Dairy-Free, Vegan Butterscotch Pudding

Butterscotch pudding with Vegan Whipped Cream in bowl
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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Butterscotch pudding is traditionally prepared with brown sugar, vanilla, milk (or cream), eggs and butter, but this dairy-free (and vegan!) version cuts down on the calories and fat significantly while still keeping a rich texture and butterscotch flavor. This pudding makes a nice and easy weeknight dessert, lunchbox sweet, or afterschool treat. (For lunchbox desserts, after the pudding has cooled and chilled completely, portion the pudding into individual Tupperware cups for easy, grab-and-go homemade sweets.)

For a richer pudding with a nutty flavor, use coconut milk in place of the almond milk in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 2 1/4 cups unsweetened plain almond milk, divided

  • 1 tablespoon dairy-free soy margarine, softened

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather all of your ingredients. (Puddings cook quickly, so it's best to have everything you need measured and at hand.) You will also need a small saucepan and a wooden spoon or wire whisk for stirring.

  2. In a small saucepan off the heat, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt until well mixed. Add 1/4 cup of almond milk (or another dairy-free milk alternative) and place the saucepan over medium-low heat, mixing well to dissolve the cornstarch and sugar.

  3. Add the remaining two cups almond milk, stirring constantly until mixture thickens for about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the soy margarine and vanilla until completely incorporated. Transfer pudding to a heatproof dish, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (this will prevent a skin from forming) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve cold.

Tips

  • We prefer using store-bought dairy-free milk alternatives for this recipe and particularly those prepared with some sort of a thickening agent like agar or cornstarch, but feel free to make and use your own homemade almond milk or even try using and making your own homemade margarine. Coconut milk also works wonderfully in dairy-free puddings, so experiment with different kinds of milk alternatives to find the one that works best for you.
  • This recipe is suitable for dairy-free, vegan, lactose-free, and egg-free diets, but as with any recipe intended for persons with allergies or dietary restrictions, make sure to read all nutritional labels carefully to make sure that there are no hidden dairy-derived ingredients (or other allergens, if these apply to you).
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
213 Calories
4g Fat
44g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 213
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 119mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 69mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)