I have a crazy sweet tooth. Like, can't-think-about-anything-else, bring-me-chocolate kind of sweet tooth. Sometimes I chew sugarfree gum to soothe the palette but it doesn't always help. Eventually, like all cravings, it passes. I'll drink water, or unsweetened herbal teas. I wish I could tell you that I'm a super hero who battles this sugar demon within me with valor and bravery. But really, I'm not a super hero at all. I succumb to my cravings all the time. I hope this post will help you feel less guilty about your temptations. And, maybe you'll find a new way to sate your sugary desires.
This is a dessert I make myself when I have a mild case of the get-me-my-chocolate-fix-NOW syndrome. It's chocolate. It's pudding. It's amazing. But it's also good for you too. It's full of protein and fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, and all those other fancy words people look for in 'healthy' foods.
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| Yes, it's a lot of ingredients, but they're not all necessary. |
The ingredients you need to make the most basic chocolate pudding are Greek yogurt, cacao powder, vanilla extract and some sort of sweetener (maple syrup, agave, sugar, honey, Stevia, Splenda, etc). I usually use agave or honey as I'm not a huge fan of maple syrup, and I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners. But if you prefer Stevia over honey, or sugar over maple syrup, then by all means. For the chocolate raspberry pudding, I simply added a handful of fresh raspberries to the mix!
In a bowl add the following ingredients:
Basic Chocolate Pudding
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 TBS cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS (or more to taste) sweetener of choice
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| Here we have a cup of Greek yogurt, 1 TBS cacao powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and some raspberries. Yum! |
Want to jazz it up some? You can add different toppings, or change up the flavor combination. Mash a super-ripe banana up into your 'chocolate pudding' and you have a chocolate banana flavor. Or, add
PB2 (or regular peanut butter), and you have a Reese's inspired chocolate peanut butter pudding. What about chocolate covered strawberries? Blend the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, cacao powder, sweetener of your choice and a few strawberries in your blender.
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| One of my favorites! Greek Yogurt with Chocolate PB2 and agave. Topped with homemade granola, goji berries and pepitas |
I also love adding toppings like chia seeds, almonds slivers, cacao nibs, goji berries, granola and dried fruit. My favorite is making candied almonds on the stovetop. I use the candied topping on my salads too, instead of croutons. They're so versatile, they can rock a salad or a chocolate pudding. It takes fewer than five minutes and all you need are two ingredients: nuts and honey. Simply toast your almonds (or nut of choice) in a skillet. When they're just about done, turn off the heat, and drizzle a thin layer of honey all over. Spill out onto a plate and allow to cool and harden. Then break up the pieces over your salad or in this case, dessert.
But don't let me give you ideas. I'm sure if you love pickles with anything, they'll taste good on your yogurt! (I won't judge!) Same goes with anchovies and pepperoni. Have at it. I bet it'll still be more flavorful, better for you, and have fewer calories than the puddings you buy in the store (and they don't have amazing flavors like Chocolate Covered Anchovy Pickle!
Tell me what your favorite pudding flavors are. I'll be posting a vegan pudding for my next entree. It's a moussey puddingy deliciousness in a glass.
Til next time!
-Kale Queen
