Homemade Chocolate Pudding (Paleo, AIP, No Cornstarch)
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This homemade chocolate pudding is an easy and delicious dessert made with pantry staples! This recipe is paleo, vegan, adaptable for AIP, and is made without cornstarch or dairy.
Homemade Paleo Chocolate Pudding
I was a big fan of those little jello pudding cups as a kid! My mom always had them in the fridge, and it was one of my favorite snacks. I had made pudding from a box before as well, but I never made it from scratch until I changed my diet. The good news is that it’s super easy to make from scratch!
You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients to make this pudding. It’s made with just a few pantry staples plus maple syrup for an easy snack that’s paleo, vegan, and easy to make AIP.
How Do You Make Chocolate Pudding Without Cornstarch?
Pudding is typically thickened with cornstarch. It needs some kind of thickener to get that texture, and cornstarch is a very common thickener. However, you don’t need cornstarch. Arrowroot is a cheap, grain-free alternative that works great for those of us that want to skip the cornstarch!
Can you use something other than arrowroot starch?
I have not tried to make this pudding with alternatives like tapioca or gelatin powder. Gelatin powder would likely be totally fine, you would just have to play with the amount. Tapioca can be a bit gummier than arrowroot, but it will likely work as well.
Can you make this recipe coconut free?
To keep this dairy-free and nut-free, there really isn’t a good alternative for coconut cream. Of course, you make avocado pudding but that would be a different recipe process than this one.
How to Make Homemade Paleo Chocolate Pudding
How do you store this pudding?
You’ll want to keep it in glass, covered, and in the fridge. I pour the pudding into small weck jars just to keep separate servings and make it look cuter 😉 You can also use glass tupperware or mason jars!
How long will it keep in the fridge?
It’ll keep for a few days, but good luck keeping it around that long! We go through this pretty quick in my house.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
Coconut cream
Coconut cream is the fat that hardens on the top of full-fat coconut milk. I love this brand!
Cocoa powder (sub carob powder for AIP)
Arrowroot starch
Also known as arrowroot flour. Many stores sell this, or you can buy it online.
Maple syrup
You can also use honey.
Sea salt
I always love adding a pinch of sea salt to desserts like this!
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Homemade Chocolate Pudding (Paleo, AIP, No Cornstarch)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This homemade chocolate pudding is an easy and delicious dessert made with pantry staples! This recipe is paleo, vegan, adaptable for AIP, and is made without cornstarch or dairy.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup coconut cream (plus, reserve 1-2 tbsp extra on top if desired)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted (sub carob powder for AIP)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1/8–1/4 tsp of sea salt
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined in a medium sauce pot. Set on the stove top over medium heat and continuing whisking for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Allow to come to a low simmer for 2-3 minutes. The mixture should lightly thicken.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completly before adding to small glass containers of your choice (I use weck jars).
- Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until completly set. Serve with fresh berries if desired and additional coconut cream.
Notes
All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Method: Stove Top
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 259
- Fat: 1.4g
- Carbohydrates: 20.1g
- Fiber: 3.2g
- Protein: 3.1g
Keywords: pudding
AIP
Low Carb
Paleo
Whole30
Which weck jars are you using for the pudding?
I like these!
Will full fat coconut milk work for this recipe in place of the cream?
I would only use the fat hardened on the top of coconut milk rather than all of the coconut milk. Coconut milk wouldn’t harden as much, so the pudding would be more runny.
I had all the ingredients on hand for this and was craving something chocolate. I whipped it up in 15 minutes and it’s delicious! Great flavor with wholesome ingredients. I’ll definitely make this one again!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Kathleen!! So happy that you liked it!!
Yummy! I couldn’t even wait to let it finish cooling before I gobbled mine up!
★★★★★
Just made this today!!! Absolutely yummmmm. Mine came out almost tasting like the melted part inside of a lava cake… to die for!
I did make a few modifications though…
I used 1 tsp tapioca starch instead of arrowroot starch (I am living abroad and can’t get arrowroot starch where I am)
Honey instead of maple syrup (also can’t find maple syrup where I am) I also used a bit less than a 1/4 cup
I realized after I made it that I actually used Cream of Coconut (normally enhanced with sugar I understand?) instead of Coconut Cream. I saw it in the store and snatched it right up because I was so excited that I had found (what I thought) was coconut cream. The brand I bought had some added sugar which I see now after looking at the ingredients online 🙁 A bit disappointed by that.
Anyway, super easy recipe to make! I look forward to making it again when I can get my hands on some no sugar added coconut cream!! Thanks Michelle!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Alessandra!! I am SO glad that you liked it!
This was very good, however, I don’t know how you arrived at calorie count. Using all of the ingredients you specify, the total calorie count was over 1,200 and this only yeilded three servings so at 400 calories per serving this is has an extremely high caloric count.
★★★★★
We use a calorie count calculator that uses standard ingredients to calculate for us. As always, it’s always going to vary depending on what brands you use so it’s not an exact count. Personally, I prefer going without calorie counts and just eating intuitively, but I understand how it’s helpful to share so we do the best we can to come up with an estimate and always disclose it’s not exact 🙂
This was absolutely delicious. Super simple to make. Pleased everyone at the table even though I’m the only on who is AIP. What a treat! It honestly tasted like something that you’d get at a fancy restaurant – my husband really enjoyed it. Highly recommend the dollop of coconut cream on top – I mixed in a touch of maple syrup but it would be delicious on its own too. I’ll be making this one again, soon.
★★★★★
So glad you liked it!!
Can you substitute cacao powder for cocoa powder?
★★★★★
I haven’t tried it, but it should work.
Hi Michelle,
This was just incredibly delicious — do you know if it would freeze well? I’d love to make a double batch to have on hand ahead of time.
Thanks!
Hannah
Haven’t tried, let me know if you do!
I made this today and it has a grainy texture. Im not sure what I did wrong.
★★
Jennifer I tried this today – and my texture was perfect! Like a pudding cup. I did whisk in the arrowroot with a small amount of coconut milk/cream before adding the 1.5 cups then whisked everything really well before and during heating.
This could not have been any easier to make! It turned out so good, such a great no bake summer treat. But would be delicious any time of the year. The pudding texture and taste is perfection.
★★★★★
This is really good (used Carob) but after taking from fridge the next day it’s really thick instead of like a pudding. I even let it sit out an hour. Any suggestions on how to make it less thick?
★★★★
You can add a bit of coconut milk to thin it out!
I’ve been on an elimination diet for a while now to manage my autoimmune disease and this is my go to treat! I like to mix in a bit of peanut butter and banana slices! Delicious!
★★★★★
I make this often. We love it. I have also started adding some vanilla extract and we use it as a dip for pork rinds. My husband who is not a fan of pork rinds was skeptical when I presented one topped with chocolate pudding. He tried it and proclaimed “that tastes like an ice cream cone”. I think the light crisp mimics the traditional ice cream cone and the pudding, the ice cream. Together its so good. one of our favorite deserts.
★★★★★
YUM!!