Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe (Easy, Raw, Vegan)
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This creamy and decadent healthy chocolate pudding is made with avocado and cacao powder. No stove needed! It comes together in minutes. With the creaminess of avocado, paired with the richness of chocolate, it’s a naturally sweetened dessert you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying!
There is something so comforting about chocolate pudding.
Whether it brings back memories of childhood, or more recent memories of eating super fancy chocolate “pot de creme” at a classic SF restaurant, chocolate in pudding/mousse form is one of those desserts I can’t say no to.
It’s one of those easy recipes that’s creamy, luscious, decadent and rich.
But chocolate pudding has a few problems: 1) It’s too decadent to enjoy on a regular basis and 2) It’s not typically vegan or raw, or healthy!
I decided to satisfy my chocolate cravings with this healthy chocolate pudding recipe, which has a secret ingredient to get all the creaminess of pudding in a healthy way.
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What ingredient did I add to this homemade pudding?
Avocado.
I know what you’re thinking: avocado and chocolate don’t go together. But with the addition of good quality cocoa powder, a few other simple ingredients, and the use of a blender, the avocado becomes the base for a super thick and creamy chocolate pudding that tastes great.
The best part about this recipe: it’s one of those healthy recipes that actually doesn’t taste healthy at all! It also happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and is ready in less than 10 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Raw and Vegan – adaptable for special diets
- Healthy Fats from the Avocado
- Naturally Gluten-Free
- Quick and Easy
- No Stove Required
- A secretly healthy dessert for picky eaters
How to Make the BEST Healthy Chocolate Pudding
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Everything you need for this chocolate avocado pudding can easily be found at your local grocery store!
Avocados: You will want ripe avocados in this recipe, as the avocados gives it the denseness and creaminess it needs without the need for milk or cream.
Banana: You’ll want ripe bananas. This adds natural sweetness to this vegan chocolate pudding recipe. You can add half a banana to a whole banana depending on how sweet your prefer your pudding.
Almond Milk: You will need one cup of milk — unsweetened almond milk with no added sugar. This reduces the overall sugar, and allows you to control the vanilla flavor with the extract. You can also use unsweetened coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk, or another plant based milk, or coconut cream for more decadence.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I prefer a raw cocoa powder or cacao powder. It gives this sweet treat its rich chocolate flavor, and it also happens to be an excellent source of antioxidants. Cocoa powder does not have any sugar added so it has the pure bitter chocolate flavor. If you want more decadence, feel free to add in chocolate chips.
Maple Syrup: Add about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. You could also use agave, coconut sugar, or honey (not vegan). This adds a touch more sweetness. After blending all of the ingredients, taste the pudding and add more syrup if necessary. If you want an even healthier option with even less sugar, feel free to reduce the amount of maple syrup, but keep in mind the flavors of the avocado and cocoa powder will stand out more if you reduce the maple syrup.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla brings out the natural flavor of chocolate, and gives this pudding a rich and beautiful flavor.
Almond Butter (optional). The almond butter adds a bit more richness and nuttiness to the pudding. But if you have a nut allergy, you do not need to add it. I prefer using the raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s. It’s light and creamy.
Cinnamon and Salt: A touch of cinnamon and salt brings out the natural flavors of the chocolate and helps to mask any lingering avocado flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Prep all of your ingredients: Remove the peel and seed from the avocados. Cut into chunks. Peel the banana, and cut into chunks.
Add everything into a blender! Add the avocado, banana, almond milk, dark cocoa powder, vanilla extract, almond butter, cinnamon, and salt in a blender of food processor. Blend until smooth and everything is combined.
Transfer to Bowls and Serve: With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scoop your dark chocolate pudding into individual serving bowls and chill for a few hours. Then serve!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Kids will love the creaminess and chocolate flavor of this recipe. It’s a healthy dessert that’s low in sugar, so you can feel good about feeding it to your kids for a special treat to satisfy their sweet tooth!
This recipe definitely has more health benefits than traditional chocolate pudding made with milk and cream. The avocado adds creaminess. It has a mild flavor, and when paired with cocoa powder, and the natural sweetness of banana it is lower in sugar, and lower in calories. However, it is still high in fat because avocados are a high fat food. The good news is that the fat that comes from avocados is mono-unsaturated fat, the good kind of fat your body needs! So you can get your chocolate fix with this recipe and still maintain your healthy lifestyle!
This easy chocolate pudding is perfect for the dark chocolate lover in your life. To serve: Divide pudding into 6 ramekins or small bowls. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled, not room temperature. For toppings, try a few shavings of dark chocolate, your favorite fresh fruit (sliced strawberries or raspberries work great), or chopped nuts for added crunch. This is such a versatile simple chocolate pudding that you can serve it the end of a dinner party, or use it as a healthy snack mid-day!
Loosely cover the pudding with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 2 days.
Expert Tips for this Healthy Chocolate Pudding
- You must serve this super, super chilled – otherwise you will get a hint of avocado when you taste it
- You can adjust the amount of banana, honey/maple syrup and cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey and sweet you like it. Taste it after the first batch and add more if needed.
- If you don’t like banana, you can substitute 2-3 Medjool Dates instead.
More Easy and Healthy Dessert Recipes!
- Banana Chocolate Ice Cream
- Vegan S’mores
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Eggs
- Homemade Ferrero Rocher Recipe
If you have tried this Healthy Chocolate Pudding or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Healthy Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 avocados – peeled pitted, and cut into chunks
- ½-1 ripe banana peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup raw unsweetened cocoa powder or more to taste
- 2 tbsp maple syrup more to taste if needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp almond butter optional
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Remove the peel and seed from the avocados. Cut into chunks.
- Peel the banana, and cut into chunks.
- Add the avocado, banana, almond milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, almond butter, cinnamon, and salt in a blender of food processor.
- Blend until smooth and everything is combined. Scoop into individual serving bowls and chill for a few hours. Then serve!
Notes
- You must serve this super, super chilled – otherwise you will get a hint of avocado when you taste it
- You can adjust the amount of banana, honey/maple syrup and cocoa powder depending on how chocolatey and sweet you like it. Taste it after the first batch and add more if needed.
- If you don’t like banana, you can substitute 2-3 Medjool Dates instead.
My 6yr old son loves when I buy the chocolate pudding worms in dirt but now I think I’m going to do this recipe instead!!!!!
Aw yay! I can’t wait to hear how he likes this recipe! 🙂
I would never have thought of using avocado to make a pudding. I am so excited to try this out. It looks amazing!
Thanks Patty!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
Pudding sounds so amazing and very yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! Making this very soon.
Thanks Beth! I hope you all love it!
I love the idea for a healthy chocolate pudding. It looks amazing!
Thanks Biana! Enjoy!
So good yet healthy. Finally I get the flavours I like without all the bad sugars.
Totally!! You can literally have your cake and eat it too!
I love that this recipe uses all raw ingredients! I didn’t taste any avocado! It was creamy and chocolatey!
Yay! So happy to hear that Alison! 🙂
I love chocolate pudding just like you. But regular chocolate pudding isn’t healthy – I agree! But the recipe that you have shared is a very good substitute. I can’t wait to try out this recipe at my home. Thank you!
Thanks!! Enjoy!
A pinch of Ancho chili powder really elevates the taste. Sounds weird, but oh so good.
I do use the really dark, bumpy avocados-Haas variety? I find the thin skinned ones didn’t work quite as well.
I use coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk instead of the cup of almond milk.
The banana really took any hint of avocado away.
Makes a fab chocolate pie also. )
I took to a luncheon, served people who are on the typical SAD diet, and they loved it.
Great idea to add chili powder to this recipe! That reminds me of a Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe — chilis and chocolate go great together. I’ve used both types of avocados in this recipe and both have worked for me. I bet the coconut cream makes it super super creamy! It might increase the calories per serving though. Never thought to use it as a chocolate pie – I bet it would taste great! So glad you liked this recipe Lisa!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was amazing, A perfect way to use up my extra milk from when I nursed my daughter, and a yummy healthy pudding for her to eat as well. It was amazing and easy and eating it straight from the blender I would never have known there were even avocados in it! So yummy!
Oh great!! I’m so glad you liked this recipe Sarah, love the idea of making it into baby food too! 🙂