Have you ever had a craving for chocolate that hits you so hard it can’t be ignored?  When I get those cravings it is usually for pudding.  Growing up Jello brand instant pudding was a staple in my household.  We used to love using the shaker it would sometimes have on offer, adding the powder over the milk and shaking our way to a creamy delicious dessert.

Now that I am all grown up and I have a strict “5 ingredient” rule, and have nurtured my way through adrenal fatigue and the sugar cravings that come with them, my family and I are experimenting much more with raw desserts that have little to no added sugar, often sweetened with dates or honey instead of cane sugar.  When I discovered this recipe, I was so thrilled because I have made many raw vegan desserts using avocado that blending it with cacao powder seemed like the natural progression to dessert nirvana.  The nice thing about this recipe is you can experiment with flavors like mint, orange, almond, or peanut butter.  If you freeze it for a few hours before serving it also makes a really good “ice cream”.

The healthy fats and high levels of antioxidants combine perfectly for this pudding to be a healthy treat.

Good-for-you healthy ingredients:

Avocado
The nutritional value of avocado is amazing being  rich in vitamin K, fibre, potassium, folate, B6 and vitamin C. The oleic acid within this fruit promotes heart health and increases your absorption of other nutrients.

Cacao
It is one of the richest sources of antioxidants, iron, magnesium and chromium of any food in the world. Cacao improves blood circulation, reduce blood clotting and lower cholesterol. It raises levels of serotonin (the “feel good hormone” ) in the brain and stimulate endorphins; thus it is a great anti-depressant and mood elevator. Cultivated for thousands of years by Aztecs was once prized as a currency as it was so highly valued ancient superfood.

Coconut
It increases energy, efficiently burns fat and improves thyroid function. It also helps in absorbing fat soluble vitamins and other important nutrients. Raw coconut is a great source of manganese, iron and fiber. Coconut is low in natural sugars too. Eaten by the Polynesians for centuries as a staple food could be the explanation why this tribe has the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

Print recipe

Serves	4
Prep time	45 minutes
Allergy	Tree Nuts
Dietary	Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type	Breakfast, Dessert
Misc	Child Friendly, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Casual Party, Easter, Valentines day

Raw, vegan and full of healthy fats and trace minerals, this chocolate pudding will satisfy even the fussiest of sweet tooths.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados (pitted and scooped out of shell)
• 1 banana (mashed with fork)
• 3 tablespoons coconut butter
• 1/4 cup raw honey or agave
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (orange or peppermint work well too)
• 1 pinch celtic sea salt
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder (regular cocoa powder will work)

Directions

Step 1

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth.

Note

Coconut butter works well in this dish as does almond butter, peanut butter, or coconut oil.