Can You Make Pudding With Water Instead Of Milk

We all love our delicious, gooey, soft and thick pudding. And we all know that milk is used to prepare this delicious treat. But what if you run out of milk or are allergic to milk and absolutely have to make pudding?

Is it possible to make pudding without milk? Can it be replaced by some other substitute? Can it be made with water? Would it taste good?

Well, while making pudding without milk you have to be creative. And it’s up to each of us to try and decide whether or not it works for us.

So, let’s find out if you can make pudding with water instead of milk. And what other milk substitutes can be used to prepare it.

Can You Make Pudding With Water Instead of Milk?

Absolutely, yes! Pudding can be made with water instead of milk. But you will have to reduce the liquid content for your pudding to set properly. The proteins and fats present in milk help the pudding to set and become creamy, while water has nothing like that to provide.

You need to decrease the amount of water used as compared to milk. Otherwise, the pudding will get extremely runny and won’t set at all. It is recommended to use about 30% less water than milk to get a similar consistency.

Now surely one can make pudding with water but does it taste any good?

Does It Taste Any Good?

The answer to this question entirely depends on how well you work with the ingredients available and your personal preference. It will definitely lack the creaminess, smoothness and richness that milk pudding has. But it will still have some flavour, even if it will be less concentrated as it is watered down.

Another major difference that occurs when making pudding with water is that it becomes transparent. Water is transparent whereas milk isn’t. And hence the pudding made with milk is also opaque. This could become a great advantage if you are making a fruit pudding and want to create a nice effect. For example, you can make raspberry pudding with water and maybe add a little extra essence for flavour, let it cool down and pour it over a cheesecake. This will form a soft jellyish layer and will look absolutely stunning!

But pudding made with water is always less creamy and rich. And if you want to compensate for it, let’s see some additions you could add to make your pudding rich and creamy.

Pudding Add Ins For Creaminess

If you want to reconstruct the richness and creaminess milk pudding has then consider adding the following ingredients. Are you lactose intolerant or are looking to cut some calories but still want to enjoy a rich and creamy pudding? Don’t worry! We have options for you all. Find something that works for you and enjoy your pudding.

Add coffee creamer

Coffee creamer will provide a smooth taste very similar to milk in terms of flavour. Whether you are using concentrated milk, powdered milk or coconut milk, a coffee creamer will definitely be useful.

The best part is that you can even add it while the pudding is cooking. If you have a liquid creamer, it can also be incorporated after the pudding is prepared. Just keep stirring and the cream will blend in. Powdered ones will take longer to get mixed in.

Add powdered milk

Of course, the best substitute for milk is powdered milk. We strongly recommend you add powdered milk to the milk and not directly to the pudding mix in order to avoid any lumps and uniform flavour. Adding this will surely increase the overall sweetness of the desert, so don’t forget to decrease a couple of spoonfuls of sugar.

Keep in mind, don’t add powdered milk at the end. As it requires water to rehydrate it won’t blend in the pudding if added at the last moment.

Add extra cocoa

If you are making chocolate pudding and you don’t have any add-ins from above but the cocoa powder. Worry not! Just add a little extra cocoa powder to enhance the flavour by boosting it. You won’t even feel the absence of milk this way.

Make sure to add cocoa powder to the pudding mix and mix it thoroughly with water to form a loose paste without any lumps for uniform distribution of flavour and texture.

Add heavy cream or veggie cream

Just mix some heavy cream with water and you will get a liquid similar to milk with higher fat content. Heavy cream forms at the top of milk when left undisturbed for a few days and is also readily available in markets these days.

Nowadays as milk is homogenized, heavy cream doesn’t form on top of it. But if you are getting your milk from a farm then it may form as well.

For the vegan option, you can use veggie cream in the same way as you would use heavy cream.

Both of them will work great in imparting rich and creamy flavour and texture just like milk to your pudding.

Other Milk Substitutes For Pudding

So, what if none of the above add-ins sound good to you? In it, you would still be using water and making pudding and those add-ins would provide just that extra flavour or creaminess you desire for your pudding.

But what if you want to be creative and try using something other than water? Let’s take a look at some of the milk substitutes you could use to make your delicious pudding.

All of these substitutes are either nuts or plant-based milk. Actually, any vegan milk would work but we have listed below the ones that seem to work the best in terms of flavour, taste and texture.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is the perfect substitute for milk as it is rich, creamy and thick. You may even have to add some water to it while making pudding unless you like your pudding thick. It works well with any pudding flavour be it chocolate, vanilla or fruit.

You can even make a pudding with coconut milk and pineapple for getting the most amazing pina colada pudding out there. Or you can make jelly from it as well.

Cashew milk

Cashews are the creamiest nuts so they will reciprocate the texture of milk the best. It has a nutty flavour with a hint of sweetness that works well with almost all types of pudding and is one of the best replacements for milk.

Rice milk

If you don’t desire a nutty or coconut flavour in your pudding, then rice milk will work best for you. It’s great plant-based milk with barely any aftertaste. Just make sure to add less amount of it to your pudding mix as it is a little thinner compared to other milk.

Soy milk

The default vegan milk- soy milk. Easy to find, fairly cheap and available in tons of flavours and sweetness levels to choose from, soy milk is another great alternative for milk. With a mild flavour to it, it won’t be as vibrant as other plant milk making it suitable for preparing your pudding.

Oat milk

Oat milk, another vegan favourite but fairly new product in the market. It provides a really nice consistency and just the right amount of thickness making it better than soy milk. But its availability can still be an issue in some parts of the world.

Almond milk

Almond milk has a nice texture and flavour that will compliment any chocolate, vanilla or caramel pudding. It may not work that well with fruit puddings unless they are creatively curated.

The Takeaway

Pudding can surely be made milk-free by using water and other milk substitutes. So feel free to experiment and find your way of making your favourite pudding using the ideas mentioned above. For any more food curiosities, let us know in the comment box below!