Raw Chocolate Pudding

I make two different raw chocolate puddings. One is with the coconuts, both young and mature. It’s a delicious but challenging recipe because the coconuts are hard to work with and you need a VitaMix, not a blender, to make the right consistency. I was thrilled to discover a 10 minute, easy raw chocolate pudding from a book Mukti let me borrow – Naked Chocolate by David Wolfe and Shazzie.

The shocker is that it’s made with avocados. Eeeuuwww you might say. You would be wrong. Adya was actually the one who convinced me to try it. This is a fluffy, rich chocolate pudding. Many friends have taste tested it and loved it! Don’t tell anyone it’s made from avocados and they won’t know the difference.

The original recipe called for carob powder instead of cocoa powder, did not have orange juice, and used more dates. Play with it as you’d like. Raw cocoa powder and raw cacao nibs can be found in health food stores or online. I grind the nibs in a coffee grinder, it works beautifully.

Good quality avocados make all the difference! Firm, slightly soft hass avocados are probably the best choice. The health benefits from raw cacao and avocados are awesome.

Ingredients:

2 large avocados

juice from ½ an orange

12 (small to medium) dates soaked 1-3 hours

½ cup ground raw cacao nibs

½ cup raw cocoa powder

1 T vanilla

1 T agave (or more to taste)

Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, cut into chunks and scoop out of the skin. Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Process until fluffy! If it requires more liquid, use the soaking liquid from the dates.