Safflower Vanilla Pudding (with NO eggs!)

This creamy and flavorful Homemade Safflower Vanilla Pudding couldn’t be easier or more delicious! You can serve this pudding on its own or with berries or as a topping on a waffle.

This velvety pudding recipe does not include eggs, but for a little extra color, I used safflower in the recipe. Despite the fact that the names sound similar, safflower is not a relative of saffron.

The petals of the safflower are useful as a spice and for producing a bright yellow color. Some cooks use safflower as an alternative to saffron and the two are alike enough that it is sometimes called “bastard saffron.” Saffron has a very strong and distinctive flavor, whereas the flavor of safflower is relatively mild. Another difference is that, unlike Saffron, the taste is much weaker than the smell and diminishes when cooked. If you are not fond of the flavor of saffron but want your dish to have a bright yellow color, safflower may be ideal for you. *

_{*https://www.spiceography.com}

Why I am using tapioca syrup?

Just 1 year ago my daughter was diagnosed with fructose intolerance which drove me to find alternatives for a sweetener without fructose. I found tapioca syrup and started to use this as it offers a FRUCTOSE-FREE ALTERNATIVE to honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, or granulated sugar.

Fructose can cause:

• bloating
• gas
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• joint pain
• hormone problems

But it doesn’t mean it is healthier than the others. Neither tapioca syrup nor sugar should make up a significant part of your diet.

AHA Sugar Recommendation: Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.*

_{*www.heart.org}