Hello Chocolate Pudding Pies!
Speaking of chocolate pudding… Last week I fixed the voluminous oatmeal post, so this week, I tackled another post in dire need of fixing: the soy-free pudding tutorial post. It was awfully confusing and convoluted.
I’m re-posting the updated post so you don’t have to bother clicking on links to find it; I don’t mean to make you click so many links all the time! It’s just, when you’ve been blogging as long as I have, linking back is sometimes is much easier due to the sheer number of posts.
Awhile back, I wrote an agar tutorial post.
But after receiving questions on my Vegan Peppermint Cream post, I figured it was time for another tutorial—with more specific instructions and photos of every step. ‘Cause working with agar is NOT hard once you get the hang of it. Seriously, I can make an agar pudding with only three ingredients and very little mess to clean.
Oh, and a note on finding agar flakes: Look for Eden agar flakes (pictured below) in the Asian section of Whole Foods. Or, if your WF has none, make a trip to a local Asian market, where the agar flakes might also be cheaper..
But why would you want to use agar?
Four teensy little words for you: Soy-Free Banana Yogurt.
Not to mention peach pudding, chocolate pudding, chocolate cream pie, vegan alfredo sauce… See? You need agar in your life! You can make up a big batch of the “base” ahead of time, then portion it out to make different-flavored desserts, sauces, soups, or whatever else you’re craving, all at once.
“Working with Agar” Tutorial
(Above, Vegan Strawberry Pudding)
Basic Agar Pudding
(makes about 2 cups pudding, or 2 large servings)
- 2 and 2/3 cups nondairy milk
- 2T agar flakes
Follow the directions below.
Then refer to the “add in ideas” section to make puddings, mousses, sauces, and more!
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Step One: Measure the agar and non-dairy milk into a pot. Before turning on the heat, let the two sit for 5 minutes to help the gelling process.
Step Two: Slowly bring to a boil. After it starts to boil, lower to a simmer until the agar flakes pretty much dissolve, about 5-8 minutes. (They won’t dissolve completely. It should look something like the above photo.)
Step Three: Turn off heat and leave for a few minutes (5ish) to cool, then put in the fridge (covered or not).
Step Four: When it’s cooled and gelled, the fun part begins.
Now you get to make pudding, or even vegan “3-Ingredient” Alfredo Sauce. 🙂
Anything your mind thinks up; be creative! And, as I said before, nothing’s stopping you from making extra, dividing the recipe, and adding different mix-ins to each serving! Put your mix-ins into the pot, and use your hand blender to blend it all together (or, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Lately, I’ve been loving my Magic Bullet).
Below are some add-in ideas I’ve brainstormed (not all of which I’ve tried)… maybe after you experiment, you can come back and leave me comments telling me what YOU did with the basic mix. I’d love to know! (Seriously.)
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Add-In Ideas:
(I’ve tried #s 1, 3, 5, and 6, with great results)
- Add pureed pumpkin, winter squash, or sweet potato, and add some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- Add pureed fruit, or even a jar of baby food!
- Add a fruit cup or applesauce, such as in the Apple Pie Pudding.
- Decrease the amount of milk, and add some coffee, for a coffee-flavored pudding.
- Use, as your non-dairy milk, a flavored beverage such as Silk Coffee, Silk Eggnog or Pumpkin Spice, Chai Latte, etc. and don’t add any other fruit… or do!
- Mix in some protein powder.
- Add veggies to make a thick, creamy soup.
- Use coconut milk as the non-dairy milk, and add coconut shavings (and maybe even chocolate chips!).
- Mix in some nut butter, and jelly, fruit, or chocolate chips(!) for PB&J, PB-Banana, or Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cup Pudding.
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Anyone have other flavor ideas???
Final note: you can use Meg’s probiotic trick for a soy-free, dairy-free yogurt!
Lamington pudding!!
You’re using agar agar flakes … Try to find agar-agar powder, it’s even easier !
– 1 tea spoon of agar-agar powder for 500 ml of liquid (even with juices to make jelly, but use a little bit more agar-agar because its jelly powder is not as strong with acid liquid).
– mix the agar-agar with a little bit of liquid in a sauce pan, then when it’s well mixed, add all the liquid. ***
– bring to boil and let it boil for one or two minutes then stop the heat.
– transfer in a container (such as a large bowl or small one for individual portion) and let rest.
– when it’s cold, it’s supposed to be jelly/pudding, then you can refrigerate it.
*** you can add any sweeteners or flavours at that time. I like to mix my milk with hazelnuts butter and maple syrup to end up with an creamy hazelnuts pudding.
Thank you so much for such a great comment! I’ve never used the powder… but I think it’s even cheaper, so I’ll have to try it :).
I am so glad I just saw this post! I just made the gingerbread version and after reading your post, I realized I purchased the powder but followed the instructions for the flakes- needless to say, when I checked on the pudding (just now) it is a complete solid mass! lol.. it feels like a rubber ball! So make sure when you make this, you buy the flakes not the powder (or, follow these instructions if using powder- don’t follow the original instructions 🙂 Thanks for posting this!
MMMmmm…..u could stir in mini cookie dough balls….like milk and cookie cream 🙂
Wow. Sometimes there are no words lol :).
Yes! I love agar, and it is not hard….but it doesn’t have that nice layer ontop like hot puddings do because it doesn’t solidify until cold….oh well!
Oh, and my suggestion fora flavor=chocolate coconut 🙂
the pudding looks great….there are so many ways to go from vanilla, cinnamon sugar, lemon, blueberry, skies the limit!
have a wonderful VDay Weekend, Katie! 🙂
I love the tutorial Katie! I have seen your recipe for agar pudding and to be honest, it really intrigued me. Now I just need to go get some agar!
So glad you posted this step-by-step process as I never knew exactly how long to let the agar agar + milk simmer. The only info I ever found online was “wait until it dissolves”, but I was never sure. I think once I let it go for over 20 minutes and almost all the liquid evaporated. Oops. So, thank you! 🙂
That’s such a versatile recipe, I love it! Thanks for the tutorial. I would have NO idea how to use this stuff otherwise!
Hi,
This is totally off topic, but I made your banana coconut butter and it is DIVINE. I only have one question though. I’ve been keeping it in the fridge, but when I try to melt it, it never gets as soft as it was right after making it. Also, it kind of changed color slightly. Is there a different melting method I should be using. Should I be keeping it out of the fridge? Can it even be stored without spoiling.
Sorry I’m such a dumb bunny 😛
Love all your vegan creations btw.
Dumb bunny? No way! lol
Hmmm… what melting method are you using? Have you tried the oven? I like to turn the oven on to the lowest setting. As soon as it reaches that temp, I turn it OFF. Then I put the coconut banana butter inside until it’s soft. But really, I don’t even bother… I just like it as fudge lol.
You can store it out of the fridge for a few days, but because of the banana it won’t last much longer un-fridged.
howabout freezing it to make froyo??? time to try agar!