How to Make Jello Pudding Milk Free! (2024)

While the back of the box directions say to not use milk substitutes…I’ve never been one to follow directions exactly. I’ll show you how to make Jell-O brand pudding using milk alternatives so it’s allergy-friendly and vegan.

Many people need to go dairy free at some point, whether it’s for nursing, for a specific diet, while trying out veganism, or simply for a food allergy like us. But, just because you’re dairy-free doesn’t mean you still don’t crave treats. Chocolate can be especially tough, because unless you’re willing to pay for specialty chocolate, all the regular store-bought chocolate typically has milk in it.

Plus, while cooking from scratch and I are best friends, sometimes real life hits you.

Sometimes you want an easy dessert, or a quick and painless after school snack.

I used to longingly walk past the pudding section in my grocer and wish my son could have something easy like that. One day, I got sick of wishing and thought…I’m just going to keep experimenting until I figure it out!

The first batch was more like chocolate soup.

I then realized it HAS to be the cook and serve. The instant will never set up. This on the other hand is thick and creamy. Sooo good!

Yay for experimenting and not giving up. Now this is my in my pantry all the time just in case we get a chocolate craving and don’t have a lot of time.

Here’s a couple of frequently asked questions about how to make Jell-O pudding without milk:

Is Jell-O pudding gluten free?

If you’re like us and need gluten and dairy free treats, you’re in luck! Jell-O pudding (both the instant as well as the cook and serve varieties) does not have wheat or gluten in it, as the recipe currently stands. You can see the ingredients listed below.

What ingredients are in Jell-O instant pudding?

Here are the ingredients for Jell-O instant pudding in chocolate fudge (as shown in this recipe), as stated on their website as of November 2019:

• Sugar
• Modified cornstarch
• Cocoa processed with alkali
• Disodium phosphate (for thickening), contains less than 2% of natural & artificial flavor
• Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate (for thickening)
• Mono-and Diglycerides (prevent foaming)
• Red 40
• Yellow 5
• Blue 1
• Artificial Color,
• BHA (preservative)

Be sure to check for yourself and to make sure the recipe hasn’t changed since this blog publication.

What ingredients are in Jell-O cook and serve pudding?

Not only does Jell-O cook and serve work better with milk alternatives, but it also doesn’t have artificial colors and has a simpler ingredient deck than Jell-O instant pudding. Here are the ingredients for Jell-O cook and serve pudding in the chocolate fudge flavor (as shown in this post) as stated on their website in November 2019:

• Sugar
• Dextrose
• Cornstarch
• Cocoa (processed with Alkali)
• Modified cornstarch,
• Contains less than 2% of salt, calcium carrageenan, polysorbate 60, fumaric acid

Be sure to check for yourself and to make sure the recipe hasn’t changed since this blog publication.

Is Jell-O pudding vegan?

As you can see from the list of ingredients above, there are no eggs, milk or animal products in Jell-O instant pudding mix or in their cook and serve pudding mix. However, if you add milk, like the directions state, it will no longer be vegan. This is why I recipe tested to find out how to use a plant based milk to keep Jell-O pudding vegan and dairy free. See the recipe card below to see how I do it!

Does Jell-O pudding contain gelatin?

A lot of people get confused and think that Jell-O brand pudding cannot be vegan. Trust me, I’ve had a lot of people tell me this. They assume that because their jello (the jiggly stuff) has gelatin in it that their pudding does too. As you can see in the ingredients listed above, this is not the case. Gelatin (made from animal products, and therefore not vegan) is needed to have jello set up. To have Jell-O pudding set up, they use cornstarch instead.

Can you make Jell-O pudding with almond milk?

If you don’t have nut allergies, you can totally use almond milk, or even coconut milk or cashew milk. My favorite kind of non-dairy milk to use in Jell-O pudding is rice milk. I find it is the one with the least amount of after taste. Because nut milks have a strong flavor, you’ll notice a hint of them in the final product. THE IMPORTANT THING is that you use the cook and serve variety, and not the instant kind. Almond milk is a bit too thin to work with the instant kind. You’ll want to start with the ratio I mention in my recipe card, and work up from there until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

Can you make Jell-O pudding with soy milk?

If you don’t have soy allergies, you can totally use soy milk and we have several times.

Can you make Jell-O pudding with rice milk?

As mentioned in the recipe, I prefer rice milk since it doesn’t have an aftertaste like soy milk does. But, because my son can do both rice and soy milk, when we run out of rice milk, I’ll use soy milk in a pinch. THE IMPORTANT THING is that you use the cook and serve variety, and not the instant kind. Soy milk is a bit too thin to work with the instant kind. You’ll want to start with the ratio I mention in my recipe card, and work up from there until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

How Long Does Rice Milk Last?

I’ve found two brands of rice milk and they both come in two types of packaging: shelf-stable boxes and cartons. The shelf-stable packaging is found on the shelf, usually on the juice aisle. I like to keep this in my food storage as a backup to the one in my fridge, as it will last until the expiration date, which is usually several months out. It only needs to be refrigerated once opened and can stay fresh for up to ten days after opening.

The cartons of rice milk sold in the refrigerators need to be kept in your fridge as soon as you get home from the store and will last until the expiration date on the package, usually around 10 days as well. You’ll notice your rice milk has gone bad if it has become chunky or smells bad when pouring it. If you want more rice inspired pudding, you can try my gluten-free rice pudding.

Storing Dairy-Free Pudding

When not serving or eating your pudding, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator, covered. You can either put it in an airtight container, or keep some plastic cling/saran wrap on top. Pudding should last up to 3 days in the fridge. You will want to stir it before serving it again. And, if you find it has firmed up more than your liking, you can simply add a teaspoon or so of your preferred non-dairy milk until it reaches your desired consistency again.

Do you want other recipes that use dairy free Jell-O pudding?

I’ve used my adapted recipe to make Jell-O pudding dairy free, and then put it into these other favorite recipes:

• Triple chocolate pie –that uses Jell-O pudding as the middle layer to make this no-bake treat a breeze!
• Lemon cream pie bars–see how to make lemon pudding without milk OR eggs!
• Strawberry jello pie–gluten and dairy free!
• Peach pie–uses Jell-O to really bring out the peach flavor, gluten free too!

Dairy Free Jello Pudding

Yield: 4

See Also

Lesley Tellez on What Everyone Gets Wrong About Mexican Food

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

How to make Jell-O brand chocolate pudding, without using dairy or milk!

Ingredients

• 1 large box (5 oz) of Jell-O brand chocolate pudding cook and serve (NOT instant)
• 1 and 1/2 cups vanilla rice milk

Instructions

1. Mix together rice milk (or soy, or coconut, or cashew or almond--see post notes) and pudding mix in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and boil for one minute, constantly stirring.
2. Pudding may be eaten immediately--be careful, it's hot! Or it can be eaten after being refrigerated. Pudding will set further as it cools.
3. If you find it's set too much--especially if you refrigerate it (which rarely happens for us, we usually eat it in one sitting), you can add in 1 Tablespoon of milk alternative at a time to thin it back out to the consistency you prefer.

Notes

You'll notice no matter the milk alternative, I start with half of the liquid it calls for on the box since we're not using real milk. (So, you can use this ratio, if you buy a smaller box of Jell-O pudding mix.) It's easier to add in more if it's too thick for your preference, than try to salvage watery pudding.

My favorite milk alternative is rice, as it leaves no after taste, as the other milk alternatives do. But, use what works for your diet.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 186Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 69mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g

CHECK OUT MY PINTEREST BOARDS FOR OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY IDEAS!

Here are my other top dairy-free posts you might find helpful: