Like all of our recipes, this dessert is dairy-free, and to sweeten the deal, even more, it contains no sugar. We like adding a superfood-packed powder to our pudding to amp up the nutritional benefits.
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Benefits of Cacao and Avocados
We are huge fans of chocolate and avocados on their own and found dessert heaven when we combined the two! You may not associate avocados with dessert, as Americans usually see them served in guacamole. However, in other countries, they are commonly used to add creaminess to sweets.
Here are a few of my favorite things about cacao and avocados.
Cacao Can Boost Your Mood
If you’ve ever savored a piece of chocolate, you know just what effects it can have on your mood. (1) Chocolate makes life better! Many diets eschew this treat, but recent studies have shown that it benefits your health.
Does this mean every chocolate bar is healthy? Definitely not! But the right kind of cacao has been proven to boost your mood and cognitive ability. (2) When paired with an adoptogen-based superfood powder, like this one, you have a calming combo fit for a king. What a great reason to treat yourself!!
Avocados Can Improve Cardiovascular Health
Did you know avocados have more potassium than bananas? It’s true! You’d have to eat 2 bananas to get the potassium in just 1 avocado. Potassium is unique in that it can help lower blood pressure. (3)
Healthy blood pressure levels lead to improved cardiovascular health and less stress on your heart. What excellent news, especially for those with hypertension!
Cacao and Avocados Can Reduce Inflammation
Both avocados and cacao are filled with antioxidants. (4) Antioxidants are essential to your diet because they help fight free radicals, thus lowering inflammation. Inflammation is linked to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and even cancer. (5)
This pudding is a tasty way to fight disease! Avocados can help your body absorb more antioxidants, so pairing them with chocolate is a winning combination.
Healthy Dessert Ingredients 101
This simple dessert requires just 5 ingredients. It’s perfectly sweetened and fulfills that craving for deep, dark chocolate.
Avocados: Aside from the benefits mentioned above, avocados are a delicious source of healthy fats. When blended, they create a creamy pudding-like texture. This is a fantastic way to get kids to eat more produce! Healthy fats make a filling dessert that your body can slowly digest.
Coconut Milk: To keep this recipe dairy-free, we use coconut milk. Coconut milk gives our pudding a milk chocolate effect. Be sure to purchase full-fat coconut milk. The “lite” variety doesn’t contain coconut cream, where all the goodness lies.
Sweetener: Liquid stevia sweetens this recipe in a low-glycemic way. The best part about liquid stevia is that it doesn’t contain fillers like you sometimes find with powdered sweeteners. We like using vanilla-flavored liquid stevia in this recipe, as it complements the chocolate flavor perfectly.
If you’re feeling creative, you could use coconut, caramel, orange, hazelnut, or peppermint liquid stevia. These products are in high demand, so plenty of options are available. They even created on-the-go bottles that fit perfectly in your purse!
Raw Cacao Powder: Cacao powder tastes similar to cocoa powder but contains more nutritional benefits. It’s minimally processed and contains no additives. This is why it’s our top choice for all things chocolate! Swapping cocoa powder for cacao powder is an easy way to add extra nutrients to your diet.
Add 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder for extra richness.
The Best Healthy Avocado Chocolate Mousse Toppings
One way to make dessert memorable is to set out a large bowl containing the Avocado Chocolate Mousse, then smaller bowls with healthy toppings. Kids love feeling like they’ve created their own secret recipe! This pudding is impressive on its own, but we love dressing it up every so often.
This dessert is pretty basic, so there are many topping possibilities. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- Cacao nibs
- Dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan chocolate chips
- Fresh berries
- Walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts
- Hemp seeds
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Chia seeds
- Cinnamon
- Coconut sugar sprinkles
Make Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Dessert always seems to inspire wonderful conversations, whether it’s with your children or best friend. It’s the perfect way to end a meal! This recipe comes together in minutes and serves 8 people generously.
- 3 organic Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
- ¼ to 1 cup organic canned full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon organic pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup raw organic cacao powder
- ¼ cup chocolate protein powder (optional)
- 2 dropperfuls vanilla-flavored liquid stevia
- Supplies:
- Food processor
- Spatula
- Place the avocados in the bowl of a food processor. Add ¼ cup of the coconut milk, vanilla, cacao powder, protein powder (if using), and stevia.
- Blend until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the processor several times with a silicone spatula.
- Add additional coconut milk as needed to create the desired consistency.
- Serve immediately; keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to three days.
Step One: Blend the Pudding
Place the avocados in the bowl of a food processor. Add ¼ cup of coconut milk, vanilla, cacao powder, and stevia. Blend until smooth.
Scrape down the sides of the processor several times with a silicone spatula to ensure every bit of the mixture is smooth.
Step Two: Adjust the Consistency
Add additional coconut milk as needed to create your desired consistency. Start with a little, and remember, you can always add more! Serve immediately. You can keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to three days. The mixture will become thicker as it chills, so you may need to add more coconut milk if enjoying the pudding later.
