Update: I posted this recipe back in 2012 when almond milk was not quite as mainstream. It's funny reading this six years later. Also, this is still one of Todd's favorite desserts. If you are into oat milk, The New York Times just posted an oat milk version.
Thanks to a dollar off coupon and a tip from my mother saying it wasn’t as strange as it sounded, I bought a carton of almond milk. Sometimes I think it tastes like cake mix, other times marshmallows. And then sometimes it reminds me of this old cereal I use to like called "Almond Delight" but in liquid form. And while I bought the unsweetened type because I liked the fact it only has 40 calories per cup, I usually sweeten it with whatever low cal sweetener is on hand. It's good on cereal, in smoothies and hopefully will work well in baked goods (haven't tried that yet), but right now my favorite recipe using almond milk is this pudding.
This is from Silk Pure Almond Milk’s recipe center, but I’ve made a few personal changes. Because I wasn’t sure Todd would like it, I made a half batch. He loved it. I’m not sure he can even tell that it’s almond milk, but he noticed the really smooth texture. It also adds a hint of almond flavor to the pudding, which in this case is a bonus.
Recipe
Almond Milk Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural style cocoa powder Dutch is fine, too!
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups Silk Pure Almond Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon vanilla and/or almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon chocolate extract optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa and salt in a medium (2 quart) nonstick saucepan.
- Slowly whisk in the almond milk. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens. It usually takes about 3 minutes, but I continue whisking for a total of 4.
- Set a sieve over a bowl and drain pudding into the bowl to ensure that there aren’t any lumps. Stir in the extracts and the butter. Pour into 2 serving bowls. Cover exposed area with a small sheet of waxed paper or parchment or plastic wrap, then cool slightly and chill until cold.
- Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Anna
No, but thanks for the tip! We don't have Trader Joe's here (yet). I've made it with Penzey's, Callebaut, Hershey's and Scharffen Berger.
Yvette
Have you tried it with Trader Joe's brand cocoa powder?? Thats actually what Ill be using here in a few minutes!!
Anna
I think you'll like it, Yvette. It's become a mainstay around here and I've made it using different brands of cocoa powder. Last night I made some with Callebaut cocoa powder and a dash of Kahlua.
Yvette Rice
You live in Texas??!!(If so that's awesome!!--->I knew by the brand of almond milk you used HEB's prices are AWESOME!!!!!) I cant wait to try this recipe:) Thanks for sharing
Anna
Thanks for the encouragement, Elizabeth! I will have to give it a try. I noticed Whole Foods sells the special cloths needed to make the milk, so a lot of people must be doing it.
Elizabeth
Making your own is so easy, we make a quart a day. No special tools needed, just blender, a quart jar, and a piece of fabric, 18x18 inches. Soak a cup of almonds overnight in 2 cups of filtered water (in that jar). Next morning (or 4-6 hours later) rinse those almonds and the jar. Put almonds in blender with a quart of filtered water and blend for 2-3 minutes. Drape fabric over mixing bowl, pour blender over fabric wrap pulp up in the fabric to squeeze it out into bowl. When you have milked the mass pretty dry, unfold fabric and dehydrate (or just freeze in baggie) to make your own almond flour/pulp (instead of 10-15 dollars a pound) to use in gluten free baking recipes. Pour the milk back into that quart jar and store in fridge. You can shake it up if it separates. We order our organic raw almonds online from Italy, but any bulk almonds will work. So much cheaper and fresher than anything from the store.
Jessica
I love this recipe! I have made it about 4 times already. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Anna
Hi Megan,
Thanks for the tip! I saw a special cloth for making it at Whole Foods. Sounds like it's pretty easy.
Megan
I found that making my own almond milk is not only rewarding but affordable and yummier.
Lots of recipes on line.
bookie
Hey! =)
Just made a batch of pudding from your recipe.
I just added 2 scoops of chocolate whey protein powder to make it more of a snack.
I couldn't stop licking the spatula while making it.
Thanks!! =)
Laura
It's been a while since your original post, but I have to share: you can make one heckuva alfredo sauce with plain almond milk. I use the "original" sweetened kind, butter, flour, and garlic powder. It's dang near as good as Olive Garden's!
melissa@the hungry artist
I switched to almond milk awhile ago because of my lactose intolerance (it's cheaper than Lactaid!), so I cook a lot with it too. I really like the Trader Joe's almond milk.
By the way, one of the things I do if I find we have a lot of milk I have to use up before it goes bad is to freeze it into ice cubes. Then I use those in J's milk to make it extra cold and not watery...or in smoothies. But we rarely have a problem with leftover milk as D and J drink it so much!
Anna
Hi Kaity,
A lot of stove top pudding recipes call for butter, and I think it just adds a silkiness, richness and adds depth of flavor. If there's a lactose free spread you like, you might try that.
By the way, I actually bought some Almond Breeze. It tastes nuttier than the grocery store brand and doesn't have quite the same vanilla flavor, but it's good in its own right. Fuzz doesn't like any of the almond milk, unfortunately. I was happy she tried it, at least.
Kaity Walter
So glad I found this, I LOVE pudding. But most recipes are either made with milk (I'm lactose intolerant) or they're loaded with calories.
Saving this and making sometime this weekend.
Question though - what purpose does the butter serve? Is it for texture and/or taste? Just wondering since its mixed in after the pudding thickens.
Also, I buy AlmondBreeze brand, I've tried both boxed shelf and refrigerated versions. I like them both and, like you, am really interested in trying the chocolate version. I use it in everything. If it calls for milk - I sub with it and have never had any problems.
TG
love it and have found it fine for baking. my favorite isn't mentioned yet: Almond Dream, by Hain/Celestial. texture and flavor are as good as Blue Diamond. i agree with Erin that Silk is yuck. (i also prefer Soy Dream soy milk to Silk's soy milk, and i like the refrigerated version better than shelf-stable. unfortunately, Silk has muscled Soy Dream right out of the refrigerator case so i can only get the shelf-stable)
i've never heard of a pudding mix that requires the use of dairy for a reaction.
but i love the idea of making a buttermilk from almond milk using vinegar - thanks to Rebecca for that suggestion!
shannon
I just recently tried almond milk too! So far, I've only bought it twice, but I'm liking Blue Diamond Unsweetened Vanilla. I like that it's unsweetened but has a hint of vanilla. I use it in my coffee and cereal, but haven't baked with it. I used to use skim milk in coffee, but I'm really liking the flavor the almond milk adds.... almost like a flavored creamer. (If you're used to really creamy coffee though, almond milk's probably not a good choice.)
I would love to see more recipes using almond milk!
Winnie
Can't wait to try this. You had me at "Almond Delight"..I used to LOVE that cereal, and then it disappeared. I haven't tried almond milk, thanks for the recipe.
erin
I like the Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond much better than Silk's unsweetened or HEB's store brand (they seem to model their recipe after Silk). For some reason, the Silk tastes really phoney to me. I've had good luck baking with it, but then I tend to make weird stuff, so not sure how it'd work out in more standard recipes. 🙂
Rebecca
I've been baking with almond milk for a year or so now. I started using it for the same reason as you, I was tired of throwing out half a carton of milk. I haven't had any problems with substituting it for milk in baking. I've even added vinegar to create my own "buttermilk" in a pinch. I like the vanilla unsweetened the best, Almond Breeze or Trader Joe's refrigerated varieties. The only baking I don't use it in are things where fat content is important, such as biscuits.
Jennifer
I like the unsweetened almond milk, vanilla flavor, sold in the dairy aisle. I haven't tried it in pudding yet, but I have substituted it in Cooking Light's fudge-y brownie recipe that is supposed to have a 1/3 cup of skim milk and they turned out really good.
I think the only possible negative of the almond milk is the lack of protein (vs. "regular" milk), but since I don't like cow's milk and wouldn't drink it anyway, it's not really a loss for me.
Maria
I LOVE almond milk!! I always have the shelf-stable kind in my cupboard for when I need it. I'm not a big milk drinker but like having it around for smoothies or making oatmeal (especially overnight oats in the refridgerator), and I love how long it lasts once open. I get the unsweetened vanilla, which works perfectly for how I use it, and I typically get Blue Diamond brand, although I've occasionally bought Silk. I've used it in baking and in instant pudding mixes and it works great (as opposed to soy milk - pudding doesn't set with soy milk!). And the hint of sweetness on cereal is a perfect combination. 🙂
lisa
My latest find is hazelnut milk. The unsweetened version is nutty and sweet. Have used it in banana bread, but bet it would be great in pudding, a la nutella.
Lisa Ernst
Before almond milk was on the market, maybe 10 years ago, I made home made almond milk. It was richer than the grocery store kind (less water) and a real treat on cereals, in puddings, etc. I've not personally tried the store brands yet, but my husband has started using it on cereal.
Rodzilla
you might be haha. I like coconut milk (not the heavy canned stuff) even better. The only thing either of them don't work well with are pudding mixes where you need dairy for the reaction.
jessie
this is pretty surreal as I sat down this morning with my cup of tea to read some blogs before work and in my tea is some almond milk. Some almond milk I picked up yesterday for the first time ever. I'm loving it and look forward to more recipes with it in!
Kinda spooky tho.
Katrina
I've never tried almond milk either. Need to try it!
Michelle
ones!
Michelle
I really like Blue Diamond and Trader Joe's brands of almond milk (the kinds in the refrigerator case, the shelf stable one's aren't as good). They work well for baking and in other desserts like rice pudding. I also use almond milk for cooking steel cut oats. Looking forward to trying the pudding!
Sue
I haven't been drinking milk for a couple of years. My problem has been that I don't use enough almond milk to justify the purchase even though I like it quite a lot. I've used it in baked goods successfully. I love it in smoothies.
I'm quite happy to see this recipe and will try it very soon.
Claire
LOVE almond milk and have used it in baking with no problem. I used the unsweetened vanilla from Blue Diamond.
Sarah
I looooove almond milk! I use it to cook and bake pretty interchangeably with "regular" cow's milk and haven't had any problems so far, but I've mainly stuck to puddings and sauces (works great in a curry!) so far. Welcome to the club!
Dee
I really like the Blue Diamond (company is located where I live, but I believe it's available nationally) brand of almond milk. I like both vanilla & chocolate, although I don't think the chocolate is super 'chocolaty' tasting. We also use the unsweetened, 45 calorie variety. There is a fairly new product that is a blend of almond & coconut milk. It's good but mostly tastes of almond milk. I use it to bake with & haven't encountered any problems. I made pumpkin pie with it, but didn't care for the flavor in that. Use it for smoothies all the time If you're looking for calcium, I believe the refrigerated (I normally buy the shelf stable ones) cartons have much more calcium. Have fun experimenting!
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie
I use almond milk all the time for baking! Works great!
Chewthefat
I used almond milk exclusively when a vegetarian and trying to transition to veganism. Now I'm no longer a vegetarian and eat dairy regularly, I don't really use almond milk anymore, unless I'm baking for people with special dietary constraints. I've used it pretty interchangeably with milk, although for baking I would use unsweetened almond milk, so there would be no interference with any of the other flavors.
I still don't drink milk, actually!
Anna
Meredith, I'm going to have to try the chocolate flavored. Fuzz doesn't like chocolate milk, but I think it's part of her milk aversion as a whole. She might like chocolate almond milk, and the way you described it sounds very tempting.
Julie, so far it's working well in just about every recipe. The only one I didn't care for was an eclair cake made with almond milk. The pudding mixture wasn't as full and fluffy.
Cindy, shoot me an email and let me know what you think or leave a comment. I recommend the vanilla flavored (so far).
CindyD
Like you, I have been reluctant to try almond milk. I think I will next time I have a coupon or Sprout's has it on sale.
Julie @ Sugarfoot Eats
I usually use almond milk for my cereal, but haven't made a recipe with it. Great idea!
Meredith
My kids absolutely love silk pure almond chocolate milk. It doesn't have any protein, per se (1 g. per 8 oz. glass), but each 8 oz. Serving has 45% DVA for calcium. It's very chocolatey-much more so that standard chocolate milk. I love it, too.
Dimple @ miami cupcakes
thanks for sharing recipes 🙂 i like it and i will try to make that at home for my family.