Cacao Avocado Pudding (GF, DF, AIP option)

I know Valentine’s Day has passed, but we could always use a good chocolate dessert recipe, right?! If you like chocolate, you will love this cacao-coconut-avocado PUDDING. If you have a food processor/blender and a fridge, you can make this easy-peasy, decadent pudding. I love that you can adjust the amount and type of sweetener based on your personal preferences (I love the flavor of maple syrup, so that’s what I went with).

There is an AIP (autoimmune protocol) option for this recipe. You would use carob powder instead of cacao powder to make it AIP-compliant. If you did use carob, I would reduce the amount of sweetener by half, because carob is already sweet. I used this carob powder during my AIP month (I seem to be doing fine with consuming cacao now! #thankgod)

All of the healthy fats in this recipe (hello, avocados and coconut milk) make this a not-just-for-dessert recipe – I could totally recommend this as a breakfast or snack too! Two big avocados made for two big servings of pudding, so these guys are filling. Feel free to split it up into smaller portions for a group of four.

Let’s talk cacao…

Cacao is essentially the purest form of chocolate and is made by cold-pressing raw cacao beans. It’s different from cocoa powder and chocolate bars in that both of those are heat-processed, which can destroy some antioxidants. Let’s go through some of the benefits of raw cacao…

• Cacao is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help your body fight free radicals, which are compounds that promote inflammation and aging. Cacao has been found to have up to 40 times the amount of antioxidants compared to blueberries!
• Cacao has resveratrol, that heart-healthy compound that is found in red grapes and red wine (even more of a reason to pair your 100% dark chocolate with red wine?!). Resveratrol can improve insulin sensitivity and improve cardiovascular health.
• Cacao has caffeine and theobromine in it, which are both feel-good compounds.
• Speaking of feel-good, cacao also contains neurotransmitters which have a positive effect on mood. These neurotransmitters are serotonin, tryptophan, and tyrosine.
• Cacao is a good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, and has NO sugar in it!

Are you sold yet? I sure am.

An optional component is the gelatin powder. Gelatin will also add a gel-like quality (obvi) so it makes this pudding really form together well. Although this recipe uses gelatin, it isn’t your Jello chocolate pudding in the little plastic cup that you got as a dessert in elementary school! This cacao avocado pudding makes you feel fancy and healthy at the same time. However, feel free to omit gelatin you don’t have it! You could also add 1-2 scoops of collagen if you want some extra protein. I used this gelatin powder.

Lastly, the toppings! I love chocolate and raspberries together, but I could also see strawberries or blackberries being a great combination. A little dusting of shredded coconut and a generous sprinkle of Himalayan pink salt will round out all the delicious flavors.

References:

https://www.foodmatters.com/article/raw-cacao-vs-cocoa-whats-the-difference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26026398

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24145871

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-10/thc-rrw101408.php