Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding made with Plant Based Milk

This creamy chocolate pudding recipe is dairy free and easy to make on your stovetop with plant based milk. Furthermore, this crazy delicious dessert is gluten-free and contains no eggs.. With a few simple ingredients and your choice of either almond milk or oat milk, this luscious dessert cooks up in under 10 minutes. All that is required is restraint! Because this pudding cooks up so thick and yummy, you are going to want to pop that spoon into your mouth. But please, let it cool first.

A Rich and Creamy Dessert

One of my favorite desserts is pudding. And there is something very satisfying about a bowl of creamy chocolate pudding. However, I wanted to find a way to make this chocolate dessert with less calories as I was and still am following the Weight Watchers program.

In doing so, I reached for almond milk as it is lower in calories than 2% milk, and I am not a fan of nonfat milk . As I follow Weight Watchers, the difference between the two milks is 4 points. A cup of 2% is 5 points versus a cup of almond milk at 1 point. Pudding made from 2% milk drove up my point count dramatically. And as I was striving to stay away from artificial sweeteners, using a low calorie milk seemed to be the answer.

However, today there is variety of plant based milks to choose from. I decided it was time to test another option to see how it measured up in dairy-free chocolate pudding. Surprisingly, both plant based milks, almond and oat, produce a creamy luscious chocolate pudding that is yummy and dairy-free.  So indulge and enjoy this creamy dessert. Whether you choose to enjoy unadulterated chocolate pudding or create a parfait with fresh fruit and edible sand, I’m sure you will be delighted.

Plant Based Milks

Almond Milk

Whether following a diet for a weight loss program or dietary restrictions due to food intolerances, plant based milks have much to offer. These newer alternatives, offer lower calories, lower fat as well as no cholesterol. Additionally, they are easier to digest.  When I first decided to change my eating habits, I looked at almond milk. As it is lower in calories than cow’s milk, it became clear that I needed to find away to incorporate plant based milk into my desserts.

Ultimately, the final result was quite surprising.  The almond milk produced a creamy luscious pudding that was light and velvety.   Not only is this pudding waist friendly but it is milk free. As a result, anyone who has sensitivity to milk and dairy products can enjoy this dessert.

When using almond milk for baking or drinks like hot chocolate, I prefer to use Califia Farms. If you have not used this brand before, you will quickly notice the difference in viscosity. Califia Almond Milk is thick and creamy, much like homemade almond milk. When making this recipe, I generally use Unsweetened Vanilla, but any variety works well here.

Oat Milk

While oat milk has a higher caloric count than almond milk, it is an option worth considering. One issue to consider is health and food sensitivities. If you have nut allergies, this is extremely important. Another issue worth considering is environmental. As almond trees require a lot of water, it becomes desirable to look at an alternative plant based milk, especially during a drought. For this reason, oat milk becomes an attractive option, especially here in California.

However the down side is that the finished dessert will ultimately be higher in WW points and calories. But I would like to add, that oat milk produces an extremely thick and creamy dessert. If you are not concerned about the extra calories, it would be my first choice. My favorite brand for oat milk is Planet Oat Extra Creamy Original. Not only does this milk produce a thick creamy pudding, but it makes fantastic hot chocolate as well.

Sugar or Sweetener

Generally, when making dairy free pudding I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk with sugar. This option allows me enough freedom to enjoy my dessert and stay in my points range. However, when changing from almond milk to oat milk, it becomes more difficult. As we discussed earlier, oat milk is higher in WW points than almond milk. I have also mentioned that my preference is to keep my food choices to natural whole foods. Therefore, my first choice is to reach for sugar or honey as a sweetener.

However, it is important to acknowledge that this isn’t an option for everyone. There are those who need to avoid sugar intake either because of dietary restrictions or because of health reasons.

Another point of consideration is the need to reduce the calories, especially if making this pudding recipe using oat milk. In order to be able to enjoy a dessert without guilt, the point value and calories need to be reasonable. Therefore, if you choose to make this pudding using oat milk, you may wish to use an alternative sweetener to help keep the calories lower.

For this reason, I have been testing the use of a new alternative sweetener that measures like sugar. The sweetener I use is produced by King Arthur and is called “Baking Sugar Alternative”. This sweeter is a blend of monk fruit, stevia and other plant based sweeteners. You may be familiar with a similar product called Swerve. I personally have not tried the Swerve brand, but feel free to use it as outlined in the recipe. Use these sweeteners the same as you would sugar, measure for measure.

Create your own Chocolate Pudding Parfaits!

There are no limits to the desserts that you can create with chocolate pudding. For instance, layer chocolate pudding with vanilla pudding and Chocolate Sand. Or maybe you would like to create a Chocolate Coconut parfait. By layering chocolate pudding with coconut pudding and alternating chocolate sand and toasted coconut between the layers, you can create a delicious dairy-free gluten-free dessert.

To create a beautiful fall dessert, layer chocolate pudding with pumpkin pudding and edible sand. Chocolate and pumpkin desserts are very trendy now. And why not? The warm spices in the pumpkin pudding compliment the chocolate nicely. The flavor profile reminds me of Mexican hot chocolate.

And there’s more! Let’s not forget parfaits made with fruit. Bananas and berries make lovely parfaits when layered with pudding as well. For instance, this lovely Chocolate and Strawberry Parfait is created by layering the pudding with sliced berries and Chocolate Sand. This easy healthy dessert could be served as the grand finale to a special dinner like Valentine’s Day or an anniversary dinner. Or just because you feel like something special!

Weight Watchers and Waist Watchers

In order to help keep it simple, I have included two information boxes for each type of milk. For instance, if you choose to use oat milk, you will have caloric count and weight watcher points for oat milk chocolate pudding made with sugar, as well as with a zero point sweetener.

ALMOND MILK: A 1/2 cup serving made with sugar is 6 WW Smart Points or 129 calories.

ALMOND MILK: A 1/2 cup serving made with Sugar Alternative is 2 WW Smart Points or 65 calories.

OAT MILK: A 1/2 cup serving made with sugar is 8 WW Smart Points or 172 calories.

OAT MILK: A 1/2 cup serving made with Sugar Alternative is 4 WW Smart Points or 107 calories.

Indulge and enjoy this chocolatey dessert with fresh berries or bananas.  Or layer the pudding with a teaspoon or two of Chocolate Sand to create an attractive dessert like this Chocolate Razzle Dazzle Parfait.

Buon Appetito!

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