I’m on the pudding train and I don’t expect to come off it for a while. Last week I shared on of my favourite ways to eat chia with a Chocolate Chia Pudding. And a few days ago, I dusted off my recipe binder and found my trusty Avocado Carob Chocolate Pudding (it should actually be called Avocado Banana Chocolate Pudding or “ABC Pudding” for short).
Side note: Speaking of ABC foods, my super soft Avocado Banana Chocolate Cookies are another winning recipe with families (with or without picky eaters).
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So, why is this nutritionist pudding-obsessed? The better question to ask is, why wouldn’t I be?!
My kids (and virtually every kid and even the picky eaters) love pudding. So it’s a dessert I’m happy to have them enjoy.
It’s creamy and delicious.
It takes minutes to make. No baking, freezing, or waiting is required.
It’s chock full of the good stuff.
Avocado. Enough said. But I’ll say more. It’s not only a source of fabulous fats (which we all need, especially our little ones), it also contains protein.
Bananas. Adds all the sweetness you need, naturally. Plus the nutritional bonuses of potassium, fiber, etc.
Carob. This one requires a bit more explaining since the chances are many of you don’t have this tucked away in your cupboard.
Carob powder is an alternative to cacao powder (traditional chocolate) primarily because of the similarity in colour. Like cacao, carob is a tropical pod that contains a sweet, edible pulp. However, they are different plants and have different flavors (carob being naturally sweeter). Nutritionally they are unique as well. For instance, carob powder contains 3x more calcium than chocolate but lacks the nutrient punch from other minerals such as iron and magnesium, which are present in chocolate. For a more detailed comparison of the two, check this out.
Should you choose carob OR chocolate?
Well, most parents (including myself) will love that carob contains ZERO caffeine (or other stimulants). Otherwise, from a nutritional perspective, straight-up raw cacao is still a great choice if you are making anything chocolate-based. Cacao is nutrient-dense. It’s the sugar we add to chocolate that makes it less “healthy” (pure cacao is actually quite bitter in flavor).
As for which to choose, the Nutrition Diva puts it simply:
For anyone with a sensitivity to chocolate or any of its active ingredients, such as caffeine or theobromine, carob offers a chocolate-like (or at least brown-colored) alternative. Otherwise, chocolate appears to offer a few extra health benefits.
So whichever direction you choose, it’s a win.
Now, let’s eat.
Avocado Carob (Chocolate) Pudding
Serves: 2-3 (depending on serving size)
Ingredients:
- 1 avocado
- 1 banana
- 6 Tbsp. carob powder (cacao powder will work but may need the maple syrup)
- 3-6 Tbsp. water or dairy-free milk (depends on how much you need to get your blender going)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1-3 Tbsp. maple syrup (optional, the sweetness from the carob and banana do the trick for me)
- few shakes of sea salt (optional)
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and mix well.
- Serve immediately
- Or freeze into popsicle molds for a healthy fudgesicle.
