Butterscotch Pudding {Vegan Recipe}

A very nostalgic recipe for me — from The Joy of Vegan Baking. I have fond memories of eating butterscotch pudding, albeit not from scratch, when I was a youngster. I love the color as well as that slightly burnt flavor, which comes from the cooked molasses in the brown sugar. It brings me right back to my childhood.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1-1/2 cups plant-based milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter over low heat in a small but heavy saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s melted and bubbling.

Gradually stir in the 1/2 cup of milk. Continue stirring over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the 1-1/2 cups of milk and the salt, and stir until blended.

In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Mix until smooth.

Stir this cornstarch mixture into the milk mixture, and while the mixture is still on low-medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low, and stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the pudding into bowls, cups, or ramekins. Cover the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming. If you like skin on your pudding (like I do!), simply leave the pudding uncovered until cooled and then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Yield: 2 servings

For more recipes like these, join me in my live-in-real-time online vegan cooking classes.

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For more on living and cooking vegan (i.e. compassionately and healthfully), my books are here to help:

The Joy of Vegan Baking

The Vegan Table

Color Me Vegan

Vegan’s Daily Companion

The 30-Day Vegan Challenge

The Joyful Vegan

FAQ

ONLINE COOKING CLASSES — EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

When will the 2021 cooking class schedule be available?

I am working diligently to create next year's schedule. It should be up very soon!

What kind of personal interaction is there in the classes?

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Upon completing your registration, you receive your confirmation email, which includes the link to our Zoom class, along with information and recipes. Each class is officially a go once a minimum number of slots are filled — at which time the recipes appear on the document. My goal is to have the recipes available to you at least 5 days before the class to give you enough time to order / shop for ingredients, should you choose to cook along.

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Do you send out reminders before the class begins?

While I do send a reminder email out a couple days before our class, I encourage you to add the class to your calendar as soon as you register.

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If I do cook along, how do I need to prepare?

You can decide in advance which dishes you want to cook along with. You might choose to cook along for just one of the dishes or all of them. Whatever you decide, I suggest you have your mise en place all ready. That is to say, have all the ingredients measured and prepped as much as possible. (Mise en place is a French culinary phrase meaning "everything in its place.”)

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Ultimately, what we take away is based on what we give, so I encourage you to be present and engaged in the class. But, for my part, if you know me, you know I'm pretty passionate about many things, and I can’t help bringing my love of food, history, language, animals, film, literature, and food lore to each class. My aim is that you walk away with a richer understanding of food, cooking, and eating than before you arrived. More than that, you will get helpful step-by-step instructions about each dish I'm demonstrating and a clear up-close view of all the ingredients and procedures. The best part is that I, too, make mistakes, and you see me make them live in real time. That's how we learn the most.

Is there a feeling of community and camaraderie even though we're not in person?

I'm thrilled to say that many students are regulars and repeats, and you will no doubt get to know some fabulous people when you attend these classes. I encourage engagement and follow-up, including posting photos, questions, and comments on our private Facebook page. Many friends and family members join from different cities, then share a virtual meal with each other once the class is over. (That makes my heart sing.) So, yes, despite being online the classes foster connection.

How long is each class?

I have found that 60 minutes is the ideal amount of time to spend in a virtual class. Sometimes we stick around a little longer to finish something up or to enjoy a bonus cocktail by our resident mixologist (my adorable husband), but we like to honor your time and keep the classes to 60 minutes. (Some special / holiday classes are scheduled for 90 minutes, but they’re the exception.) If we go over and you need to drop off, you can always view the video later.

What if I sign up for a class but can't make it live? Do I still get the video?

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Because the value of the classes includes exclusive recipes and resources as well as the live class / video recording, once a class is officially a go and you get access to the recipes, you cannot be refunded. However, if the class does not meet the minimum sign-up threshold and I cancel the class, you have the option of getting a full refund or switching to a different class. (This is one of the reasons I don't share the recipes until I know we've reached the minimum threshold.)

What are the on-demand classes?

After the live class is over and enjoyed by students in real time, each class gets converted into an on-demand class so that others may enjoy the recipes, resources, and video recording. Most live classes become on-demand classes within 2 days.

Are the classes vegan?

No animal products are ever used in my recipes, so yes, all the classes are vegan / plant-based, which means nothing that comes out of or off of an animal. I've written three cookbooks (The Joy of Vegan Baking, The Vegan Table, and Color Me Vegan), and two lifestyle books (Vegan’s Daily Companion and The 30-Day Vegan Challenge), which also include recipes. I'm also always testing and developing new recipes (as well as modifying and perfecting old ones) to make sure students get the best, clearest, easiest-to-follow recipes — qualities that have become trademark in my work.

Are the recipes zero waste?

While living compassionately and consciously is not about being perfect, and while some students may not have access to the same bulk stores and package-free ingredients as me, I make an effort in my classes to use (and promote) as little packaging and plastic as possible, which is why so many of my recipes and menus are for how to cook and bake homemade and from-scratch!

What kind of themes / foods / cuisines do you teach?

My classes span a huge range, and your suggestions are always welcome: *Different types of cuisines (Italian, Thai, Asian, Mexican, etc.) *Particular ways of cooking and eating (Quick & Easy, Oil-free, By Color/Phytochemicals, ) *Cooking with specific appliances (Air-Fryer, Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker / Crockpot, etc.) *Homemade from scratch (Seitan, Tempeh, Tofu, Miso, Nut Cheeses, Nut Butters, etc.) *Various holidays and seasons (Mother’s Day, Easter, Passover, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Summer, Fall, etc.) *Focused on meals (Packed Lunches, Breakfast, Brunch, Fancy Dinner, Quick Dinner, etc.) *Cooking with specific foods/ ingredients (Aquafaba, Beans, Spices & Herbs, Greens, Lentils, Grains, etc. *Baking from scratch (Pizza Dough, Breads, Pretzels, Bagels, and Biscuits, Cakes, Pies, Cobblers, etc.) *And everything in between.