Avocadelicious Chocolate Pudding

My grandmother sent me this recipe, and it made me double-take. So of course, I had to try it.

Imagine this for a moment, friends. Imagine I were to tell you that you can enjoy a thick, super-creamy, decadent chocolate pudding. "Okay," you might say. "Of course I can."

But then, what if I told you that the pudding was completely free of dairy, processed sugar, saturated fat, and gluten. What if I told you it was completely vegan, kosher parve, and heart-healthy? "Oh. Sounds terrible", you might say.

But what IF I also told you that it was freakin' amazing? Aha! What do you have to say to that, now?



Well, here it is, folks. Rich chocolate pudding whose main ingredient is known to reduce cholesterol, protect against heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure, provide a rich source of folate, regulate blood sugar, increase nutrient absorption, prevent a whole slew of cancers, and boasts a buffet of essential vitamins.

That's right, it's the beloved avocado.

Wait wait wait. Avocado?? And chocolate?? "Madness!" you say. "Sheer lunacy!"

But no, it's true. And it only takes a few minutes to whip up.

What's you'll need:

- 2 medium avocados, ripened
- 1/4 cup honey (vegan sub: agave nectar)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (I used high fat dutch-process cocoa from Penzey's)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel your avocados. Remove pit and chop into small chunks.



* You see banana in my photos. I originally made this recipe with half a banana, and didn't care for the resulting flavor. All I could taste was banana--it overshadowed the chocolate entirely. So I am omitting it now.

Put avocado into a food processor and puree. It may take a few minutes to get all the lumps and bumps smoothed out. Be patient.

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Add your honey, cocoa, and vanilla. Puree until smooth. Make sure to scrape down the sides occasionally to make sure everything is well incorporated.

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Recipe makes about 2 cups. Serve very well chilled, and garnish with something pretty--mint leaves, fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar...

Enjoy, happy eating!