Quick and easy recipe for the best vegan vanilla pudding. Made with real vanilla bean paste and golden agave syrup. This amazing, rich and creamy pudding is naturally gluten-free as well as dairy-free, gluten-free, oil-free, and eggless.
Place water and macadamia nuts in a high-powered blender. Blend for 2 full minutes until the mixture is very smooth.
Strain macadamia milk
Drape a thin, tight-weave cotton tea towel over a saucepan and pour macadamia milk into the cloth.
Gather sides of cloth securely. Then knead and squeeze over the saucepan until all the nut milk is extracted and only pulp remains in the towel.
Discard the pulp or save it to add to wholesome baked goods.
Scrape vanilla bean
First, cut the vanilla bean pod in half crosswise. Then take a small sharp knife and make a long slit lengthwise down the center of the pod. Cut through the top layer of skin but keep the bottom of the pod intact.
Pry the skin open and use the flat side of your knife to scrape all the pulp and seeds from the pod. Scrape several times down the length of the pod, and you'll get a surprising amount of vanilla bean paste.
Whisk ingredients
Whisk agave syrup, cornstarch, and vanilla bean paste vigorously into macadamia milk before turning on the burner.
Cook pudding
Cook pudding over medium heat while whisking gently and continually. Once the mixture boils, cook for another full minute. By this time, the pudding should be thickened.
Serve
Pour hot pudding immediately into 4 serving dishes. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes for warm pudding or refrigerate for cold pudding.
Store
Store pudding in covered dishes in the refrigerator. Macadamia vanilla bean pudding keeps refrigerated for 5 days. Do not freeze.
Notes
Vanilla beans
First cut the vanilla bean pod in half crosswise. Then take a small sharp knife and make a long slit lengthwise down the center of the pod. Pry the skin open and use the flat side of your knife to scrape all the pulp and seeds from the pod.
Use the paste inside only for pudding. You can place the remaining vanilla bean pod in a small jar and cover it with spirits like rum or vodka. In 2 months you'll have your own homemade vanilla extract!
Just start a jar with ½ cup of 80-proof alcohol like vodka, rum, or brandy. Add 3 sliced vanilla bean pods with their paste. In 2 months, your extract is ready and can be kept indefinitely.
Substituting almond milk
You can substitute almond milk for macadamia milk if desired. Just follow these guidelines and keep in mind the pudding will have a slight almond flavor.
Make sure it is homemade and made with skinned almonds.
Use 1 cup of skinned almonds and 2 cups of water to make rich milk.
Reduce cornstarch to two tablespoons.
Preparation
Strain freshly made macadamia nut milk through tightly woven cloth and squeeze well to extract all the milk.
Use precisely one tablespoon plus one teaspoon of cornstarch.
Measure cornstarch before agave syrup if using the same tablespoon. That way cornstarch won't stick to the tablespoon and will be measured accurately.
Whisk cornstarch, agave, salt, and vanilla paste into macadamia milk while it's cold.
It's important to stir pudding constantly while it cooks to prevent lumps.
Cover pudding while it cools. That way the top will stay soft and not create a film.
Store
Store pudding for up to 5 days in covered containers in the refrigerator. Do not freeze.