Using a super secret ingredient, this Vegan and Dairy Free Chocolate Salted Caramel Pudding is a ridiculously creamy, rich, and luxurious dessert!
I'm not normally one for vegan anything. Dairy free either for that matter. Especially when it comes to dessert. Making anything vegan or dairy-free at home is usually a happy accident... not an intended outcome.
BUT. My good buddy Tyler. The poor guy can't have dairy. I know.
Come dessert time, I always see him having to pass it up because almost everything has dairy in it. Except oreos. The dude goes to town on oreos.
Last spring, I tried my hand at whipping up a Vegan + Dairy Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse. He was instantly obsessed. As was my dairy tolerant friends. It was SO freaking good, and you would never ever ever ever ever guess that it didn't have dairy in it. Like, ever.
And now, I got the Tyler seal-of-approval on my latest creative dairy free dessert. Vegan and Dairy Free Chocolate Salted Caramel Pudding.
How do you achieve super creamy, rich, and luxurious pudding without any dairy, you ask? A secret ingredient, of course.
And listen, before all you meat eaters and dairy lovers out there totally have a freak out with what I'm about to tell you.. relax. You don't taste the secret ingredient. At all. You wouldn't even know it was in it if I didn't tell you. And honestly, you totally would even know this was vegan or dairy free either. Yea, it's that sneaky of a dessert. And it's that good.
Silken Tofu.
Yup. Silken tofu. It's a magical ingredient, and now my fridge is always stocked with it. Not because I'm starting to eat vegan or anything (oh heck no), but because silken tofu helps you create some of the best pudding and mousse with just 5 minutes of prep.
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Vegan + Dairy Free Chocolate Salted Caramel Pudding
Description
Using a super secret ingredient, this Vegan and Dairy Free Chocolate Salted Caramel Pudding is a ridiculously creamy, rich, and luxurious dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package organic silken tofu, drained
- 4 ¼ ounces good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped*
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 6 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegan caramel sauce**
- Pinch salt
for the Vegan Caramel Sauce**
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine dark chocolate, cocoa powder, almond milk, and coconut sugar in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals on half power, stirring between each, until chocolate is just melted through (don't overheat!).
- Meanwhile, place silken tofu in a food processor and blend until very smooth. Add in melted chocolate mixture, vegan caramel sauce, pinch of salt, and blend until just combined. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Pour mixture into a bowl and place in refrigerator for at least an hour to allow pudding to firm up a bit. When ready to serve, divide among four bowls and drizzle with more caramel sauce.
for the Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Combine coconut sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture bubbles for 2 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, stir to fully combine, turn down heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Allow to cool
Notes
*if making this vegan, make sure to get a good vegan dark chocolate.
**There are several good quality vegan caramel sauces out there that you can buy. If you can't find any or want to make your own, then feel free to use this recipe.
Want More Dairy-Free Dessert?
Vegan + Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse
Paleo + Dairy-Free Acai Banana Ice Cream
2 Ingredient Paleo + Dairy Free Nutella Banana Ice Cream
Nicole - Coking for Keeps says
Ahhh swoon....
CakePants says
Wow, never would I have guessed by looking at the photos that this is a vegan dessert! This just goes to show that vegan doesn't have to mean boring...the proof is in the pudding (literally)!
Chris says
Hahaha you know it!
Jeff the Chef says
I have to ask, though ... did you top your vegan pudding with whipped cream? (I would!) I've been making a version of this for years, from a recipe I got from a Mollie Katzen cookbook, but your version is quite a bit more sohpisticated. In any case, I can attest to everything you say here: everyone I've ever served it to was aghast when they heard it was made of tofu, and amazed when they tasted it! And it's full of protein!
Chris says
Hahaha, guilty as charged! But, for the vegans out there, they can top with coconut whipped cream no problem 🙂 And yea man... I can't believe what a magical ingredient silken tofu is! I totally thought it was a gimmick at first, but after tasting it... SO freaking good!
Medha says
SO yum! What a cool way to use tofu for a vegan dessert 🙂
Chris says
Thanks Medha!
David says
I totally knew where you were going with the secret ingredient thing! I had an hour long conversation (yes, hour long) last year with a lady at the curling club about how silken tofu is the best ingredient for delicious pudding. At first, I thought she was crazy. But then I got intrigued. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I can tell you that this version looks amazing!! Well done, my friend, well done! #WolfpackTofu
Chris says
Yea, man! It really is! I totally thought it was a gimmick at first, but once I tried it... was totally hooked!
Lindsey says
Poor Tyler! Luckily he has a friend like you that will delve into the scary world of vegan and dairy-free just for him! Plus I know for a fact that your dairy-free vegan concoctions are pretty much the best things ever! Fact.
Bianca says
Dude you know I'm not vegan or dairy-free either but I love me some chocolate pudding, and I love me some tofu, so BRING.IT.ON. This looks incredible.