Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Many attendees at my Nourishing Foods: Sweet Endings class requested a chocolate dessert and I promised to deliver. Here it is, a delicious, creamy, satisfying and nutritious dessert. Whenever I make this favorite for guests, or myself there is never any left over. This is bowl-licking good...AND nourishing at the same time, since it is made of real food ingredients.

Ingredients: Use the highest quality, organically grown ingredients available.

2-3 ripe avocados

1-2 very ripe bananas (brown speckled)

1/3 – 1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Seed and peel avocados, peel bananas and add to the bowl or food processor.  Add remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients until creamy with an immersion blender or in your food processor. The ripeness of the banana determines how sweet your pudding is. If you find your pudding needs sweetness, add 1-3 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Start with less and only add more if needed.  You can refrigerate it for an hour to set but I don't like to wait. My last batch I didn’t refrigerate at all. If you do choose to let it set in the fridge, cover it with parchment paper directly on the top of the surface of the pudding to avoid the formation of a skin, then cover the whole thing with plastic wrap. This is a great make ahead dessert to share with friends and family since it whips up in mere minutes, can be made in advance, and is a decadent chocolate dessert treat.

Optional Blended Additions:

1-3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup salted creamy nut butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

Optional Stir In Additions:

3/4 cup chopped chocolate (use your favorite bar)

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Toppers:

Fresh fruit (banana, raspberries, etc.)

Chopped nuts

Whipped cream

Coconut cream

Drizzled nut butter

Coarse flaked sea salt

Flaked or shredded coconut

This article appeared in the December 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.

Pecan Pie with Almond Chocolate Crust

I grew up in the South and pecan pie takes me back to my childhood family gatherings. The pecan pie I grew up with was loaded with sugar and corn syrup and I recall how my teeth and belly hurt pretty regularly after I consumed a slice.

Since I love good food and didn't want to give up one of my favorite holiday traditions, I decided it was time for a pecan pie make-over. I was inspired by Elana Amsterdam’s pecan pie, but it didn’t quite meet my nutritional preferences. With a few tweaks, I was able to bake a soul-satisfying and body-nourishing pecan pie. I hope you enjoy this delicious pie as much as my family and friends do.

Chocolate Pie Crust

1 ¼ cups Blanched Almond Flour

¼ t Sea Salt

¼ t Baking Soda

2 T Ghee

2 T Honey

½ cup chopped dark chocolate or powdered baking cocoa*

*½ cup makes a very rich crust, you may use ¼ cup if you prefer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda.  In a small saucepan gently melt the ghee, honey, and dark chocolate.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and thoroughly mix.  Press dough into a 9 ½ inch pie pan, which is super simple, as there is no rolling required.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until the surface of the crust loses its sheen and starts to look dry—be careful not to overcook.  Remove from the oven and completely cool before adding the pie filling.  If you are using a convection oven, pay extra attention to not overcook, as convection ovens cook foods faster.

Filling

1 ½ C Water

2 Tbsp Agar Flakes

1 ¼ C Raw Honey

1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

3 C Whole Pecans, toasted 

In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil, add agar flakes and cook on high heat stirring frequently until the agar flakes dissolve.  It takes about 10-12 minutes. Decrease heat and whisk in salt, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Continue Cooking over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until all ingredients are well incorporated. Cool mixture to room temperature and then stir in pecans. Pour into piecrust and refrigerate for one hour or until the pie has set.

Serve with whipped cream.

This article appeared in the November 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.