener of your choice.
* Please note the nutrition label does not include any toppings.