Creamy sweet butterscotch pudding just like grandma used to make...but vegan! This easy pudding is loaded with flavor and super easy to make.
This pudding blew my mind! I didn't even think I liked butterscotch pudding. I mean, I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't on top of my list. Not when there's chocolate pudding.
But this butterscotch pudding was absolutely amazing. Maybe I just grew up eating the boxed stuff, which isn't all that good. In any event, my vegan butterscotch pudding blew all other butterscotch puddings out of the water.
What You'll Need
- Non-dairy milk. I use almond milk, but pretty much any type will work. Make sure it's unflavored and unsweetened.
- Cornstarch. This is our thickener.
- Organic brown sugar. Brown sugar is a big part of what gives butterscotch pudding it's distinctive taste. Using organic sugar keeps the recipe vegan.
- Salt.
- Water.
- Full-fat coconut milk. Use the kind from a can.
- Vegan butter. Look for brands like Miyoko's or Earth Balance.
- Whiskey. This is optional, but it's another big part of what makes butterscotch taste like butterscotch.
- Vanilla extract.
- Turmeric. Totally optional, but use a pinch if you'd like to enhance the yellow color of your pudding.
How to Make Vegan Butterscotch Pudding
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make vegan butterscotch pudding. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the full recipe.
- First, make sure your non-dairy milk is chilled. If it's not, stir in a few ice cubes to cool it down, then remove them.
- Now stir in the cornstarch until it's completely dissolved.
- Whisk the brown sugar, salt and water together in a medium pot, then place the pot over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully and adjust the temperature if needed, but don't stir!
- After 5 minutes, whisk in the coconut milk, followed by the milk and cornstarch mixture.
- Bring the mixture back up to a simmer and let it cook while whisking just for a minute or two, until it thickens up.
- Take the pot off of heat and whisk in the butter, whiskey, and vanilla. You can also add a pinch of turmeric if you're using it.
- Let the the pudding cool down a bit.
- Transfer it to serving dishes. Make sure to cover the dishes tightly to prevent skins from forming.
- I like to serve my pudding with a dollop of vegan whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Vegan Butterscotch Pudding Tips & FAQ
- Is this recipe gluten-free? It is!
- Storage & shelf life: Vegan butterscotch pudding will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.
- How can I make an alcohol-free version? Feel free to leave out the whiskey if needed — it adds flavor, but the pudding will still be delicious without it.
- Does this pudding taste like coconut? Not to me, but you can substitute another non-dairy milk if you absolutely hate the taste of coconut. Go for something very rich and creamy!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Butterscotch Pudding
Creamy sweet butterscotch pudding just like grandma used to make...but vegan! This easy pudding is loaded with flavor and super easy to make.
Servings 6
Calories 245kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, chilled
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- â…” cup organic brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons whiskey (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the non-dairy milk and cornstarch together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set the mixture aside.
- Whisk the brown sugar, salt, and water together in a medium saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat if needed and let it simmer, uncovered and without stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the coconut milk, followed by the cornstarch mixture. Bring everything back up to a simmer and let it cook, whisking frequently, for a minute or two, until it thickens up.
- Remove the pot from heat and whisk in the butter, whiskey, vanilla, and turmeric, if using.
- Let the pudding cool for a bit. Taste-test it and add more salt if you like.
- Transfer the pudding to serving containers and cover them tightly. Chill until the pudding is fully set, about 3 hours.
- Serve.
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Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cups | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.1g | Protein: 1.2g | Fat: 15.7g | Saturated Fat: 10.2g | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 17.1g | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 1mg
We made this for a sick day treat--didn't have any vegan butter, so used 2T peanut butter and 1T olive oil. Better than we could have imagined. And came together in the time it took pasta to boil.
Had a major craving for childhood favorite, butterscotch pudding but a vegan version. I made it tonight and it was DELICIOUS. I've printed it and am adding it into my family recipe rotation now. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!!!
Made this on a whim and it was so delicious! I followed the recipie exactly and it worked out perfect. The scotch really made it, highly recommend to not omit. Only wish it made more!! Doubling it next time. Thanks
I can’t get it to thicken. I even added chia seeds. But the flavor is great.
Did you add the cornstarch mixture? That's your thickener. It's a lot of cornstarch so it really should thicken up nicely.
Mine also didn’t thicken on a simmer setting. I had to turn the heat up to medium high to get it to thicken. Hope that helps!
Can I make this recipe with regular milk if I am not vegan?
Do you use coconut milk in a can or the stuff in a carton (in the dairy case)?
The canned type. Enjoy!!
I just made this and it is super easy and fast and the flavor is crazy rich, just like I like it. Thanks for making allergy-friendly recipes that aren’t too healthy. I used rum instead of whiskey and it worked great, too.
OMG, butterscotch pudding!!! One of a very few things I miss being (mostly) vegan. This is amazing. Thank you!
A tip for non-alcohol-users: u-vint places often sell the extracts/flavours you can use to turn vodka or moonshine into whatever alcohol you like. They make excellent substitutes in recipes calling for booze - all the flavour, no alcohol.You can also mix them with water instead of alcohol to make super-convincing mocktails.