Have you heard of adding avocado to chocolate desserts to make them creamier?
The first time I saw that in a recipe, I couldn’t stop thinking about guacamole! “Is this cake I’m making going to taste like guacamole?” I kept asking myself.
Well, it didn’t, and I couldn’t even tell it was in the cake, to be totally honest.
This recipe is no different. As long as you have a good high speed blender that can whip up the avocado, no one will ever know the secret ingredient in this recipe.
What you will need:
Avocados
These are going to make up the base of this dessert, but trust me, you won’t even notice their flavor.
This way you won’t need any oil, and this recipe will contain a large amount of potassium, fiber and healthy fats.
As a vegetarian living in California, I keep a large stash of avocados handy and use them whenever I can,
Be sure to check out Jennifer’s tips on softening them up if you have a batch that aren’t too ripe.
Coconut Milk
In order to keep this recipe raw, you should use a homemade non-dairy milk recipe, but if that isn’t super important to you, feel free to use any type of coconut milk you find at the grocery store.
This ingredient keeps the recipe dairy free, loads it up with more healthy fats, and gives it a very decadent flavor.
Maple Syrup
This is going to sweeten the recipe and help to hide the avocado flavor. Pure maple syrup, although it is still a form of sugar and should be used in moderation, actually contains minerals and antioxidants, making it a healthier choice than conventional, refined sugars.
Almond Butter
Similar to the avocado, this is also going to help form the base of your pudding. It will thicken it up a little, and add more texture. Almond butter is a great source of healthy fats, as well as protein.
Again, if you want to keep this recipe raw look for a raw variety, but really any variety will work.
Cacao Powder
This is the original dark chocolate. Cacao powder is unprocessed cocoa powder, and I recommend using this if you want to get the full health benefits of chocolate, particularly the raw variety.
Healthworks Raw Certified Organic Cacao Powder available from Amazon
Cacao contains more antioxidants than any other food, and is loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Vanilla Bean Powder
Real vanilla is going to make the dessert taste a little sweeter without actually having to add more sugar to the recipe. It adds a little burst of flavor that can’t be beat.
Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder – 3oz available on Amazon
I recommend the powder as it’s easy to use, and contains just pure vanilla bean, with no alcohol or additives added to it.
Sea Salt
This is going to give this recipe a pop of flavor. Something about adding a little bit of salt really brings out the chocolate flavor in most dishes. I recommend going with a pure sea salt. That way it’s free of synthetic iodine, and contains many of the trace minerals your body needs for optimum health.
Toppings
Top with cacao nibs as shown in the top photo, or crush some pistachios and sprinkle on top like you see in the second photo posted above.
Healthworks Certified Organic Raw Cacao Nibs available from Amazon
Fresh berries are also a great addition that is both tasty and nutritious.
Think you’re hooked on pudding? Give some of our other creamy, dreamy recipes a try:
And for another vegan dessert idea, try our no-bake lemon bars for a healthy and refreshing treat!
- 2 avocados pitted and insides scooped out
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoon almond butter
- 1 dash sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- Blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides once or twice.
- Taste the recipe, and adjust to your liking. You might want more maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like things.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours. Serve alone, or top with crushed peanuts, pistachios, chocolate bark, cacao nibs, and/or fresh berries.
About Sarah Hagstrom
Sarah is a health food advocate and loves to spend her time whipping up something healthy and delicious in the kitchen and then sharing either on Foodal or on her own blog "The Seasonal Diet" (www.theseasonaldiet.com). She lives in Sunny San Diego with her husband, where they enjoy running on the beach and weekend adventures.
Yay! Another vegan recipe and it’s CHOCOLATE! Avocado tastes really good with sweet things so mixing it with chocolate is totally fine with me. The pistachios would add a nice color and crunch too. Looking forward to more vegan recipes soon!
Vegan chcolate pudding? Not something I ever would have imagined! A family friend is of ours is vegan and we never know what to make that will be tasty and fit their dietary needs, especially when it comes to dessert. I never would have thought that pudding could be made with avocado, what a neat idea. I’m trying to imagine what it could possibly taste like but I have no idea, so I guess I’ll just have to give the recipe a try myself some day. 😉 Hope to see more unique recipes like this in the future!
I had the same reaction as you did when my friend mentioned this pudding idea. I couldn’t get the concept, at all. Now, here it is again, and I appreciate your explanation and the breakdown of nutrients and the roles each ingredient plays. The fact that no oil has to be added is very appealing. So, looking at the recipe gives me a better visual and I hope it is as you say; I won’t even know the avocado is in there. I can hopefully add this to my list of healthy treats.
I love it so much! I’m going to make it this weekend. Thanks!
I like that this contains avocados, which are one of my favorite snacks. I don’t keep these types of ingredients on hand usually, other than the avocados and maple syrup, but it might be worth it to invest in them so I can make this delicious and healthy snack. I’m not vegan, but my niece is, and this might be a good treat to make for her upcoming birthday.
This is the second raw food recipe nvolving chocolate and avocado I’ve come across today. I expect the avocado imparts a creamy flavour and texture to the dish. It’s just a crying shame I’m allergic to them.
I never would have thought to put avocados (of all things) in a dessert, honestly. I absolutely love making guacamole and putting it in my quesadillas, so avocados have a special place in my heart. I appreciate how you chose to make this recipe vegan; I’ve always loved similar recipes like vegan brownie in a mug. I’ll be sure to tell my vegan friends about this as well.
Another avocado wonder. I’m just saving more and more recipes every day, huh?
And this time is avocados with chocolate…oh my! Thanks for sharing, but this is a pretty high fat dessert, right? Natural fats, but it’s still fats, so watch your intake!
This is a clever way to use avocado. When it’s plain it has a way of picking up whatever it’s flavored with, so I can imagine this is absolutely delectable. Sounds like the perfect way to sate my chocoholic side!
This looks and sounds positively delicious. And yet… “This recipe is no different, as long as you have a good high speed blender that can whip up the avocado, no one will ever know the secret ingredient in this recipe.”
Well. Avocadoes are sort of expensive. And I love them, I really really do! But if I buy them – and I do, even when they’re expensive! – I will for sure not use them in a way where they become invisible/unrecognizable! Unimaginable! Maybe if I can get like, a box of ’em for a cheap price. Because those really look amazing.
(I wish that happened to me!)
What a cool way to use avocados. This recipe is great for people wanting to cut back on dairy but still like a nice chocolate treat.
Seeing this recipe has made me so happy! As someone with a severe milk allergy, having pudding is nearly impossible. I’ve tried to make it using just rice or coconut milk but it would never set correctly. I’d never have thought avocado could be the missing ingredient! I’m not sure how good my blender is but I’m going to try this out.
Now I could really make a good vegan dessert for my husband. I’m very positive that he will love this. Lucky for me that we have an avocado tree right in my own backyard. I guess it’s time for me to harvest some later 🙂
I have been making a recipe similar to this one forever & ever. I’ve always loved the idea of utilizing avocado in anything that contains any semblance of chocolate. There is something about that combination that never fails. Adding nutrients while at the same time creaming it up without unnecessary calories.
I’m totally going to show my food ignorance here, but I find it so incredible that one can make a sweet dish (chocolate, even!) with avocado! That is too cool. The texture is thick and enjoyable, and I think adding chocolate to it can only make it astounding. I would never have thought to put the listed ingredients together. Ever. But now I really can’t wait to try this.
I have it bookmarked and I might review it later! Thanks for the creative idea!
Oh, good God look at that. Yummy, I’ve heard about this one. Seeing it certainly makes it all the more alluring. Yes the vegan recipes like this one are surprising with what gets mixed together. This one really sounds like a good mix. I am going to be curious about the maple syrup. I use it quite often, but this recipe I might hold back a bit. I would like to taste it without first. Maybe a teaspoon of coconut oil because that has a sweet taste. If it needed it slowly add the maple syrup to add more sweetness. I try to keep the sweetness down in dishes. I don’t really need it. Although sometimes I can’t help it. 2/3 of a cup is a lot of sweetness. I’m sure it’s rich, but I like to go easy on this.
Definitely going to make this one.
Avocado chocolate pudding?!!!…this can’t get any more interesting, can it? 🙂 Page has been bookmarked and I’ve placed the recipe at the top most priority of things to be made in my kitchen…can’t wait to try out this amazing recipe 🙂
I have heard of this recipe before, but generally they’re a lot more simple and are just avocado, a bit of sugar and cocoa powder. I tried one of those before, and the avocado taste was really clear, and I didn’t really enjoy it much. This recipe seems to cover up the flavor a lot better. This looks like a super healthy super yummy recipe that I just have to try out!
I never thought of combining avocado with chocolate. Avocado really is so versatile!
While this looks great but I’m a bit hesitant to try because of the coconut milk. I’m not a big fan and I wonder if it would overpower the chocolate taste? Can anyone comment on that?
I would have never thought to put avocado with chocolate but this recipe has proven different. This is a must try for me. I bet it tastes really great.
I’ll be the first to admit that I raised my eyebrow at the thought of using avocado in a chocolate pudding recipe. Of course, that may be due to the fact that I’m not a huge fan of it in any form except as guacamole. Still…I should give this recipe a try, just to satisfy my curiosity and the fact that I have a weakness to all things chocolate.
I have been trying to make vegan, raw desserts and this one looks amazing. I love avocados in smoothies, so it will be great in a chocolate dessert too. I am a huge fan of raw honey (and blessed that I can buy it locally) and will replace the maple syrup with honey. Next dinner party with my vegan neighbour, this will be the dessert 🙂
Now, this is something that should, by rights, taste awful – but it’s lovely. I made this a couple of weeks ago for a vegan friend and they loved it!
I also thought about guacamole when I first read the title of this post, but using avocados for make things creamier. It’s actually a pretty good idea since the avocados itselves don’t really have a strong taste and they can be blended perfectly with other ingredients to make the taste go away, I really love chocolate and this idea seems great for winter, I will definitely give it a try, let’s see how it works! 🙂
I actually didn’t realise avocado can make your desserts creamier, I’m not really sure about the combination since I don’t like fruits mixed with chocolate but this is probably a different case. I think this pudding is perfect even if you’re not a vegan.
I’m personally a vegan, and my mother and I shared a dessert similar to this at a restaurant, and she absolutely loved it! She usually doesn’t enjoy the kind of foods that I eat, and she had misgivings about it because of some of the ingredients, but she didn’t even notice that the avocado was in the pudding! The other ingredients definitely mask its very flavor nicely. Even if you have some misgivings about this dessert, I would give it a whirl!
Interesting! I like the idea of using maple syrup as a sweetener. This isn’t something you typically find in a pudding, and I love it. I also like the idea of using almond butter as a thickener. I’m wondering if you could substitute both, though, if you used sweetened coconut cream instead of the coconut milk. Also, I’d never heard of vanilla powder until now. It seems like it would be expensive and hard to find. I usually use vanilla extract or syrup, but I’ll have to look into finding vanilla powder.