St. Patrick’s Day might technically be over. But I’m still celebrating! I made my veggie Guinness Stew last night for dinner, and even the 4 year old ate the carrots and potatoes (and the parsnips since they looked like potatoes)! Today I want to make Northern Irish Welcome Scones, too. I mean, I already have the Irish butter, so I pretty much have to.

For some reason, when we got our evite for a St. Patrick’s Day party and were asked to bring a side dish, I did not want to make stew or scones to share with friends. I wanted to make something with Baileys. A while back, I tried making a Baileys chocolate pudding. I loved the flavor, but the texture never came out the way I liked. So I decided to conquer a Baileys chocolate pudding once and for all! And to make my personal challenge more interesting, let’s make it dairy-free! And an alcohol-free version for the kids!

Why dairy-free, you ask? A friend (also invited to the party) has recently found that dairy is not a good match for her. I’m not entirely sure what it’s like to be in your 30’s and all of the sudden have to cut out dairy for the sake of your well-being, but I imagine it’s not the most fun. Having been a vegetarian for a decade now, I am familiar with the mixed bag a potluck can be. Sometimes every salad and side dish seems to have bacon on it. Sigh.

I wanted to make a dessert that EVERYONE could enjoy.

I did my research, and I found this recipe to start from. I tested the recipe on Tuesday with what I had on hand and it was delicious. I little thick for me to call it a “pudding” but an excellent start. A trip to the grocery got me lots and lots of coconut cream and milk, vegan chocolate chips, and vegan Baileys (made with almond milk).

Guys.

I’m in love with this recipe. It’s simple. It’s so adaptable. I’ll never cook a Baileys chocolate pudding again.

I am leaving all the measurements in weights and milliliters because they are more exact in this case and easier to adapt if you find yourself short on one ingredient. Get yourself a kitchen scale if you don’t have one, and your standard Pyrex liquid measuring cup has milliliters on the other side, I checked. I prefer to back off the Baileys a little and use some coffee creamer to maintain the right texture. You can use all Baileys or increase the coffee creamer and back off the Baileys more.

Read the whole recipe before you start, because you need to refrigerate an ingredient the night before!

Download PDF here

 

Vegan Baileys Chocolate Pudding

Makes about 16 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (two) 14 oz cans of full-fat coconut milk/cream REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT
• 14 oz vegan chocolate (Enjoy Life chips work great, or any chocolate if it doesn’t need to be vegan)
• 400 ml Baileys* (or coffee creamer for non-alcoholic version)
• 25 ml coconut milk coffee creamer (or additional Baileys, coconut or almond milk will do in a pinch)

1. Refrigerate the coconut milk/cream overnight so that the solids will harden and rise to the top. Place your mixing bowl on your scale and tare it out. Scoop out the coconut milk solids and weigh them. You want 15 oz of coconut. (If you hate to open an extra can or waste a bit of the cream, feel free to adapt the measurements with math). Use the leftover water in the cans for a smoothie.
2. Use the whisk attachment to whip the cream until it is smooth and a little fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Weigh out your chocolate and melt it in a double boiler or the microwave while the cream whips.
3. Once the cream is whipped, slow down your mixer and slowly pour in the Baileys and creamer. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides, then mix one more minute.
4. With the mixer on slow, slowly pour in the melted chocolate. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides, then mix on medium-high speed for 3 minutes to incorporate lots of air.
5. Pour into the serving containers of your choice. For a party, these 4 oz plastic containers with lids work well! Refrigerate until they are set. Or eat immediately.

*You can change the texture of this dessert based on the amount of liquid you use. The original recipe called for 400 ml total, and it was very thick, like a fudge you eat with a spoon! I used 450 ml for the party, and it was definitely a pudding texture. My favorite has been 425 ml. It’s like a mousse. All of these textures are delicious and very presentable. Just pick which one you like!