Friday, October 30, 2009

How To Make Healthy Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding

I thought this title might catch your eye?

Who doesn't love chocolate pudding? Or chocolate for that matter. It is one of my weaknesses, including Peanut Butter. Oh, if I could only kick the peanut butter cravings. Yes, I do have almond butter and I do like it (just not as much).

One thing that is hard when trying to lose weight is eliminating some of your favorite things. If you favorite things include ice cream or chocolate, cakes, brownies, you actually don't have to. Believe it or not. There are healthy, dairy and wheat free alternatives to these desserts and many more. And...they don't require cooking.

Every chocoate pudding requires chocolate so what I suggest you use is raw cacao powder. I am not saying Cocoa, that is different. Cocoa is roasted at a high temperature so it is cooked, therefore many of the great nutrients in chocolate are destroyed. Raw Cacao (spelled different), is not heated at a high temperatue therefore not destroying the fantastic nutrients contained in the cacao bean (which are the chocolate beans).

Raw cacao is very high in antioxidants - more than red wine, green tea and blueberries! Also, it is not processed or any sugar, etc added. Cacao also contains calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulphur and potassium. Contains proteins, magnesium, beta-caroteine and linoleic acid (just to name a few).

I has a small amount of caffeine which is different when cosumed cooked. So cocoa powder would have a higher level of caffeine than the raw cacao.

Chocolate Pudding - the healthy way:
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder
3 Dates (majoli dates work the best
1/2 - 1 tbsp Agave Nector or honey
1/2 tsp Natural Pure Vanilla
1 Avacodo
Sea Salt - just a pinch

  • Soak dates in warm water for about 20 minutes or more.
  • In deep bowl or smaller food processor, add soaked dates and Agave Nector or honey. If you just have a hand blender then put in deep bowl. Process until mixed.
  • Mass avocado with a bit of water. Add Vanilla and Avocado (maybe 1/2 or a little more) into date and vanilla mixture and mix some more.
  • Then add 2 tbsp (this depends on how chocolatey sp?? you want it). Then mix again. Do not over process.
  • Mix to consistency of creamy pudding. If too dry you can add some more avacado that you have mixed well separately with a bit of water. Also sweeten to taste by adding more or less dates or honey.
This makes a small amount. Next time you may want to make more so adjust ingredients. Experiement with taste as in how sweet, how chocolatey or how thick or thin you like it.

This is so good  - honest! You don't even notice the avocado (of course unless you add too much). May take a bit of trial and error to figure out the right measurements to make it the way you like it. But, it is worth it.

This is far better than grabbing a chocolate snack that is full of sugar and preservatives or cheap chocolate with no nutrients in it.

If you click on the link below it will send you to another blog post where I share some more gluten-free and dairy free recipes.
More wheat-free and dairy-free snacks

HAVE A GREAT HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!

3 comments:

  1. I’m lactose intolerant and have always dreaded the holidays, as all the food seems to be loaded with dairy. After a recommendation of one of my friends, I found this nutrition coach named Rose Cole who has a holiday cookbook and has tons of dairy free recipes. Her site is www.RoseCole.com/HolidayCookbook

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  2. Hey, if you want some other great recipe ideas. I found this woman by the name Rose Cole, she's a certified nutrition coach and she has awesome Holiday Recipes that are gluten free. Her site is www.RoseCole.com/HolidayCookbook. I highly recommend checking it out!

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  3. Hello Fran

    Thanks for your comments. There are gluten free recipes out there for sure. What I like about these recipes is that they do not have any flours in them. They use whole, nutrient dense foods that are not refined or over processed. So many grains (flours) are and do not contain many nutrients. Then when we cook out food (baking, etc,) they lose even more nutrients. That is why preparing foods that do not require cooking and that use foods that are not refined or processed are so healthy and easy on your body.
    Thanks for your comments and web site suggestion.
    Diana

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