Vegan Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pudding or Pie Filling

Prepare to swoon…this vegan dark chocolate and peanut butter pudding is rich and chocolatey. The peanut butter layer takes it over the top. 

Sometimes you just need a little chocolate.

And for me, chocolate can only be improved by adding peanut butter. I mean, that’s the only thing that I like in my chocolate. No fruit flavors, please.

So, before I started eating a vegan diet, I made chocolate pudding with milk and butter and sometimes egg yolks. Luckily, I was able to adapt the recipe I used by replacing the cow’s milk with almond milk and eliminating the butter and eggs altogether.

While this is definitely not something that I eat often, it is really a nice treat and something that friends request that I bring when we get together to eat. I even bought some little glass bowls with lids just for those occasions.

You can use your favorite nut milk or soy milk for this. I’ve used all different sorts of kinds of milk and all work well. The milk you see in the picture is homemade almond milk. I was out of soy milk, which is the only store bought milk I buy because I can get it without any added ingredients. Just soybeans and water. Trader Joe’s has their own brand and that’s what I use most of the time. WestSoy also makes a soy milk with only soybean and water.

The chocolate chips that I used in this picture are Enjoy Life brand. I’m seriously bummed that I can’t get the Kirkland (Costco) brand anymore. They had no oil, no dairy…and now they don’t have them at Costco anymore. They are selling Nestle now, darn it! Nestle has dairy (milk fat)  AND oil (soy lecithin). Trader Joe’s brand chocolate chips are dairy-free, but they do contain oil (soy lecithin). So if you are avoiding oils, be sure to check your labels. You can also break up a chocolate bar instead of using chocolate chips.

Okay, gather your ingredients and let’s make pudding.

Oops, I forgot the peanut butter in the picture. So go get yours. And forgive my pictures…I’m still using my iPhone. Someday, I’ll get all fancy and get a camera and learn how to take beautiful food pictures. For now, just squint your eyes and pretend these pictures look blog-beautiful.

Okay, grab a medium-sized pot (one with a pouring spout is ideal, but not necessary) and add the sugar, cornstarch and chocolate chips. Add a pinch of salt, if you aren’t avoiding salt. Just a pinch.

Set the pot over medium heat and use a whisk to begin stirring. Add in the milk as you whisk and then keep stirring. You’re going to whisk this constantly while heating to a boil. When it starts to boil, set a timer (or start counting one, one thousand…two one thousand…) for one minute.

Keep stirring and be sure to get all around the edges and bottom so it doesn’t stick. After one minute, remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.

You’re going to pour it into your little ramekins, spoon in your peanut butter (if using) and then top with remaining pudding.

If you’re filling a pie shell, just pour it in and smooth it out with a flat spatula. Lick the spatula.

The original recipe called for covering the surface of the puddings with plastic wrap. Apparently, the pudding will develop a sort of skin on top if it’s in the fridge for a while. These never last that long, and I don’t like to put plastic wrap on my food, so I just put these in the fridge…naked. After they cool a bit, I put my lids on the ramekins. You can cover them with plastic wrap if you want to.

Chill for 30 minutes if you can wait that long.

If you want to get fancy, you can whip up some aquafaba to make a whipped topping that looks fancy. It really doesn’t need it though.

5 from 1 vote

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Vegan Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pudding or Pie Filling

Prepare to swoon...this vegan dark chocolate and peanut butter pudding is rich and chocolatey. The peanut butter layer takes it over the top. 

Servings: 8 chocolate lovers

Author: Trish Hall

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar any granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• pinch salt optional
• 8 oz vegan chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4-1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 2/3 cup plant based milk

Instructions

1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt (if using) and chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar. 

2. Stir in milk and whisk continuously while heating to a boil.

3. Boil for one minute, whisking constantly. 

4. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. 

5. Fill each ramekin about half way (I used 6 oz. ramekins) 

6. Spoon a layer of peanut butter over the pudding and top with remaining pudding. 

7. Chill for about 30 minutes. 

Recipe Notes

• If you are using peanut butter that has no other ingredients other than peanuts, it should be soft and easy to spoon over the pudding if you leave it out to reach room temperature. You can also microwave it in a glass bowl for about 15 seconds to soften it. 
• Be sure that you get the pudding off the heat and get it poured right away. This thickens quickly. If it gets too thick before you get it into the ramekins, it will be fine, just not as pretty. 
• If adding a topping, wait until it is completely cool. 
• I like the flavor best with almond milk, but because I can't find an almond milk without all the additives, I either make my own or I use soy milk that is only just soy and water. Westsoy is one brand that has no additives. Trader Joe's also has a soy milk with no additives. 

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