JELL-O Vegan Pudding Cups

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JELL-O Oat Milk Pudding Cups have arrived, and they’re vegan!

The term “JELL-O” leads one to think of gelatinized1 desserts, but the brand has long been known for its pudding, which doesn’t contain any “gel” at all. While the original chocolate JELL-O was just that, a chocolate-flavored gelatin (yikes), it was discontinued in 1927. Chocolate returned ten years later as the debut flavor of JELL-O’s ‘Cook & Serve’ Pudding Mix, with the instant mix following in the late 1950s. JELL-O pudding cups were added to the lineup in the 1970s, following the success of Billy Madison’s favorite rival company, ‘Snack Pack’.

In April 2025, JELL-O unveiled its dairy-free creation- JELL-O Oat Milk Pudding in chocolate, to pay “homage to the first-ever pudding flavor JELL-O released”. Aside from being non-dairy, the pudding is also vegan and gluten-free, making JELL-O’s classic dessert cup available to even more consumers. Whether you’re adding this to a little one’s allergy-free lunch box or looking for a plant-based and portion-controlled sweet treat, this is a hit for every palate. I was sure I knew what to expect when I tasted my first JELL-O Oat Pudding, as I’ve tried various other vegan puddings on the market, but boy, was I wrong. JELL-O knocks it out of the park with texture and flavor. It’s richer and thicker than other dairy-free puddings, and has almost a Hershey’s-like taste. I loved it and hope to see more flavors pop up in the future. I found my JELL-O Oat Milk Pudding at Raley’s. Looking for the ingredients? Find them at the bottom of this post.2

Not able to locate the JELL-O Oat Pudding yet? Make your own! Vegans have often referred to JELL-O Pudding Mix as ‘accidentally vegan’ or ‘vegan friendly’3, as most of the mixes do not contain gelatin, milk, or animal-derived products. Despite the pudding boxes indicating you cannot use the pudding mix with non-dairy milk, JELL-O has released a modified version of their box recipe to make this work for us! Their version uses almond or other plant-based milk, but if you like coconut, I recommend using canned coconut milk for a richer, thicker pudding. This same trick applies to their no-bake cream pies- just be sure to adjust your plant-milk ratio as instructed. Find the recipe for making JELL-O Pudding Mix with dairy-free milk below, or by visiting the recipes section of their website.

Kraft and Heinz (JELL-O’s parent company) stated, “JELL-O selected oat milk, the fastest growing dairy alternative milk, for its first venture in the plant-based space.” FIRST venture, you say? What do you think JELL-O will make for us next?

*TIP For Pudding Mixes: Use JELL-O Pudding Mix as a flavorful add-in to smoothies, yogurt, and even cakes! Add a whole box to cake mix for a more flavorful, moist, and rich cake, and add just a tablespoon or two to smoothies and yogurt for a burst of flavor.

Recipe for making JELL-O Pudding with Non-Dairy Milk:

Ingredients

  • 1pkg (4-serving size) JELL-O Instant Pudding (any flavor), such as JELL-O Zero Sugar Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
  • 1-1/4 cups cold almond milk, divided

Instructions

  • Step 1- Beat JELL-O pudding mix and 1 cup milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.)
  • Step 2- Stir in remaining milk.
  • Step 3- Refrigerate 30 min.

List of Vegan-Friendly JELL-O Pudding Mixes:4

  1. Gelatin is not vegan, as it is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs.  ↩︎
  2. JELL-O Oat Milk Chocolate Pudding Cups Ingredients– OAT MILK (WATER, OAT FLOUR, ENZYMES), SUGAR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CANOLA OIL, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, CONTAINS LESS THAN 1.5% OF FABA BEAN PROTEIN, SALT, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE (FOR SMOOTH TEXTURE), DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, XANTHAN GUM, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. ↩︎
  3. Vegan-Friendly” or “Accidentally Vegan” refers to a product that is considered vegan by ingredients, but does not have a vegan label or certification. ↩︎
  4. To view each mix’s ingredient list, click on the name, which will take you to the individual JELL-O product page. Sugar Note: I do not see that JELL-O has disclosed the type of sugar used for their pudding mixes. If you want to avoid the possible use of sugar filtered with animal bone char, please refer to the Sugar-Free mixes. ↩︎

KraftHeinz.com/Jell-O

Kraft Heinz Press Release- Jell-O Oat Pudding

JELL-O Oat

JELL-O Wikipedia Page

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