Black Sesame Pudding

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/27/22
Black sesame pudding

The Spruce

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings

This scrumptious Asian dessert is low-fat, vegan, and gluten free. While black sesame seeds are naturally sweet and have a deliciously unique flavor, they are also very healthy, being an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, protein, and essential fatty acids, helping to keep your skin and hair soft.

In Thailand and other parts of Southeast-Asia, puddings like this one are often referred to as "dessert soups" or "gruel," as they are much thinner in texture than a Western-style pudding. However, you can make yours thicker, if you prefer, by adding more arrowroot powder or cornstarch (dissolved in water). Although a traditional Chinese dessert, the addition of coconut milk and peanuts is evidence of a bit of Thai influence.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups water

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup black sesame seeds

  • 1/2 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts, or almonds, cashews, or other nuts

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, or more according to taste

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/3 cup coconut cream, or coconut milk

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, or cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

  •  Dry shredded coconut, and/or ground peanuts, for garnish

  • Coconut milk, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for black sesame pudding
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  2. Heat the water with the salt in a pot over medium-high heat.

    Boil water
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  3. While water is heating, use a coffee grinder to grind the sesame seeds well, about 1 minute. The ground seeds should become a little oily and almost look like a paste when you're done grinding. (To clean out the coffee grinder, simply wipe with a dry cloth.)

    Grind seeds
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  4. Add the ground sesame seeds to the hot salted water and stir, mixing the seeds well into the water.

    Add sesame seeds to water
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  5. Using the same grinder, grind up the nuts to a fine consistency. Add to the pot and stir.

    Grind up the nuts
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  6. Bring the sesame-nut water to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 5 to 8 minutes.

    Bring the water to a boil
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  7. At this point, the pudding can be strained (as they do in Asia) to get rid of the little bits of nut and sesame. However, you may omit this step if you prefer the bit of gritty texture (and wish to keep the added fiber). If you do choose to strain the dessert, pour the strained sesame-nut water back into the pot and discard the grounds.

    Strain seeds
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  8. With the pudding placed over medium to low heat, add the sugar, vanilla, coconut cream, and the arrowroot powder-water mixture. Stir continuously. The dessert should thicken within a minute or two.

    Boil
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  9. Taste for sweetness, adding a little more brown sugar if needed.

    Taste for sweetness
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  10. To serve, pour into dessert cups or bowls while still warm and sprinkle with a little dry shredded coconut and/or some ground peanuts. An extra swirl of coconut milk can also be added.

    Pour into dessert cups
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  11. Enjoy!

Tips

This dessert is normally served warm, but it is also very good eaten cold on a hot summer day. To store, keep the pudding in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat before serving.

More Asian Pudding Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may want to try other Asian dessert puddings. Tropical coconut-tapioca pudding is not only vegan and gluten-free but also filled with healthy vitamins and fatty acids. The tapioca is mixed with coconut milk and maple syrup to create a sweet, creamy treat. For anyone who loves mango, a simple mango pudding recipe would be a welcome ending to a meal. And Thai black sticky rice pudding combines sticky black rice with sugar, coconut milk, and eggs to make a comforting baked rice pudding.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
397 Calories
21g Fat
48g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 397
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 28%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 165mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 48g 17%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 37g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 196mg 15%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 258mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)