This Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding is thick, creamy, and secretly healthy! It's naturally sweetened with dates, and requires just 6 ingredients to make!
This chocolate peanut butter pudding is a decadent dessert with a rich and creamy texture. Once you try you'll never go back to the boxed instant pudding ever again!
Made with just 6 pantry ingredients, you'll love how simple and easy this eggless pudding is to make. With its velvety texture, you'll never guess that it's vegan and dairy-free too!
This recipe is perfect for spring and summer because it's best enjoyed cold.
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Ingredients and notes
- Dates: most recipes on the internet use either brown sugar or maple syrup to sweeten the pudding, but I like to use dates. They thicken the pudding and are high in fiber, compared to other sweeteners.
- Coconut milk: instead of heavy cream, we're using full-fat coconut milk from a can.
- Peanut butter: use natural peanut butter with no added sugars or oil for best results.
- Cocoa powder: I use dutch processed cocoa powder because it adds a rich chocolate flavor, but you can also use cacao powder.
- Corn starch: it thickens the pudding without the need for eggs.
- Salt: a little salt goes a long way here. It deepens the flavors of the cacao powder.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding
- To a saucepan, add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Once it starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and add the pitted dates. Soak for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the liquid back to the pot alongside the peanut butter, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract.
3. Dissolve corn starch with cold water and add to the pot. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat and whisk constantly. Turn the heat to low, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until it thickens.
4. Once ready, remove from the heat and pour the pudding mixture into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and make sure the plastic touches the surface of the pudding. Let it cool to room temperature.
We like to chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving, but you can serve it at room temperature.
CHEF'S TIPS
- Mix the corn starch with cold water. It will prevent clumps. Remember to never mix corn starch with hot water or another warm liquid.
- Soak the dates until soft. This will help them blend fully and will prevent having chunks of dates in your pudding.
- Whisk constantly. The mixture tends to burn easily, so make sure to whisk non-stop and turn the heat low.
- Chill the pudding for at least 1 hour. Chilling the pudding helps it thicken and I personally prefer it cold.
- Make sure to use creamy peanut butter, not the thick part you find at the bottom of the jar.
Serving
We like to top this chocolate peanut butter pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, or some buttercream frosting.
You can also add chocolate shavings, chocolate sprinkles, or chocolate chips on top. A tablespoon of chunky peanut butter would be delicious as well.
If you want to keep it on the lighter side, you can serve this pudding with some fresh fruit, maybe some banana slices or berries.
Variations
Here are a few substitutions you can make with this recipe.
- Almond butter: If you don't have peanut butter or are allergic to peanuts, you can make this recipe with almond butter or cashew butter as well.
- Light coconut milk: Although light coconut milk won't give the same richness, you can still use it if you don't have full-fat coconut milk.
- Arrowroot starch: If you want to make this recipe corn-free or don't have cornstarch, you can use arrowroot starch as well.
Storage
Once cooled to room temperature, save this vegan pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can freezer it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Chocolate Desserts
This recipe was updated on 13/05/2022 with better content.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 10 dates pitted
- 1 can full-fat canned coconut milk*
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder* (or sub with cacao powder)
- 2 tablespoon corn starch (or sub with tapioca or arrowroot starch)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- In a small pot, pour coconut milk and add the pitted dates. Bring to a boil. Once it starts to simmer, turn the heat off and let the dates soak in the milk for at least 10 minutes. If your dates are too dry, let them soak for 20 minutes. You want them to be really soft.
- Transfer to a blender and blend for about 1 minute or until really smooth. Pour the mixture back to the pot.
- Add cacao powder, peanut butter, salt, vanilla extract, and whisk well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- In the meantime, to a small bowl, add the corn starch with 3-4 tablespoon cold water and mix until it dissolves. Add to the pudding mixture.
- Turn the heat to low and start whisking constantly for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens.
- Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and immediately cover it with plastic wrap. Making sure the plastic touches the surface of the pudding and covers it well.
- Chill at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving or overnight in the fridge. Enjoy as-is or top with coconut whipped cream.
- Save leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use dutch processed cocoa powder, it gives a rich chocolaty flavor. If you use natural cacao powder, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoon more.
- Mix the corn starch with cold water. It will prevent clumps. Remember to never mix corn starch with hot water or another warm liquid.
- Soak the dates until soft. This will help them blend fully and will prevent having chunks of dates in your pudding.
- Whisk constantly. The mixture tends to burn easily, so make sure to whisk non-stop and turn the heat low.
- Chill the pudding for at least 1 hour. Chilling the pudding helps it thicken and I personally prefer it cold.
- Fridge: Once cooled to room temperature, save the pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: You can freezer it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Jen says
This pudding is decadent and satisfying and easy to make. I just used the whole can of coconut milk and the end result was thick and chocolatey. I didn't notice any coconut flavor thanks to the cocoa powder, and the sweetness from the dates was perfect. It wasn't overly sweet, but enough to be a dessert. I enjoyed with crushed peanuts on top and some whipped cream. I'll make this again for sure and try with some homemade cashew milk next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Petranka says
That sounds amazing, Jen! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hanna Long says
This looks insane!
Petranka says
Glad you like it, Hanna!