Chocolate Avocado Pudding (That Tastes Nothing Like Avocado)

I didn’t think it was possible for me to love avocado any more than I already did. And then I tried chocolate avocado pudding. Wow. Seriously, I daydream about this pudding. It’s so rich, dense, and chocolatey. And the strangest thing is, it tastes nothing like avocado. Not that tasting like avocado would necessarily be a bad thing, but avocado does have a pretty distinct flavor, so it’s pretty cool that it doesn’t. So if you’re not a fan of avocado, please don’t dismiss my praise for this pudding as that of simply an avocado fanatic. To prove my point, I actually served this to an unsuspecting friend who had no idea what was in it. My friend thought the pudding was delicious, and was absolutely shocked to find out that the main ingredient was avocado.

Another reason that I’m so excited about this pudding is that a lot of traditional pudding recipes use cornstarch or flour. Not only is this pudding gluten and corn-free, it’s also dairy-free, making it pretty paleo-complaint (if you’re okay with honey – otherwise you could throw in some dates as sweetener). In fact, I’d say this pudding is borderline healthy, what with all the nutritious fatty avocado goodness :)

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

• 2 large, ripe avocados, pits and skin removed
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• generous pinch of salt
• whipped cream (optional)
• nuts (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place first 5 ingredients into food processor and process until smooth.

3. Chill for minimum 2 hours (not absolutely necessary, but does make a difference).

4. Optional: top with some sweetened whipped cream (dairy or coconut) or/and some nuts.

Notes:

I love simple recipes, and really all you need is the first 3 ingredients and 5 minutes. If you don’t have vanilla, don’t sweat it. And salt doesn’t really count as an “ingredient”.

The first time around, I recommend making the pudding as per above. The second time though (and trust me, there will be a second time), you may want to play around with a few components, like using less honey (1/3 cup would probably suffice), or adding either a few tablespoons of heavy cream or coconut milk if you prefer it less dense. And as I mentioned above, if you avoid honey, you could sub in some pitted dates (6 should be about right).

To mix it up further, add various fruits/nut toppings. Orange zest would be another great addition. Or you could layer it as a parfait in between either whipped cream, fruit, or nuts (or all three).

Have you tasted avocado pudding before? Are you as smitten by it as I am?

Shared with Healthy Home Economist, Fight Back Fridays and Real Food Wednesdays.