Dairy-Free Instant Pudding from a Mix

Last Updated on June 4, 2024 by Annie

Learn how to make thick and creamy instant Jell-o pudding using non-dairy milk with this helpful guide. We test three common vegan milks, almond, oat, and coconut milk, to find out the proper ratio to make dairy-free instant pudding.

Have you ever wondered if you can substitute milk in a Jell-o pudding mix with non-dairy milk? You are not alone in this query. After trial and error I have found the best ratios of non-dairy milk to instant pudding mix for the creamiest dairy-free instant pudding.

Whether you are planning to eat your dairy-free pudding plain or you are adding it to a dessert, this simple guide will walk you through replacing traditional milk with almond, oat, or coconut milk to make instant pudding.

Jell-O Instant Pudding

The ratios and pudding testing conducted in this post focus completely on Jell-O brand instant pudding. While the ratios might work for other instant pudding brands I cannot vouch for the outcome. Additionally, I would not recommend using these ratios with the cook and serve versions of Jell-O pudding.

Is Jell-O Pudding Vegan?

The base ingredients for most Jell-O brand instant puddings are dairy-free as well as vegan. By using a non-dairy milk such as coconut, almond, or oat milk you keep this simple instant pudding dairy-free/ vegan.

After looking through some of the most common flavors I have yet to find one containing milk or gelatin (two animal byproducts often associated with Jell-O brand pudding).

*Bottom Line* Check the packaging to be sure you are selecting a flavor without milk or animal byproducts, such as gelatin, if you are making Jell-O instant pudding vegan.

How to Make Dairy-Free Instant Pudding

Ingredients You Will Need

• Instant Pudding- These ratios have been tested on Jell-O brand instant pudding.
• Non-dairy Milk– For this recipe I used almond milk, oat milk, and full fat coconut milk to make the instant Jell-O pudding.

What is the best ratio of non-dairy milk to instant pudding mix?

After many different attempts to make non-dairy pudding I learned along the way that the best way to make instant pudding dairy-free is to decrease the amount of plant-based milk you use with the mix.

• 5.1 oz package + 1 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 3.4 and 3.9 oz packages + 1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk

Almond Milk in Instant Pudding

I used plain, unsweetened almond milk mixed with a chocolate instant Jell-O pudding. The results for this non-dairy pudding include:

• Thickest Pudding– Almond milk yielded the thickest pudding of the three milks.
• Could use more blending– Adding the pudding to a blender might make it smoother.
• Less calories– The almond milk was the lowest calorie addition to the puddings.
• No added flavor– The dairy-free milk did not give additional flavor to the pudding.

Oat Milk in Instant Pudding

For this recipe I used a full fat, creamy, unsweetened oat milk mixed with banana cream instant Jell-O pudding. The resulting vegan pudding yielded:

• Thinest pudding– The oat milk had the loosest consistency of the three vegan milks.
• Smooth– While the consistency was thin the pudding came out silky smooth. No chunks, no blending, no additional work needed to get the smooth finish.
• No additional flavor– The resulting pudding did not have any added flavors because of the oat milk.
• Nut Free– This is the only option I tested that is nut-free and vegan.

Coconut Milk in Instant Pudding

For the final non-dairy milk, I used a can of full fat coconut milk with vanilla instant Jell-O pudding. Here’s how the coconut milk based pudding came out:

• Thick finish– Similar to the almond milk the instant pudding was thick and clung to the spoon.
• Grainy texture– The coconut milk gave the pudding a grainy texture that additional mixing or blending might fix.
• Highest calorie– Coconut milk was the highest calorie non-dairy milk used as a substitute.
• Altered the flavor– The coconut added a noticeable flavor to the vanilla instant pudding. You might consider using a stronger flavored pudding if you plan to use full fat coconut milk as the non-dairy replacement.

Storing Dairy-Free Instant Pudding

Once you have whipped up a batch of non-dairy instant pudding you can use it for a dessert or go about storing it to snack on later.

To store instant pudding keep in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Uses for Dairy-Free Instant Pudding

Once you’ve made your non-dairy instant pudding here are a few different ways to dish it out!

• Eat it plain. Simply scoop into bowls and enjoy.
• Use the pudding as a layer in an ice box cake like this Chocolate Eclair Dessert
• Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for delicious dairy-free pudding pops.

What Other Instant Puddings are Dairy-Free?

For this post I focused my efforts on Jell-O brand instant pudding. I have not tested the ratio of non-dairy milk to instant pudding mix on various different brands to see how they turn out.

If you cannot find Jell-O brand instant pudding or want to try a different brand, here are some well known dairy-free options.

• Simply Delish Instant Pudding
• My*T*Fine Instant Pudding

Bottom line: Check the back of the box to confirm if the instant pudding you plan to use is dairy-free. If it says “Contains: Milk” you will want to put it back and look for an equivalent flavor or different brand to see if it’s dairy-free.

Other Non-Dairy Milks

There are a number of dairy-free and non-dairy milks out on the market. For the purpose of this post I stuck to 3 of the most common non-dairy milk types to test with the instant puddings.

If you have tried other non-dairy milk with instant pudding please let me know in the comments below.

Soy Milk

It’s important to note that soy milk will not set with the Jell-O instant pudding. While I did not personally test this the packaging states not to use soy milk so I choose to trust the company and not waste additional time or money to see if I can get soy milk to set instant Jell-O pudding.

What Can I Make With Dairy-Free Instant Jell-O Pudding?

Now that you know how to convert instant pudding into a dairy-free pudding, here are some ways you can use the non-dairy pudding.

• Oreo Ice Box Cake
• Chocolate Eclair Dessert
• Banana Pudding Popsicles
• Jell-O Pudding Popsicles

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