I never liked chocolate. Ever since I was pregnant, though, I have loved chocolate. Whenever I crave it, I usually opt for a few pieces of a chocolate bar made with coconut palm sugar (love Hu Kitchen’s Mint Chocolate Chip) or I’ll make my homemade healthified hot chocolate or this chocolate avocado pudding recipe (below). These treats satisfy my cravings instantly and I feel great eating it knowing that I’m putting whole, un-refined ingredients into my body.
Most store-bought chocolate puddings are made with milk, cream, soy and tons of sugar. So to achieve a similar super creamy texture without compromising flavor, I used avocados and almond milk. To sweeten it up, instead of white sugar, artificial sugars, stevia or monk fruit, I use pure maple syrup. Dates, honey or coconut nectar are also good alternatives to sweeten but I find that maple syrup lends the perfect sweetness, consistency and rich flavoring.
This chocolate pudding is a super rich and decadent treat. Often I’ll just need a spoonful (or two or three!) to satisfy my chocolate cravings. Best of all, it’s super easy to make – just blend up the ingredients and voila! Dessert is ready.
This recipe is for plain chocolate avocado pudding and I’ve included a ton of additions to fancify it up.
Plain Chocolate Avocado Pudding
What you need:
2 ripe avocados, pitted
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
4-5 Tbs pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients on low in a blender until super smooth and voila!
Yields:
Approx 2 cups chocolate pudding. Store in an airtight glass container. Top with some fruit, shredded or flaked coconut, nuts or even natural sprinkles! Or, mix in some of the mix-ins below for additional flavor.
Flavored Chocolate Pudding Ideas:
– mint chocolate chip (I like to use pure peppermint extract and unsweetened raw cacao nibs. I suggest starting out with 1/4 tsp peppermint and 2 Tbsp and add depending on how minty and crunchy you want it)
– almond (start out with 1/4 tsp almond extract and increase depending on how rich you want it). you can add some sliced almonds on top, too.
– ground cinnamon (start with 1/4 tsp)
– ground ginger (I like to use ground ginger powder. start with 1/4 tsp)
– fruit (fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
– orange (use the zest from the peel)
Hope you love this recipe. Follow me at @bewellwitharielle for more recipes and healthy lifestyle tips.
xo
be well,
arielle
