Parenting hit me hard today. The laundry literally looks like it could eat me due to its sheer volume. The living room floor has crackers ground into it. My children seem to have forgotten entirely how to hear me. I can’t even focus on what dinner will be tonight. Enter vanilla pudding.
Calm Down, Vanilla Pudding Is Here
Everyone loves vanilla pudding. It can be mixed into so many different dishes or served all by itself. Pudding has sort of a calming effect on me. I have to slow down to really enjoy it. My favorite way to snack on pudding is with my homemade graham crackers. Those things are downright amazing.
My kids somehow heard me when I mentioned the pudding was ready. The laundry miraculously fit into the washer, and my 4 year-old vacuumed up the crumbs for me. Heaven came down to earth.
We had a little moment. All of us squished around the kids table in the kitchen. Rori, 2 years-old, had a hard time keeping the pudding on her spoon. That pudding kept flopping around and landing on her face and clothes. It was so adorable I didn’t mind the mess.
Why Make Vanilla Pudding From Scratch
I know what you’re thinking. “Mandi, why would I make vanilla pudding from scratch when it’s so easy to buy from the store?” I’ll tell you why. That cute little box in the store, while a time saver, isn’t real vanilla pudding. There is a whole world of flavor out there you’re missing out on every time you pick up a box instead of try a recipe. This one takes about 10 minutes to make, and sets for 2 hours.
Need a moment of serenity? Make some vanilla pudding. Whip it up in the morning so that when things get a little chaotic, everyone can simmer down with one of the best snacks ever invented.
I made this recipe dairy free and with only natural sugars. That’s why you’ll notice it’s a little darker than normal. It’s the coconut sugar and honey. But man, does it taste ahh-mazing. If you have no issue with dairy, feel free to make this with heavy whipping cream instead of almond milk. I suggest keeping the sweeteners the same, simply because they are measured out to perfectly complement the vanilla flavor and not overpower it.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup Chico Honey
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 1/2 T tapioca flour (more if you want a thicker pudding)
- 3 T butter
Instructions
- In a medium/large pan, heat together all the ingredients.
- Bring to a boil, while stirring with a wooden or rubber spatula. If you have little lumps, you can use a whisk as well.
- Once boiling, stir quickly for 3-5 minutes until the pudding thickens.
- Immediately transfer to a large glass bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap for 2+ hours in the fridge. You can even let it set overnight in the fridge. This works well if you are making the pudding for a different dish. Make it a day ahead!
WOW, this sounds amazing! Going to save this recipe for my next girls night!
Fun! I love girls nights!
I’m so glad you used such clean ingredients in this one! Pudding has always been tricky for me. Do you have any recipes with gelatin? I’ve been loving all the health benefits and I’m wondering if that can be used for pudding as well.
The gelatin should work in this recipe, but will be more jiggly if that makes sense. I have an amazing fruit gummy recipe. Here’s the link! http://sweetestlemonade.com/homemade-fruit-gummies/
I’m not a fan of pudding especially from the store but this looks good!
Thanks Ashleigh!
I’m so glad this is dairy free! It’s hard to find a good pudding recipe that will meet my dietary needs. Thank you!
Me too Sarah! I love this recipe, I so missed pudding!