My biggest dietary vice is sugar. Well, alcohol, and then sugar. Since I have such frequent cravings, it’s important that I satisfy as much of that sweet craving as possible with natural sugars. I try and get a lot of my sweet fix from the natural sweetness of fruit and honey. This recipe was adapted from Brooke, a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. With the health benefits of raw cacao powder and avocado, this is legitimately a healthy dessert.
AVOCADO CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Ingredients:
•2 ripe avocados, pitted
•7-8 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked
•3 Tablespoons honey (I prefer raw organic honey)
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract*optional – omit if you choose, but it adds great flavor
•½ cup raw cacao powder
•½ cup almond milk (make your own, buy carrageenan-free or use filtered water)
•Sweetener options: Omit the honey and replace it with 4-6 more dates. Replace the honey with maple syrup.
Instructions:
Put all ingredients except almond milk in a food processor and begin blending. Drizzle in almond milk, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary, until the consistency resembles a thick chocolate pudding. It’s difficult to thoroughly blend the dates. Let it continue mixing until smooth and creamy. It’s hard to say how many this recipe serves, because it depends on how much you like to eat it. Let’s say it serves 2-4 people.
If you don’t have raw cacao powder, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. Some people notice that cacao has a slightly more bitter taste so it may take time to get used to. If you haven’t had cacao before, maybe try doing ½ cacao and ½ cocoa. Both have health benefits so you really can’t go wrong. But if you want even more nutrients and antioxidants, go with the cacao. You can order it online at Amazon or Thrive Market.
A Few of the Many Benefits of Cacao
-more calcium than cow’s milk
-antioxidants (20x more than blueberries!)
-the best plant-based source of iron
-one of the highest food sources of magnesium
-elevates mood
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