Dark Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Every once in a while, I get a MAJOR chocolate craving.  While I'm definitely more a savory than sweet girl, when it's that time of the month all bets are off!  The past few months I actually haven't had any chocolate cravings (weird!) which is why it's been awhile since I've shared a sweet recipe. Not to fear. This month all my chocolate cravings came back full force, and I never deprive myself :) If I have a craving I go for it.  Although, obviously I don't grab your average chocolate ice cream or truffle. Guys, I have standards!

Enter dark chocolate avocado pudding.  Rich, decedent, creamy, dreamy, thick, luscious chocolate pudding that will leave you saying "what avocado?".  You honestly can't taste it!  Ok, Nick said that because he knew it was made of avocados, he got a faint hint they were there.  But come on.

Now I've made chocolate avocado pudding in the past and it was horrible.  It basically tasted like guacamole with cocoa powder. Yuck!  But I knew it was time to try again. Luckily, I struck chocolate gold.  The key to success was using half cocoa powder and half special dark cocoa powder.  When it comes to making desserts out of avocado, you have to go dark if you want to successfully mask the flavor.  I used maple syrup to naturally sweeten this pudding, making it just as healthy as delicious. 

You can eat this straight up as pudding, use as frosting, or freeze in popsicle molds to make fudgesicles (summer is coming!).  I started eating this as frosting shots, however quickly realized that it makes the best icing for brownies.  Rachel from Grok Grub has a recipe for the most delicious baked brownies!  They are flourless and made with avocado, almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.  Hello!  Seriously, check out this recipe.  While you're there, make sure to browse her recipes because they are all first rate.  The only thing I changed when making the flourless brownies was I left out the chocolate chips and added an extra two tablespoons of maple syrup.  So good.  Now please excuse me while I go devour another few shots of this stuff :)

Dark Chocolate Avocado Pudding

2 ripe avocados, skin and pit removed
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp special dark cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1.  Blend the avocado, maple syrup, and vanilla in a food processor until smooth.
2.  Add the cocoa powders, cinnamon and salt.  Blent until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
3.  For best results, allow the pudding to sit in the fridge overnight.  I have found that this completely gets rid of the avocado flavor.  Straight out of the food processor, this pudding has a slight avocado flavor.


Want more avocado desserts?  Try this midnight avocado cake and ice it with this dark chocolate avocado pudding!