by Texas Homesteader ~
Did you know you could actually make your own gluten free mix-n-serve no-cook instant chocolate pudding mix??! Well believe it because it’s really true! But there’s a simple trick to it… Don’t worry, it’s easy!
(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)
Can You Make Your Own Instant Pudding Mix?
I always make Homemade Pudding from scratch these days. But what about times when you need a gluten-free dry pudding mix for a recipe?
Or what if you don’t want to heat up the kitchen to make dessert? Wouldn’t it be great if you could make your own mix-n-serve dry chocolate pudding mix? You know, like the stuff you buy in the store?
I’m telling you that YOU CAN. And it’s easier than you thought! But there’s a secret ingredient, y’all…
What Makes Instant Pudding Mix ‘Instant’?
You can’t just blend the cocoa & sugar together and get a thickened pudding. But how do you make your pudding mix-n-serve instant?
*Clear Jel Instant Corn Starch! (The instant one, y’all. Not the type that must be cooked.) It’s amazing stuff! It doesn’t rely on heat to thicken, it’s the secret ingredient in mix-n-serve instant pudding.
Where to Find ClearJel Modified Corn Starch
ClearJel is just a modified corn starch. But the USDA has documented that modified corn starch is safer for use in canning than traditional corn starch.
There’s the cook-type ClearJel for canning, but you can buy instant ClearJel too and it doesn’t even require heat to thicken.
I discovered it’s impossible to find in the stores around here. But I was finally able to find *Clear Jel on Amazon.
So I ordered both the regular cook-type (for canning) as well as the instant no-cook ClearJel.
Instant Cornstarch Needs No Cooking
The beauty of the *Instant ClearJel formula is that it doesn’t require heat to thicken.
That’s PERFECT for making this no-cook pudding mix!
As a confirmed Chocoholic I usually make chocolate-flavored pudding mix. But I’m guessing you could make vanilla as well by leaving out the cocoa.
Instant No-Cook Chocolate Pudding Mix Recipe
Here’s how I make my simple instant no-cook chocolate pudding mix:
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3/4 cup dry fat-free powdered milk
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1/2 cup sugar
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1/2 cup instant no-cook ClearJel corn starch
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1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
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Then using a whisk I mix it all up thoroughly. I store the mix in a labeled, lidded jar in my pantry.
Using Homemade Instant Pudding Mix For Dessert
When it’s just too hot to heat up the kitchen for dessert but RancherMan’s in the mood for something sweet, I can whip up homemade pudding in minutes using this instant pudding mix.
Each serving requires about ¼ cup of instant pudding mix, so multiply the instructions below based on the number of servings desired.
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1 Part Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix (about 1/4 cup per serving)
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1 Part Milk
(stir until completely blended, then add)
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1 Part Cold Coffee (or another part milk)
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Tiny splash of vanilla extract
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So for each serving of pudding I mix up ¼ cup homemade pudding mix, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup cold coffee (or replace with more milk) and a splash of vanilla extract.
I add everything together & stir until the pudding thickens – usually 2 minutes or less.
The milk is already chilled so the pudding is ready to serve!
Why Use Coffee In Chocolate Pudding?
I’ve had some readers ask: “Why the coffee“? Well, when I’m making anything chocolate I always add at least a little coffee to the wet ingredients of the recipe.
Coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor mucho.
But if you’re not a coffee drinker, can you still make this instant pudding mix? Of course!
How Much Pudding Mix Equals A Box Of Instant Pudding?
Sometimes I’m making a recipe that uses a box of instant pudding mix. And some cake mixes add a box of instant pudding to make the cake more rich. I love having my own homemade version. And it only uses simple ingredients I recognize.
And a small 1/2 cup of this homemade mix replaces a typical 4 oz box of purchased instant pudding mix. No need to buy it!
And there ya go – homemade instant no-cook pudding mix! Wow, really, does it get easier than that?? The recipe is below – enjoy!
Did you make this Instant Chocolate Pudding? Please rate the recipe in your comment below!
Chocolate Instant No-Cook Dry Pudding Mix
There's no need to buy those little boxes of chocolate no-cook pudding mix. You can easily make your own convenient mix in minutes. Perfect for a nice cool dessert on a hot summer day. Just mix 1 part homemade pudding mix with 2 parts milk. #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dry milk powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Instant No-Cook Clear Jel corn starch
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in a bowl & stir the until they are completely combined. Store in a cool dry place in a tightly-sealed container.
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To use the dry mix in baking, 1/2 cup of the mixture will replace a 4-oz. pkg of instant pudding mix.
Recipe Notes
NOTE: To use this baking pudding mix recipe as an instant pudding dessert, add 1 part pudding mix to 2 parts cold milk (can substitute 1 part milk with cold coffee if desired) Beat vigorously with a whisk until all lumps are removed and pudding is thickened, about 2 minutes.
Since it's a very basic pudding mix I like to add a couple of drops of vanilla extract for a pop of extra flavor.
This makes a very thick pudding so add a small amount of milk (or cold coffee) if a thinner consistency is desired. (Pudding thickens more upon chilling.)
~TxH~
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* A word about our Affiliate Link – We are currently enrolled as an Amazon Affiliate. Occasionally I will insert an affiliate link into one of my posts if I think it may be of interest to you, in this case Clear Jel corn modified corn starch.
I purchased the Clear Jel myself and receive nothing from the manufacturer, but it was difficult for me to locate – I use it a lot & thought you might too.
When you buy something through the affiliate link it’s a great way to support this blog without anything coming out of your pocket so please click often! (you can read the legalese here…)
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Can I substitute the clear gel with gelatin?
Instant ClearJel doesn’t require heat to activate. I’ve never worked with gelatin, but doesn’t it require heat to thicken? If so, that might not result in a mix-&-serve pudding. If I was going to have to cook the pudding anyway, I’d much prefer a traditional and richer pudding. But luckily I have a great family recipe here –> https://texashomesteader.com/recipe-quick-homemade-rich-chocolate-pudding/
Do you have a calorie chart for this pudding??
Sorry Irene, my blog format doesn’t include a recipe calculator. (I hope one becomes available for me soon.) But I’ve found some free online recipe nutrition calculators that I’ve used in the past, you copy/past the recipe ingredients into one of those & it should pop out the information you need. ~TxH~
Can the chocolate pudding recipe be changed by adding freeze dried strawberry instead of chocolate powder? Not a big chocolate and would love to try strawberry, banana and other flavors with this recipe.
I don’t see why not. I’m a huge chocolate fan so I always make chocolate. But by leaving the cocoa out and using more milk in place of the coffee, I imagine you can change the flavor of this pudding mix to whatever you like. I know there’s strawberry extract flavoring I often use to bump the flavor of my NiceCream so adding a small amount of that with your freeze dried strawberry should give you what you’re after. Let us know how it turns out! ~TxH~
Is there a VANILLA instant pudding recipe? I sometimes don’t want chocolate.
I *ALWAYS* want chocolate so that’s what I always make. haha. I shared the recipe as I always make it but I’m assuming you can remove the cocoa & coffee and have vanilla instant pudding? Give it a try & let us know how you like it or what you’d change. ~TxH~
I love to try it but not sure how much the quick cornstarch is. I think you said quick and canning cornstarch. Any idea how much
You’re looking specifically for instant cornstarch, not regular or cook-type cornstarch. Instant cornstarch doesn’t require heat to thicken. I found instant ClearJel cornstarch on Amazon. The price varies based on how much you buy but I see a pound and a half tub of another brand on Amazon for about $10 – not sure if you can buy smaller quantities? ~ TxH~
Can I use raw milk to make the pudding?
The mix contains powdered milk. When making milk from powdered milk you only need to add water, so *technically this pudding mix only needs water to complete it. But I don’t see why you couldn’t use *raw milk instead of water when you make the pudding (*for those who are comfortable with raw milk). Sounds like it would work just fine. Let us know how it turns out. ~TxH~ (*edited to add clarity to stmt. ~TxH~)
I don’t understand this comment. To use this mix you mix it with milk per your instructions. But here you are talking about using water with powder milk. Will you please explain which one to use… Thank you
I didn’t phrase my comment very clearly at all, did I? Sorry! I use the pudding mix dry when substituting for a package of dry instant pudding mix in recipes (such as some cakes, etc. that are made richer with the addition of a box of instant pudding mix). When I’m turning the mix into an pudding dessert I add a milk/coffee combo to turn it into actual pudding as indicated in the recipe. But my comment in question was meant to indicate that since dry milk is actually in the pudding mix *technically* you can add water instead since powdered milk needs only water to turn it into milk. Personally I always add the milk/coffee combo as I feel using water instead would make the pudding much less satisfying. I apologize for the confusion and will attempt to edit my comment that you’ve questioned and make it a little more clear. Give this recipe a try – having this instant pudding mix in your pantry is so convenient! ~TxH~
I have no idea how long ago recipe was published, but, in Dec2023 when you google “instant pudding recipe” (prefaced by “DIY, “homemade”…anything that should indicate one wishes to make an INSTANT pudding mix rather than a COOKED pudding mix), the first thing you read in the instructions is “in a small pan over medium heat”…sigh.
Anyway, I could find only a couple that are ACTUALLY instant…this one (yours) is my go to, so THANK YOU not only for the recipe itself, but also that the recipe is true to its title.
I’ll hush now, đŸ™‚
Well then I’m glad you find this recipe, Sherry. I find having this instant pudding mix in the pantry helps when I have a quick need for dessert (RancherMan’s got a sweet tooth!) It’s a pretty basic pudding recipe so I like to add a splash of vanilla extract and also a splash of coffee which I add to almost all my chocolate recipes because I feel it intensifies the chocolate flavor. Enjoy! ~TxH~
Hi,
I’d love to try this as a ‘white chocolate’ instructing mix. What would you suggest I use to replace the cocoa with to make it white chocolat3?
I always go for chocolate cocoa powder, so I can’t offer any experience on that. But I see there’s ‘white chocolate powder’ available on amazon. Perhaps substitute that? If you give it a go we’d love to know how you like it! ~TxH~
I love having my own homemade instant chocolate pudding mix for convenience. When it’s hot you hate to turn on the stove. No need with instant pudding! I found trying to use my stand mixer and whisk attachment made the pudding too fluffy if it’s turned up too high. So I use a stick blender to make the pudding smooth without making it too light & fluffy. Works great!
I estimate a single serving to be 1/4 cup for each part. (Multiply for the number of servings you want.) So for a single serving you’ll use one part mix (1/4 cup) plus 1 part milk (1/4 cup) plus one part cold coffee (1/4 cup – or substitute coffee with another part of milk instead if you don’t want dark chocolate flavor). Enjoy! ~TxH~
Thanks for ur reply I forgot about the coffee but thought that was what u meant
How much is a part of milk? Is it the same 1/4 cup as the pudding mix?Thanks
Thanks for sharing how to make homemade pudding mix!! This recipe sounds great!!
This is great! There are so many pudding-based things that I like to make for summer, so this recipe is wonderful! Pinned and happy-danced over!
Blessings, Leigh
I love this idea. I use pudding mix to doctor my boxed cake mix, but I’d like to get away from using boxed mixed altogether. I’ll have to do some experimenting, incorporating these ingredients into cake ingredients and see how it turns out. đŸ™‚
I will have to look for the clear jel stuff. Sounds interesting.
This is neat, I’ve cooked “real” pudding but I haven’t tried diy-ing the mix. Sometimes it’s just too hot to turn on that stove. Thanks for posting. Hello from Homemade Mondays.
I never thought of making my own pudding mix, what a great idea. I love making things that I used to “have to” buy. Thank you for posting at the HomeAcre Hop; hope we’ll see you again this Thursday.
I will try this recipe this week! My youngest daughter loves chocolate pudding…but I truly cringe when I look at the package. I don’t think using dutch process (lower acide) cocoa powder will negatively effect the recipe, so will be using my favorite cocoa powder in place of the Hershey’s.
It is amazing how many things you can make at home instead of buy at the store. I would have never thought to try this. Thanks for the recipe and I pinned it for later. Thanks for sharing at the Friday Follow Along.