Dulcet Devotion

Guilt-free no-bake chocolate pudding is all you need to satisfy those chocolate cravings in the sweltering heat of this Toronto summer (or to trick the kids into getting some more fruit and veggies in them). Hellooo, winning at life!

NO TIME? ALREADY CONVINCED? JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE RECIPE

I have a confession to make. It’s been months since I’ve done any serious baking.  I blame it on the consistently hot and humid-as-hell weather we’ve been having this summer. But let me get one thing straight. This is not AT ALL a complaint. I’ve done by best to squeeze as much as possible out of this weather while it lasts. I mean, wait until February when I can’t feel my face. No, this is not me complaining, it’s just me, stating the facts.

Summer heat and oven time do NOT mix.

But guess what? I still crave dessert, usually chocolate, maybe even more now than in the colder months. I mean, what is it about eating a nice big fresh salad that results in me having the most insane chocolate cravings afterward? Is this just me? Please tell me you feel the same. If you can relate, be sure to comment below and tell me all about it.

So anyhoo, I had to find a solution for my summertime cravings. And I may just have hit the jackpot on this one:

No-bake, rich and creamy chocolate pudding.

Or Super-rich-chocolatey-no-bake-gluten-free-vegan-raw-all-of-the-good-things pudding?

Say that three times fast.

Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you with this picture of pureed green gunge. But I swear, this green mush will very shortly be silky, chocolatey pudding that you can hungrily scarf down leaning against your kitchen counter, or proudly present to your adorable family when they yell out for dessert. No baking or cooking required!

Now I don’t normally favour no-bake desserts. Not that they aren’t delicious when I do occasionally eat them. It’s just that, well, I don’t even think about baking in this way. I suppose I’m a bit of a baking traditionalist. Or maybe I’m just close-minded. Either way, this recipe has got me seriously thinking about broadening my food horizons.

This pudding is best made with perfectly ripe or just beyond-ripe fruit (think almost banana bread-calibre bananas and just before brown avos). But never fear, if your fruit isn’t ready for the big time, check out my amazing special tip here:

Lifesaving tip:

If you’re blessed with new, still-not-ready fruit, stick two avos with a banana in a paper bag, partially closed, and place it on the counter for a day or two. Voila! Ripe fruit! OR, if you’re really in a hurry, stick the fruit in the microwave for 15 seconds on HIGH, then place in the paper bag. This should speed up the ripening process.

Once you’ve got ripe fruit and have mashed, pulsed or blitzed them into submission, then it’s time to add the vanilla, the sweetener and the cocoa. I highly recommend some good quality cocoa. Bonus points if it’s of the dark, Dutch-processed variety, for maximum impact.

All joking aside, there is a banana in here and while we love its moisture, sweetness and soft texture, even banana lovers will smell a rat unless you have some high-quality, chocolatey AF cocoa to turn this from baby food to get me in the mood dessert. We cool?

You’ll see here what the batter looks like when you add a full cup of cocoa into the mix. It’s thick, almost the same consistency as brownie batter. Now this is ok with me, but if you’re looking for something a little less chocolatey or a little less thick, you’ve got some options.

• I’d recommend you start by adding the cocoa a little bit at a time and taste as you go. Everyone has a different threshold for chocolaty-ness and once you’ve added it in, you can’t go back. I started at around 3/4C and built from there (1/2C wasn’t enough).
• Another option is to experiment with the amount and type of sweetener you use. I started with maple syrup, which adds a liquid component, but, if you’re using the good stuff, it’s not very sweet. Just remember that if you add more or less maple syrup, it will affect the liquid content of the pudding. I found the rice syrup, though less liquid, added a nice sheen and a stronger sweet result. In the end I used almost 1/2C maple syrup and finished with a tablespoon or two of the brown rice syrup (honey would work fine here too).
• Finally, if you like the level of chocolate and sweetness but it’s still too sticky, add in some milk (or mylk), one tablespoon at a time. DO NOT ADD WATER – Chocolate doesn’t like it! I added just a touch of milk and it improved the texture significantly.

And finally, while the pudding alone is deliciously thick and creamy and chocolatey delicious, I figured, I’ve already met half of my fruit and veg quota for the day, me thinks I can jazz this up with some whipped cream. And hey, why not really go all the way to the dark side and use the delightful canned stuff. Don’t try to tell me that you didn’t test the stuff first by leaning back and squirting a swirl straight into your pie hole! (I see YOU!)

So there you have it. This recipe for guilt-free, no-bake chocolate pudding was a real turning point for me. I got to enjoy a rich chocolatey dessert in the midst of a crushing heatwave, and also got to walk around feeling smug about the fact it was packed with healthy fruit! As for the spray can? No comment. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t?

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and if you do, what you think of it! Also I’m keen to find more great no-bake dessert recipes so please share your favourites.

Mel
xo

Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

Guilt-free chocolate pudding

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Guilty-free chocolate pudding is all you need to satisfy those chocolate cravings (or trick the kids into getting some more fruit and veggies in them) –winning!

Author: Melanie | dulcet devotion food blog

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2 large avocados
• 1 banana
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa (nice and dark for maximum colour and flavour)
• ½ cup maple or brown rice syrup (or to taste)
• 3 Tbsps milk or mylk to loosen mixture *optional
• Whipping cream to serve *optional but with all that goodness, surely you can handle a bit of sweet cream from a can.

Instructions

1. Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and scoop out flesh into a large bowl.
2. Peel banana and add to avocado.
3. Mash or mix using a fork, blender or mixer.
4. Add vanilla and half the sweetener.
5. In a separate bowl, place a sifter over top and measure out cocoa. SIft.
6. Add sifted cocoa, ¼C at a time, into the avocado mixture.
7. Taste and add more cocoa as you go until preferred taste reached.
8. Add remainder of sweetener slowly until desired sweetness reached.
9. Add milk or mylk one Tbsp at a time (as needed) and mix until smooth.
10. Chill in the fridge.
11. Serve topped with whipped cream.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251