Dessert

Paleo Chocolate Banana Pudding

By Jess

0 from 0 ratings

Who didn’t love a little cup of pudding with the foil pull-top in their lunch as a kid? It was the king of lunch desserts. You couldn’t trade anything for pudding: it was top of the pile already. And who says you can’t enjoy a little afternoon pudding now that you’re an adult and a Paleo dieter? Paleo Chocolate banana pudding to the rescue!

pudding

Cool and creamy chocolate banana pudding…every kids lunchtime dream, now in Paleo form. Just don’t eat it all yourself! Leave some for your kids too.

No one can deny that the good old store bought pudding cups were delicious (at least that’s how I remember them) but talk about a non-Paleo-friendly food! Dairy, loads of sugar, and processed to death. So you might be wondering… how can we possibly make an equally yummy, chocolate banana pudding and have it still be Paleo?

Well, let’s start with the creamy texture. Instead of thickened milk, this recipe uses avocado and a banana. Whip those two up together in a blender, with a bit of almond milk to thin it, almond butter to make sure it sticks together (and you get some of that all-important protein in there too!), some honey as a sweetener and you’ve got your pudding texture all set.

chocolate pudding ingredients

Now for the flavor… a deep, rich, chocolatey flavor. Instead of using milk chocolate, which has loads of added sugar and also contains dairy, both Paleo no-no’s, this recipe uses unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder. This is simply the ground up cacao bean, so it’s real chocolate, close to the original source.

Cacao powder has an even richer and slightly coffee-like flavor, but is through and through chocolate goodness. And remember – the sweetness comes from honey, which you added to the avocado and the rest in the blender the first go around. So no added white sugar!

My favorite topping for my chocolate banana pudding is chopped, toasted hazelnuts, like you see in the pictures. I love the crunch they add and the added hazelnut flavor in every bite reminds me an awful lot of Nutella – that’s never a bad thing! But of course, there are plenty of other toppings you can use.

making the pudding

When I serve this to guests I like to give them a few options. I love seeing who chooses what – and there’s always one person who does a little bit of all the toppings. And of course you can always eat it plain – it’s certainly yummy enough to do that.

This is of course a classy and delectable dessert to serve to guests after a friendly dinner. But I say: why wait for guests?! And why wait for dinner?! I put a serving in a container and keep it in the fridge overnight so I can enjoy a chocolate pudding treat after lunch, just like I used to. I grab a spoon, pop the top off the container, and savor every bite.

paleo pudding

And now, in addition to enjoying my post-lunch pudding, I know I’m doing something good for my body at the same time, which makes it doubly enjoyable. And I still won’t trade my chocolate banana pudding for anything! Now, if I could just figure out how to bring back naps and recess, I’d be all set!

You may also like: No-Cook Overnight Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding


Ingredients

    • 1 large avocado, pitted and flesh scooped
    • 1 medium ripe banana
    • 2 tbsp almond milk
    • 1/3 cup raw cocoa or cacao powder, unsweetened
    • 3 tbsp almond butter
    • 3 tbsp honey (or more if you prefer sweeter)
  • For topping (optional)
    • chopped toasted hazelnuts, frozen berries, sliced almonds, cocoa nibs

Directions

  1. Add the almond milk, avocado, banana, almond butter and honey in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Add the cocoa or cacao powder and blend until combined.
  3. Divide the pudding between 4 small glasses, cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours, or overnight.
  4. Serve topped with chopped hazelnuts or any other topping of your choice if using.

Servings

Serving Size

1

Servings/Recipe

3

Print Recipe

  1. Absolutely loved this recipe! I was a but skeptical as I was putting avocado and banana in the food processor at the same time, but turned out wonderfully!! Thank you!

  2. I made this recipe tonight and I can’t tell you enough how this makes me happy. I don’t have to give up dessert being on Paleo. Thank you!

Ask a Question/Comment

Facebook icon Twitter icon Instagram icon Pinterest icon Google+ icon YouTube icon LinkedIn icon Contact icon