Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Paleo, AIP, Vegan)

Happy Sunday! What a beautiful weekend it’s been, I just love how Minnesotans (including me) are in a collectively good mood when the sun comes out and temps hit the 60s. I went for a long walk on Saturday and waved at everyone I saw and didn’t even feel like a weirdo. Tralalaaah!

I’ll confess that I’ve posted this chocolate pudding recipe on my Instagram page and probably would have forgotten to post it here, but I picked up some groceries at Mississippi Market Co-op this afternoon and had such a cool thing happen to me there, I decided to pull it together for you.

As I walked out of the store, a couple driving out of the parking lot rolled down their car window and said, “We just bought 3 pounds of avocados because we love your chocolate avocado pudding so much! Thanks for the recipe!”

How awesome is that? Made. My. Day. And it was the perfect reminder to share it here for you all. (Also, I was very glad that I’d put a comb through my hair and wasn’t wearing my pajamas, which is entirely possible on a Sunday shopping situation.)

I LOVE this pudding. Borderline problematically love. It’s rich and creamy and tastes nothing like avocados – in fact, you would swear it’s been cooked with cream and eggs. Seriously! I make it all sorts of ways – with carob powder, with cocoa powder, I add collagen (but you don’t need to, which will keep it vegan), with maple syrup, with honey. The nice thing about carob is that it’s naturally sweet, so you can get away with less sweetener. I add a bit of instant coffee to the carob version, to add the lovely bitterness that cocoa possesses but that carob does not; but again, it’s not necessary.

While I’m here, I’ll also mention that I taught my Paleo Supper class at Kitchen in the Market on Friday night. I’m so lucky to get such awesome and fun people in my classes. Paleo peeps are the best! Friday’s class was Easter/Passover entertaining and we prepared a loosely Mediterranean theme:

Lamb Meatballs with Tahini Sauce
Crushed Potatoes with Preserved Lemon and Parsley
Warm Spiced Olives
Carrots Roasted with Harissa. Lemons, and Maple Syrup
Almond-Olive Oil Frangipane Cake

I made the group Healing Green Broth for a little appetizer, and not just to tell people about the Healing Green Broth 30-Day Challenge, but because it really is a lovely first course soup, especially in the spring. Keep it in mind if you’re hosting this holiday season!

My June 16, 2017 class will be here in the blink of an eye. The menu is summer entertaining and we’ll be making:

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers with Lettuce Wraps
Quick Kimchi and Ginger Scallion Sauce
Healing Green Broth Ramen
Andrew Zimmern’s Sticky Wings
Thai Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Mango

If you’d like to join, sign up here. I’d love to see you!

Happy Spring! xoxo Stephanie

Chocolate Avocado Pudding (Paleo, AIP, Vegan)
Serves 2

1 medium ripe avocado
2-3 tablespoons carob powder (for AIP) or cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (I start on the low end and add a bit more as needed; carob is naturally sweeter than cocoa powder, so consider that as well)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder (optional; I only use it with carob, not cocoa)
3-4 tablespoons of coconut milk OR almond (or other nut milk) OR half-n-half
1 scoop (2 tablespoons) collagen peptides or hydrolysate (optional, skip for vegan)

Add avocado, carob (or cocoa), maple syrup, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a blender. If using espresso powder, dissolve it in milk. Add milk to blender.

Blend until very smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness or add more milk if the pudding is too thick. Spoon into two bowls and eat them both. 😂😜🙊

Cover with plastic and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to 3 days.

Cleaning tip: avocado is super annoying to clean out of a blender! To make it easy, add hot water to the blender bowl and blend the water. Always be careful blending hot liquids – don’t overfill the blender, start on lowest speed, and hold the lid on.