This easy, 4-ingredient gluten free pudding recipe makes silky smooth and tasty pudding in minutes. Store the dry mix in the cupboard so it's ready to use whenever you need a little something sweet—whether you love chocolate or vanilla!
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What makes this the best gluten free pudding recipe?
These gluten free pudding mixes have a much more delicate sweetness than the store-bought kind. I find packaged store-bought puddings to be just tooth-achingly sweet.
All it takes is a well-stocked gluten free pantry, and you can make pretty much anything from scratch. Plus, you can control the amount of sugar, for taste and so you can feel a bit better about serving such a modest dessert.
Other uses for chocolate or vanilla gf pudding mixes
When I made gluten free chocolate poke cake, I needed an “instant” chocolate pudding. So I came up with the recipe for chocolate gluten free instant pudding you'll find below.
I poured it over that chocolate cake—but it sat there on top. It was thick and rich, like proper chocolate pudding should be. But clearly it was too thick for that cake.
Since it was a D.I.Y., I just reworked the proportions and voilà! But today we're back to those original proportions, and the pudding is perfect…for just being pudding that is ready in an instant.
What type of chocolate is best for this gf pudding mix?
To make chocolate pudding, we replace some of the milk powder with cocoa powder, and add some chopped chocolate at the very end. Are you wondering what sort of cocoa powder and what sort of chopped chocolate works best?
You can use either Dutch-processed (I use Rodelle brand) or natural cocoa powder (Hershey's regular cocoa powder is an example) in this recipe. The natural acidity in cocoa is neutralized in Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but present in natural cocoa powder.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder makes pudding that's slightly smoother than natural cocoa powder. Hershey's special dark cocoa powder is a mix of natural and Dutch-processed cocoa powders, so it's a nice compromise between the two.
If you choose to add chopped chocolate to the hot chocolate pudding, it will deepen the chocolate flavor of the chocolate pudding. It will also make the pudding smoother and creamier.
You can use any sort of chopped chocolate you'd like here. The darker the chocolate, the deeper the chocolate flavor.
What's the best vanilla to use in this pudding recipe?
Any vanilla extract will work in this recipe—even imitation vanilla extract. Just make sure it's gluten free before using it.
I make my own vanilla extract by storing a bunch of vanilla beans that I bought years ago in a sealed glass jar, filled with bourbon. Sometimes, I remove one of the beans and scrape out the seeds inside to give a recipe like this vanilla pudding a deeper vanilla flavor.
You may find that some vanilla extract is called “Madagascar” or “Tahitian,” but it doesn't matter much to me. Those names just refer to the origin of the beans.
Since all distilled alcohol is gluten free, and vanilla extract is made from vanilla beans soaked in distilled alcohol, vanilla extract is gluten free. It's up to you whether you feel comfortable using a distilled alcohol from a gluten-containing source.
Vegan gluten free pudding options
You can use whatever milk you like to make the pudding. If you use a nondairy milk, I find that the pudding is a bit thinner even when using nice, thick almond milk.
Nondairy milk is usually not quite white, either, so the vanilla pudding will look less white if you use it for cooking the pudding.
I have used blanched almond flour in place of nonfat dry milk in the chocolate pudding, as it's just a small amount, and it worked fine. In the vanilla pudding, the dry milk is such a major component, I would stick with nondairy milk powder, like coconut milk powder.
Gluten free pudding with gf flour instead of cornstarch
I know you were probably expecting cornstarch as a thickener, rather than superfine white rice flour. But I rarely use cornstarch as a thickener, particularly something I am going to serve chilled, as it tends to “leak” liquid.
The way cornstarch-thickened pudding tends to separate ruins both the texture and the visual experience. Using superfine white rice flour, or even our simplest gum-free gluten free flour blend (with superfine white rice flour + potato starch + tapioca starch) works beautifully.
In simple recipes like these that have as few as 4 ingredients, making a drastic substitution is really like creating a brand new recipe. Keep in mind that these recipes, unlike custard-style pudding recipes, are naturally egg-free, which already makes them more allergy-friendly.
Gluten free pudding recipe flavors, substitutions, and additions
This is already a pretty simple, yet versatile, recipe. But with a few tweaks, you can make lots of other flavor variations. Here are a few to try.
How to make gluten free lemon pudding
Make the dry mix for the vanilla pudding. Add some lemon zest to the dry ingredients, and whisk to combine.
Then, reduce the milk in the vanilla pudding by 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce). After cooking the mixture, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
In place of pure vanilla extract, use pure lemon extract. The same recipe would work as gluten free lime pudding or gluten free orange pudding by using lime or orange zest, juice, and extract!
How to make gluten free mocha pudding
Make the chocolate pudding dry mix, and follow the instructions for making chocolate pudding, but replace 1 tablespoon of the milk with strong brewed coffee or even espresso.
For extra coffee flavor, replace 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder with espresso powder. Just grind the espresso powder more finely first, so it dissolves completely.
How to make gluten free custard, instead of gluten free vanilla pudding
Gluten free custard, like in our gluten free trifle with fresh summer fruits, similar to vanilla pudding—but not the same. Custard is yellow and has a richer, thicker texture.
Vanilla pudding is little more than some milk, milk powder, and sugar thickened with some flour. We use superfine white rice flour to make it gluten free.
Custard, which you see in the photo above and below, is thickened with cooked egg yolks and just less of that same gluten free flour. To make 2 servings of vanilla custard, you'll need:
- 4 (200 g) egg yolks
- 5 ½ tablespoons (68 g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons (25 g) superfine white rice flour
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Make a paste in a large, heat-safe measuring cup or bowl with a pour spout of the egg yolks, sugar, rice flour, and salt. Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavy-bottom saucepan, and drizzle about ½ cup of it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
Return the full mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken. Your whisk should leave a clearly visible trail in the custard.
Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla, and pour through a fine mesh sieve and into a serving bowl or serving dishes. Cool to room temperature with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and then refrigerate until set.
For a video of the process, including full instructions, click over to our gluten free custard recipe as part of the trifle.
FAQs
Pudding is often gluten free. Most JELLO brand puddings, both boxed mixes and prepared, are gluten free, but you should read labels carefully and call the company if you're at all unsure.
The granulated sugar in this pudding mix is mostly for sweetness, but it also adds some bulk and some mouth-feel. You can try replacing it with an alternative sweetener, like Lankato brand monkfruit granulated sweetener.
Keep in mind that many alternative sweeteners have a cooling effect on your mouth when you eat them. That may shine through especially in the vanilla version of this pudding, since it's so simple in flavor.
You can replace the superfine white rice flour in the dry mixes in this recipe with cornstarch, but it will “leak” as it cools. That means that some liquid dissolved into the pudding will seep out and make your pudding watery.
If your pudding ingredients haven't been combined properly at any point in the process, your pudding may have small, undissolved bits in it. Be sure to make a paste first, by adding just some milk to the dry mixture first.
Did you replace the rice flour called for in the mix recipe with cornstarch? That will often lead to watery pudding.
Did you overmeasure the milk, and/or undermeasure the flour? Perhaps you took your saucepan off the heat too soon, before it thickened enough.
The pudding mixture begins to thicken when it begins to simmer. Continue to stir, and you'll notice that your whisk begins to leave a faint trail behind as you whisk.
These puddings aren't custard, which is made with superfine white rice flour and egg yolks. So they don't thicken as much as custard.
Well, you'll find some of our gluten free vanilla wafers in some photos here. They're the best!
How do I make smooth pudding, without lumps?
For the smoothest pudding, be sure to whisk that first 1/2 cup of milk into the dry ingredients fully before adding the rest of the milk. And cook the pudding on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, to ensure that nothing clumps out of the solution.
If you're concerned that there are some lumps in your pudding after cooking but before you've chilled it, pass it through a fine mesh sieve before placing it in a serving bowl or serving containers. That will remove any remaining lumps.
How to prevent that pudding skin
There are two types of people in this world: those who hate pudding skin, and those who like it best. You know, that darker, thicker skin that develops on hot pudding as it cools…
If you don't like pudding skin, there's an easy way to prevent it. Once you've poured out the mixture into serving containers, you'll have to wait until it's begun to cool before refrigerating it.
If you place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of the pudding, it will never develop that skin. Once it's mostly cooled, remove the plastic wrap, cover the top of the container, and refrigerate until set.
If you like the pudding skin, let the freshly-made pudding sit uncovered as it cools to room temperature. Then, cover the container or bowl with plastic wrap, but across the top of the container—not directly on the pudding.
How to make gluten free pudding, vanilla or chocolate, step by step
4-Ingredient Gluten Free Pudding | Chocolate or Vanilla
Ingredients
For chocolate pudding dry mix
- 6 tablespoons (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is best, but natural works, too)
- 2 ½ tablespoons (25 g) superfine white rice flour (or superfine sweet white rice flour)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) powdered milk (or coconut milk powder, for dairy-free)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For vanilla pudding dry mix
- 7 tablespoons (42 g) powdered milk (or coconut milk powder, for dairy-free)
- 3 tablespoons (25 g) superfine white rice flour (or superfine sweet white rice flour)
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
To Make Pudding (either flavor)
- 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) milk (any kind, including dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean optional for vanilla pudding
- 1 to 2 ounces chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate optional for chocolate pudding
- Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for serving (optional)
Instructions
To make either dry mix.
- Place all the ingredients for either mix in a large bowl and whisk to combine well. Store in a sealed glass container in a cool, dry location until ready to use.
To make chocolate pudding.
- Place the dry mix in a medium-size heavy-bottom saucepan. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth and well-combined.
- Add the rest of the milk in a slow drizzle, whisking constantly to combine.
- Place the pan over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens enough for the whisk to leave a faintly visible trail in the pudding (about 4 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Add the optional chopped chocolate and mix until the chocolate is melted.
- Pour the hot pudding into a 2-cup heat-safe container or a few smaller, heat-safe containers. To avoid a “pudding skin,” place plastic wrap directly on top of the warm pudding as it cools and then chills.
- Allow the pudding to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to chill until set (about an hour). Garnish with optional whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and serve chilled.
To make vanilla pudding.
- Place the dry mix in a medium-size heavy-bottom saucepan. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth and well-combined.
- Add the rest of the milk in a slow drizzle, whisking constantly to combine.
- Place the pan over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture thickens enough for the whisk to leave a faintly visible trail in the pudding (about 4 minutes).
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla extract and optional vanilla seeds, and whisk to combine.
- Pour the hot pudding into a 2-cup heat-safe container or a few smaller, heat-safe containers. To avoid a “pudding skin,” place plastic wrap directly on top of the warm pudding as it cools and then chills.
- Allow the pudding to cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator to chill until set (about an hour).
- Garnish with optional whipped cream and chocolate shavings, and serve chilled.
Notes
When you are ready to make a serving of pudding, measure out 117 grams (or about 3/4 cup) of the chocolate pudding dry mix or 121 grams (or about 3/8 cup) of the vanilla pudding mix, and proceed with the recipe as written. Originally published on the blog in 2015. Recipe largely unchanged; much of text, many photos new.
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Lois Weinstein says
My new go to comfort food. It is really the most delicious vanilla pudding I’ve ever made that is non dairy and uses rice flour. Thanks for coming to my rescue.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s great to hear, Lois!
Mary Wahl says
Could I use tapioca flour instead of rice flour?
Nicole Hunn says
Tapioca flour is too stretchy. You can try arrowroot.
Beth Hodge says
Do you have a recipe for instant pudding mix? I’ve made up a version once using therm-flo or some such thing but don’t know what I did with the recipe.
Nicole Hunn says
This is a recipe for instant pudding mix, Beth. Please see the recipe card.
Beth Hodge says
Instant, as in non-cooked.
Nicole Hunn says
Oh, sorry for the misunderstanding. No, I don’t.