Would you believe me if I told you there was a way to make a delicious, creamy, chocolate-y pudding without any dairy or refined sugar? I wouldn’t lead you astray. You definitely can.
I’ve been making a “chocolate pudding” recipe from Gena’s Choosing Raw for Meghan since she was about 20 months old. She loves it so much that it’s become a staple around here, with me making it at least once a week.
She started liking it a little too much, and in true mom fashion, I started worrying. I noticed on nights she had the chocolate pudding for dessert, she’d take a bit longer to fall asleep. It finally clicked. Chocolate=caffeine. Not a great combo when you have a toddler that you want to be well-rested.
In comes carob powder.
What the heck is carob?!
Carob comes from the pod of a tree and has a sweet, edible pulp. It is dried, roasted, and ground into a flour. Does it taste just like chocolate? Not exactly. But it is close enough that it can satisfy your craving.
So why, exactly, would someone want to substitute carob for chocolate? Here are some of the health benefits that carob offers:
- Carob is caffeine free, making it great for kids, caffeine-sensitive individuals, and pregnant or nursing mothers trying to limit their caffeine.
- Carob has fiber!
- It is naturally sweeter than chocolate (which is naturally bitter) so you don’t need to add as much sugar or sweeteners to your baked goods.
This pudding is the most nutritious dessert or sweet snack you can make. Seriously. It’s made with avocado (read here for all serious nutrition avocados offer), sweet potato, carob powder, and sweetened with dates. It’s creamy and delicious without dairy, making it a perfect pudding treat for vegans or lactose-intolerant individuals.
Don’t get me started on the kind you buy in the store. It’s filled with refined sugar, hydrogenated oils, modified food starch, artificial flavors and who knows what else. You don’t need it when you can make something so good at home in just a few minutes.
Dairy-Free Carob Pudding
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A dairy free dessert
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pitted dates (~10)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 small peeled sweet potato, cooked (~1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons carob powder (you can substitute cocoa powder, if you wish)
- Optional: 1-3 tablespoons agave nectar
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, process the dates and water until the dates are broken down. Add the avocado, cooked sweet potato, and carob powder and process until creamy and smooth. Add more water if necessary. Taste and add agave nectar if you prefer a sweeter pudding. Meghan and I love this without anything extra, but Tim won’t eat it unless I add some extra sweetness. Chill completely before serving. Because of the avocado, this pudding is best if consumed within 24 hours.
Notes
Adapted from Choosing Raw
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 153
- Sugar: 15.25g
- Sodium: 15.25mg
- Fat: 5.25g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Protein: 2.25g
I was hoping that when I made this with carob powder, Meghan wouldn’t notice a difference.
She didn’t. She ate it up just like she does when I make it with chocolate. Whether you make this with chocolate or carob is your choice, but either way you need to make it. If your kids are anything like Meghan, they’ll be requesting this on a regular basis.
I had a little trouble with this…I think. Its still chilling so Im not positive.
Its a bit…grainy? or…dirt textured? So I figured its either 1. the cocoa powder is so powdery that its just the way the pudding is supposed to be or 2. When I peeled the skin of the potato, I left too much of the fibery part? or 3. I don’t have a food processor, and my cheap, crappy old blender just can’t do the job.
So whats the texture like when you make it? Im thinking of adding banana to make it sweeter since I have no agave and Homeland was out of it..
I think it is probably your blender. It really shouldn’t be too grainy. Even if the texture is a little off, I’m sure it will still taste delicious! 🙂
I like that recipe! I will definitely be trying this soon!
OOooooo….Looks like she is loving that!!! I want some, too 😉
I have often wanted to try pudding made with an avocado, but I have yet to attempt it. This looks like a great snack for some little ones I know 🙂
Interesting! I’ve heard a lot about carob chips and powder, but never really knew what it was….thanks for the info!
I’m intrigued. I have childhood memories of my mom substituting carob chips in our chocolate chip cookies and us kids would throw a fit. But I’ve never seen it in powder form. I wonder if I can find this in small town Iowa?
I love the rest of the pudding recipe! I’ve tried something similar with bananas instead of the sweet potato and dates.
I’m going on a carob powder search later at my local natural foods store!
If you have a natural food store I’m sure you’ll be able to find it! I don’t think there’s a huge taste difference between chocolate and carob, but it’s definitely not the same. Meghan couldn’t tell at all though! 🙂
This is an awesome recipe that I am going to have to try very soon!