Friends, this homemade Coconut Milk Pudding is amazing. It is an easy, classic and old-fashioned dessert made with coconut milk as the main ingredient. SUPER rich and delicious and can be adapted to be vegan or dairy-free.
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Coconut Milk Pudding Recipe
I am a super fan of this creamy dessert; it has an excellent texture and taste with a tropical mild sweetness and nutty flavor that was all given by the coconut. It is my absolutely favorite recipe for an easy dessert!
Ah, it also has a silky smooth and creamy texture thanks to all the cream from coconut and the additional milk. You will really have to try this for yourself to see just how flavorful it is.
I like to serve this pudding for your dessert at any mealtime!
Be ready though, because anyone who gets to taste this dish is never satisfied with just one serving! It is just so irresistible that a call for a second serving cannot be denied 😋.
Why We Love This Recipe
- You don't have to use any fancy kitchen appliances just to perfect this recipe at home. A simple skillet, bowl, and whisk are already enough to create a creamy texture out of all the ingredients within this recipe.
- A light and creamy dessert idea that anyone can enjoy.
- This dish can easily be adjusted to your liking. Doubling the recipe is never a problem either.
- This quick coconut milk dessert can be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
- This a budget-friendly recipe that you can make even when you are on a tight budget.
- Can be adjusted to match your vegan or keto diet by swapping some ingredients.
- This luscious dessert is made with minimal ingredients.
- Easy dessert to serve after a family dinner.
Ingredients
Shredded Coconut. I toasted the coconut to perfection and then used it to garnish the pudding. It will give fresh tropical nutty sweetness to your dish, so never forget this one. You can also use coconut flakes instead.
Full Fat Coconut Milk. The base cream for this recipe is coconut milk. With its typical tropical taste and aroma, it sure is going to make this recipe extra flavorful.
Milk. I added milk to ensure a fuller, thicker, and creamier texture for this dish.
Cornstarch. I should add cornstarch for a thicker consistency. You will need to add a tablespoon of cornstarch for each cup of milk.
Granulated Sugar. Let us sweeten this dish by adding granulated sugar to the mixture.
Eggs. Eggs are known to be a pudding staple ingredient, this is because it adds so much texture as a thickener for this any pudding recipe. I recommend using room temperature eggs.
Butter. Butter will give the silky, smooth, and delectable texture to this recipe so never forget to add it.
Vanilla Extract. To enhance all the flavors. You can add instead lemon or orange zest.
“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”
Make It Your Way
- You can swap the regular milk with evaporated milk. The combination of evaporated milk and coconut milk will make this pudding so creamy in taste and texture.
- Be generous with the toppings for this recipe. The toasted coconut will taste better with crushed almonds or peanuts!
- Add a few drops of coconut extract to intensify the coconut flavor.
- Arrowroot powder is a good substitute for cornstarch as a thickening agent.
- If you have a sweet tooth, you may add more granulated sugar, brown sugar or maple syrup.
- You can make coconut chocolate pudding by adding 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the milk.
- Make this recipe dairy free by substituting milk with more coconut milk or any other dairy-free milk, and replace butter with coconut oil.
How To Make Coconut Milk Pudding - Step By Step
One: Toast the coconut in a skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes until golden brown.
Two: In a large bowl, whisk the egg, milk and coconut milk until combined. Then pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan.
Three: Stir in cornstarch, sugar, and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat or until the mixture thickens (whisking constantly).
Four: Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Divide the pudding between 4 serving dishes or small cups, sprinkle the toasted coconut on top of the pudding and then put it in the fridge.
Tip: Thickening this dish can be tricky, but the only way to do it perfectly is to add the right amount of cornstarch. Too much cornstarch will result in a hard texture with a bitter taste.
Top Tips!
- As the mixture is cooking in the pot, make sure that you never cease to stir constantly so that the mixture will not stick to the bottom of the pot. Stirring constantly will also help thicken and cream the mixture.
- A whisk is the tool of choice. By constantly stirring the mixture with the whisk, you can avoid the formation of lumps. There should never be any dry ingredients like cornstarch visible in a smooth pudding.
- If you like, press waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of the pudding once poured into the glasses to prevent skin from forming.
- You have to resist the urge to devour this pudding after cooking because you still have to let it chill in the fridge. You need to wait for a few hours until it is thoroughly chilled and all the flavors have already settled. It is the only way to ensure a flavorful pudding.
- Top your homemade coconut milk pudding with fresh fruits or nuts of your choice.
- If you use salted butter, skip the pinch of salt.
- To make this pudding extra creamy, mix 2-3 tablespoons of coconut cream with the coconut milk.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet Potato Cookies or Peanut Butter Microwave Cookies will pair well with your smooth and creamy Coconut Milk Pudding.
Personally, I love to serve this pudding alongside Chocolate Orange Cake because both have a delicate texture but with a desirable taste of mild sweetness.
Storage
To store: This dish can be chilled in the fridge for up to three days. Freezing is not advisable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Absolutely. Just skip the eggs and then use vegan butter and plant-based milk like soy milk or almond milk.
You can always buy quality coconut in the grocery stores near you. But if you wish to buy fresh ones, you can find some farms that offer coconuts fresh from trees.
To get a creamy coconut pudding, you have to use milk.
More Coconut Recipes
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Recipe Card
Coconut Milk Pudding
Ingredients
- ½ cup sweetened coconut , toasted
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Toast the coconut in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown.½ cup sweetened coconut
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk and coconut milk until combined. Then pour the mixture into a saucepan.1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup whole milk, 1 egg
- Stir in cornstarch, sugar, and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat or until the mixture thickens (whisking constantly).3 tablespoon white sugar, 2 tablespoon cornstarch, pinch of salt
- Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Divide the pudding between 4 serving dishes, top with toasted coconut and then put in the fridge.1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
- As the mixture is cooking in the pot, make sure that you never cease to stir constantly so that the mixture will not stick to the bottom of the pot. Stirring constantly will also help thicken and cream the mixture.
- A whisk is the tool of choice. By constantly stirring the mixture with the whisk, you can avoid the formation of lumps. There should never be any dry ingredients like cornstarch visible in a smooth pudding.
- If you like, press waxed paper or plastic wrap on top of the pudding once poured into the glasses to prevent skin from forming.
- You have to resist the urge to devour this pudding after cooking because you still have to let it chill in the fridge. You need to wait for a few hours until it is thoroughly chilled and all the flavors have already settled. It is the only way to ensure a flavorful pudding.
- Top your homemade pudding with fresh fruits or nuts of your choice.
- To make this pudding extra creamy, mix 2-3 tablespoons of coconut cream with the coconut milk
- Sometimes, I like to add a few drops of coconut extract to intensify the coconut flavor.
Nancy
I like to add a few drops of rose water or orange extract to the milk.
Caroline
Creamy and so tasty, we like it cold, and I top it with any fresh fruits I have in the fridge.