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Vegan Chocolate Cream Pudding is a creamy, dairy free, coconut cream dessert recipe with only 3 ingredients! Make this quick canned coconut milk dessert recipe when the craving strikes. 

Originally posted July 2019. Post Updated October, 2021 // As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases

I am so excited to share this homemade coconut cream dessert and dairy free pudding with you today because it’s the easiest dessert to make with coconut cream. 

I never think of coconut milk as the solution to my sweet tooth, but desserts using coconut milk can be quick and easy.

Seriously, easy chocolate pudding with coconut milk is the most hands off recipe for your sweet tooth. 

What is Coconut Cream Pudding?

I really struggled with how to name this coconut cream chocolate pudding. It’s thick like pudding, but more so, it’s a canned coconut cream recipe made with whipped coconut cream. 

I think you’ll agree with me – coconut cream and chocolate is a match made in heaven. This is one of the best vegan chocolate desserts I’ve ever had or made. 

Plus, just three ingredients! You’d really only want to include the coconut cream if it was a quick coconut cream dessert anyway. Why go through the hassle otherwise?

Ingredients For Coconut Milk Chocolate Pudding

• Canned coconut milk (I recommend full-fat and use this one)
• Cocoa Powder (I like this fair trade powder). Just read the ingredients and avoid dairy or whey by-products if you’re making this dairy free chocolate pudding. 
• Sweetener (sugar, maple syrup or honey). Avoid honey if vegan. I use this Organic Grade A maple syrup or coconut sugar. 

And I love to have cacoa nibs on hand, for the topping. I promise, this coconut cream recipe is ideal for dessert and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients, as long as you keep canned coconut milk as a pantry staple!

I don’t stress about my food these days and truly have made peace with food. Yet, I still try to minimize processed ingredients, like vegetable oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, corn starch, and other fillers and preservatives, when I can.

Especially when I’m feeding the girls. 

And, even more so, when you realize that canned coconut cream dessert recipes are so easy to make on your own – Seriously, just 3 ingredients! 

Less ingredients, the better. Like my 3 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies, these are easy to have in a pinch. 

How to Make Chocolate Coconut Pudding 

The next time you find yourself wondering what to make with coconut cream, make this chocolate coconut cream pudding for dessert

This coconut cream pudding recipe originally started as chocolate coconut whipped cream, which you can still make (see notes below). 

But, the final product was thick and more like a pudding, so it evolved into a healthy chocolate pudding (not the kind with avocados). 

I know there’s a market for coconut milk dessert recipes. When I followed a dairy free diet in the beginning of my hungry breastfeeding journey, this dairy free coconut cream dessert recipe was perfect.

As a proclaimed ice cream lover, I wanted something real, thick and high in fat. This did the trick. Chocolate just always seems like a good idea. 

To make this quick coconut cream dessert in the best way possible, you have to properly whip the coconut cream. 

How to Make Vegan Whipped Cream 

If you’re looking for how to whip coconut cream, you’re looking for a recipe for how to make vegan whipped cream. They are one in the same. 

While making cream out of canned coconut milk may seem intimidating, it’s not at all. There’s really a sequence of steps to make a creamy, tasty coconut whipped cream. 

To make coconut whipped cream, you’re simply using the creamy (not liquidy) part of canned (full-fat) coconut milk.

Coconut whipped cream is a fantastic alternative to dairy whipped cream and makes for the best desserts with coconut cream.

This post talks about 50+ uses for your canned coconut milk so there is always something you can do with it. 

Here are the steps for making your own coconut milk whipped cream. 

1. Spoon the solid chunk out of the coconut milk can and put it in a bowl

You can reserve the liquid for something else (see notes below!) because we don’t need it to make the coconut milk whipped cream. I recommend keeping your mixers in the freezer for 15 minutes beforehand to make things easier.

2. Take out a hand mixer and start whipping.

Whipping the coconut cream is the most labor intensive part, but also the coolest. 

3. Keep whipping

As you mix, the mixture will start to see some peaks and the coconut milk will begin to look more like whipped cream.

Keep mixing for a pudding-like consistency. Your quick coconut milk dessert is almost ready!

4. Add cocoa powder and sweetener of choice.

Make sure to taste it to see if you want it sweeter or less sweet.

Or, if you’re going for a vegan vanilla pudding, add a touch of vanilla extract or vanilla beans. 

Who knew you could make such delicious canned coconut cream recipes for dessert so easily?

This is my go to for recipes using coconut cream. 

Tips For Your Coconut Cream Dessert

• Put your can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge the night before.
• If you turn your can upside down in the fridge, this will ensure that the coconut liquid is on top when you open the can. Since coconut water/milk (the liquid) has natural electrolytes, you can add it to smoothies or even make your own electrolyte drink with it. Don’t waste your time on the “light” coconut milk, as it won’t whip as well. We want full fat here, plus fat = flavor!
• Freeze your hand mixers for about 15-30 minutes before whipping! This helps the coconut milk whip more easily and speeds up the process.
• If you whip the coconut milk long enough, you pass the “whipped cream” stage. The result is still a creamy, milky bowl of goodness, but if you’d rather have coconut whipped cream, just cut the time short.
• I highly recommend adding cocao nibs on top. Not only do they provide a necessary crunch, but they are full of antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats!

Serving Suggestions

This coconut cream dessert is obviously good on its own, but if you want some more depth with it, here’s what I recommend serving it with:

• Atop pie or a crumble, like this quinoa apple crumble
• Atop or alongside a baked oatmeal. I’m preferential to strawberry baked oatmeal or apple pumpkin pie baked oatmeal
• Serve alongside or atop a granola bar or homemade vegan protein bars
• Throw some easy homemade trail mix or granola in there and eat it like yogurt
• Add fruit! Berries, pomegranate seeds and kiwi slices are my favorite. 

Pin it for Later

More Healthy Chocolate Recipes

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Fudge Bites
• Cherry Chocolate Chia Pudding
• Chocolate Pomegranate Energy Bites
• Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Healthy Vegan Brownies

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