We’re coming to the end of a two-week round of flu in our house. The only one who’s escaped so far is my ultra-germ-conscious husband. I consider myself a frequent hand-washer and sanitizer user, but he takes it to another level — always alert at the smallest cough and running errands for tissues and supplies. While he barricades himself in the home office, the rest of us have been camped out on the couch under blankets.
TV has been anything-goes: the little ones binged Phineas and Ferb and Little Bill, while the older kids cycled through Fullmetal Alchemist, recorded episodes of Monk, Nova, and Star Trek. Food has been equally flexible. Letting my eleven-year-old mix a box of instant chocolate pudding for lunch felt like a perfectly acceptable solution when I needed to stay curled up in my chair. But our supply of boxed instant pudding was slim — I normally only keep two boxes on hand — and we ran out faster than expected. We typically prefer homemade cooked pudding for taste and perceived healthiness, but with multiple sick family members and a desire to stay cozy, I decided to make a no-cook instant pudding mix from pantry ingredients.
The first batch needed tweaking — the kids noticed a strange aftertaste — but the second attempt was a hit. Even the one child who normally dislikes pudding liked it and finished more than his own serving. I made two blends for the kids: chocolate and vanilla. Most of them preferred the vanilla, though a few stood by the chocolate, including my husband.
The secret to achieving a pudding texture without cooking is Instant Clear Jel, a modified corn starch that thickens without heat. It’s gluten-free and commonly used for fresh fruit pies and cold glazes. To avoid lumps when using it in cold recipes, whisk the Clear Jel into dry ingredients (like sugar) before adding the liquid. If lumps do form, a brief pulse in a blender or a pass with an immersion blender will smooth the mixture. Once hydrated, the Clear Jel creates a silky, soft gel that yields a light, almost mousse-like pudding texture.
This homemade mix differs from boxed instant pudding: the texture is lighter and fluffier, the vanilla is a true milk white, and the chocolate looks naturally speckled since it contains no artificial coloring. If you prefer the look of store-bought pudding, a drop of yellow food coloring in the vanilla or a drop of brown in the chocolate will bring it closer in appearance, but it’s purely optional.
One reason I’m excited about this no-cook mix — beyond the convenience of staying home when everyone’s sick — is that it’s easy to adapt for families with food sensitivities. My nieces and nephew have dietary restrictions including gluten intolerance. Because Instant Clear Jel is modified corn starch, the mix is naturally gluten-free, and you can prepare it with coconut, soy, almond, or rice milk for a dairy-free, vegan pudding. A jar of this mix with simple directions makes a thoughtful, practical gift for anyone who needs safe convenience foods.
Now, onto the recipe. This dry Homemade No-Cook Instant Pudding Mix stores up to a year in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s a pantry-friendly alternative to boxed mixes and can be made vegan and dairy-free by swapping the milk used to prepare the pudding.
Homemade No-Cook Instant Pudding Mix | Make Ahead Mondays
Rebecca Lindamood
10 minutes
10 minutes
Ingredients
For Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups instant clear jel
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups instant clear jel
- 2 cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
To Prepare Pudding:
- 2 cups milk Whole, 2%, 1% or fat-free cow’s milk, or coconut, soy, almond, or rice milk for dairy-free options.
- 3/4 cup pudding mix
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (for vanilla) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract for the chocolate.
Instructions
To Make Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix:
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Combine the granulated sugar, instant clear jel, and salt in the carafe of a blender. Secure the lid and blend on high for about 30 seconds, until the ingredients are evenly mixed and finely powdered. Allow the mixture to rest about 5 minutes, then transfer to canning jars or airtight containers with tight-fitting lids. Use a spoon to scoop the mix to avoid a powder cloud.
To Make Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix:
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Blend the granulated sugar, instant clear jel, and salt in the blender on high for about 30 seconds until finely powdered. Let rest about 5 minutes, then add the Dutch-process cocoa powder, replace the lid, and blend on high for another 15 seconds until the color is uniform. Allow the mix to rest about 5 minutes before transferring to airtight containers.
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Store the mix in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
To Make Pudding from Either Mix:
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Pour 2 cups of cold milk into a mixing bowl and add the appropriate vanilla extract. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of mix evenly over the milk and whisk thoroughly until thickened. If you encounter clumping, blend the mixture briefly in a blender or use an immersion blender to smooth it. The pudding will set immediately but benefits from resting with plastic wrap directly on the surface for at least 30 minutes to improve texture and flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 78g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 3g
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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