Dairy-Free Espresso Vanilla Pudding

Sep 14, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Easy

Dairy-free espresso vanilla pudding made with Tahitian vanilla

Dairy-free espresso pudding flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An easy recipe: 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus chilling; serves 4. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Chill 2 hr

Total 2 hr 25 min

Servings 4

Diet Dairy free

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2 ½ cups (600.0 ml)almond milk
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
3.0 tbsp (24.0 g)cornstarch
3.0large egg yolks
2.0 tbsp (28.0 g)dairy-free butter
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped
1.0 tsp (2.0 g)espresso powder

Make it at home

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Instructions

In a saucepan off the heat, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks with a splash of the milk until smooth and lump-free.
Warm the remaining milk with the vanilla until it steams, then whisk it slowly into the yolk mixture.
Whisk the espresso powder into the warm milk until fully dissolved.
Set over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and comes to a gentle bubble, about 5 minutes; it should mound softly on the whisk.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter until the pudding looks glossy and smooth.
Pour into serving dishes, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Tips

Espresso powder deepens vanilla without making it taste like coffee; add more only if you want a true coffee flavor.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla pudding?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hr chill. The recipe makes 4 servings.

How should I store vanilla pudding?

Refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed on the surface for up to 3 days.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 4 servings this recipe makes.

243 Calories / serving

11.0g Fat

33.1g Carbs

3.3g Protein

26.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (4 servings): ~972 cal · 44g fat · 132g carbs · 13g protein · 105g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 243 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 46 min·2.7 mi·~5400 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 33 min·1.7 mi·~3300 steps
Moderate cycling 25 min·5.0 mi
Swimming laps 34 min
Jogging 24 min·2.0 mi·~3850 steps
Stair climbing 22 min·~2000 steps
Dancing 40 min
Bodyweight circuit training 25 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 56 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.