Chocolate Avocado Pudding

6-Ingredient, 5-minute vegan avocado chocolate pudding is rich, creamy, sweet, and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and Paleo-friendly (and Keto adaptable)! Even better, it'll be ready in just 5 minutes!

Healthy Vegan Avocado Chocolate Pudding

We're always on the lookout for snacks and desserts that are as healthy as they are delicious. This avocado chocolate pudding certainly qualifies. It's silky smooth, rich, and creamy yet loaded with heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, and unrefined sugars. You can't even tell it's a healthy mousse/pudding!

As much as we love avocado toast and avocado green goddess dressing, this dairy-free chocolate avocado mousse is a surprisingly impressive addition to many desserts. With chocolate avocado frosting, cake, smoothies, and nice cream, clearly, we're not the only ones impressed with avocado dessert recipes. You don't even have to like the flavor of avocados to enjoy this vegan chocolate pudding/mousse, as you can't even taste it!

Instead, the avocado is perfect for creating a silky, 'buttery', creamy texture and consistency. It's also 100% cholesterol-free and contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, gut-friendly fiber, and nearly 20 different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

It can also help lower bad cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, and make certain nutrients more easily absorbed. Combine that with unrefined sugar and antioxidant-rich cacao/cocoa powder for an avocado pudding that will nourish and fill you up.

Avocado Chocolate Mousse Vs. Chocolate Avocado Pudding?

Traditionally, mousse is light and airy, and pudding is a thicker consistency. However, in the case of this avocado dessert recipe, even though the texture is more like a pudding or ganache consistency, the two terms are used interchangeably.

However, unlike dairy-based chocolate pudding and mousse recipes, this dairy-free chocolate pudding is free from eggs, starches, whole dairy, and refined sugars. Also, unlike our simple vegan chocolate mousse recipe, this is soy-free!

For more ways to enjoy avocado, you might enjoy this tomatillo avocado salsa verde, avocado cream, avocado pesto, or a creamy avocado shake (sinh to bo)!

The Ingredients and Substitutes

Just 5 inexpensive pantry staples and avocados make up the ingredients for this avocado chocolate pudding recipe.

• Cocoa powder: Use cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder. Cacao is less refined but also more bitter.
• Avocado: Make sure they're ripe but the avocado flesh isn’t stringy or browned.

While It's possible to use slightly overripe avocados, they can have a stronger scent and flavor. However, don't use an under-ripe avocado, as it won't blend into a smooth avocado pudding. Here's a detailed guide for more info on avocados!

• Sweetener: We use a combination of granulated sugar (like coconut sugar) and maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar.

For a sugar-free version, you could use erythritol, swerve, and/or your favorite sugar-free syrup. You could also use soft Medjool dates to sweeten the vegan chocolate avocado mousse naturally.

• Non-dairy milk: Any i.e., coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.
• Salt: A small pinch of salt will enhance the vegan chocolate flavor.
• Coconut: (optional) You could garnish the vegan avocado chocolate mousse/pudding with unsweetened shredded coconut.

Optional Add-ins and Variations:

There are several ways to boost and adapt the flavor of this avocado pudding recipe. Some of my top options include.

• Vanilla: Use a little natural vanilla extract if preferred.
• Cinnamon: Add a pinch, then adjust the amount to taste.
• Chili powder: A tiny pinch of chili powder tastes delicious with vegan chocolate.
• Coffee: You could add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder to enhance the dairy-free chocolate flavor. Add even more for a delicious vegan mocha mousse.
• Dutch Cocoa: Replace a small amount of the cocoa powder with Dutch-processed cocoa for a really rich vegan chocolate flavor. This cocoa gives Oreos their signature flavor.
• Dairy-free chocolate orange mousse: Add orange juice in place of the plant-based milk and, optionally, some orange zest.
• Nut butter: Add 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite nut or seed butter for an even more decadent vegan avocado chocolate pudding. I.e., almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, etc. Hazelnut butter will make it taste more like Nutella.
• Flavoring/Extracts: A few drops of orange, mint, almond, or rose extract would create delicious flavor variations of this plant-based chocolate avocado pudding recipe.
• Silken tofu: To reduce the fat amount, use half firm silken tofu and half avocado.
• Beet: Add half of a small, cooked beet to pack in even more nutrients and antioxidants without affecting the flavor too much.

How to Make Avocado Chocolate Pudding?

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and avocado pudding recipe instructions!

• 1) Transfer all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

• 2) Taste and adjust any ingredient (sugar for sweetness, salt, cocoa powder). Then, transfer the avocado chocolate pudding/mousse to a glass or bowl and optionally serve with some shredded coconut or your toppings of choice.

Top Recipe Tips and FAQs

• Taste and adjust: After blending the avocado chocolate pudding, taste it and adjust any ingredients to your desired flavor.
• Budget tip: Purchasing avocados from produce markets can often work out far cheaper than from a grocery store.
• Enjoy chilled: For the best results, chill the dairy-free mousse for at least 30 minutes before serving. The texture is better, but so is the flavor!
• Use raw cacao if possible: This is the least processed version, meaning it contains tons of additional antioxidants and nutrients.
• To thicken the avocado pudding: You could add half a ripe banana (you will taste it). Or even a spoonful of chia or flax seeds.
• Can you taste avocado? Avocado already has a relatively mild flavor. When combined with cocoa and sweetener, it's masked well. However, for the mildest flavor, use ripe avocados that are still slightly firm and not stringy/brown. The more ripe/overripe an avocado, the more pronounced the flavor.

How to Make Ahead and Store?

We recommend preparing this an hour in advance to allow it to chill in the fridge and for the flavors to meld and develop.

Store the vegan chocolate mousse covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If it separates slightly while resting, just stir it before serving again.

If you want to freeze the avocado chocolate pudding, we recommend enjoying it either as pudding pops or as an nice cream alternative, rather than thawing it to enjoy.

How to Serve Avocado Chocolate Pudding?

We love to enjoy this avocado pudding as a simple snack or dessert topped with:

• coconut shavings
• vegan whipped cream
• dairy free chocolate shavings
• cacao nibs
• berries (strawberries, raspberry, blueberries)
• chopped nuts (almonds, pistachios, etc.)
• crumbled cookies, etc.

It could also be delicious with a drizzle of vegan salted caramel sauce or a scoop of nice cream. You could also use the avocado chocolate pudding to make other desserts, such as:

• Layers in a trifle
• Use in a parfait
• Added to regular/mini vegan chocolate mousse pies like this 4-ingredient chocolate pie
• Add as a layer to dairy-free tiramisu
• Add a biscuit base to make vegan chocolate avocado mousse cheesecake cups
• Turn into pudding popsicles

More Vegan Chocolate Recipes You'll Love

• High-protein chocolate waffles,
• Blackberry chocolate cupcakes
• Silken chocolate peppermint pie
• Chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars
• Double chocolate peppermint cookies
• Chocolate ice cream
• Chocolate peanut butter bark
• Berry chocolate cheesecake

Photos by Alfonso Revilla