Pudding or Slop?

I decided to make instant pudding tonight with coconut milk. I am no chef, but instant pudding is something even my husband could accomplish (sorry, honey, but you know you missed out on the cooking genes). Anyway, I dumped, poured, and stirred just as I would with good ole cow's milk.  Imagine my surprise when I went to eat my delectable dish and found slop instead. Through recent experience and subsequent research, I have now discovered that pudding does not set with alternative milks. 

We can put people in space, but we can't make pudding without a cow. Go figure.