So rich, so silky—no one will ever guess the secret ingredient!
One last class.
In January 2020, I had one credit to go before graduating with my Master’s in Clinical Nutrition from NYU. I was tired, had two small kids, and we know what was about to happen…
I was trying to sign up for anything that fit into my schedule and counted towards my major. (Could I take basketball?) Luckily, my advisor said there was a one-credit class in our department, and it actually sounded kind of fun!
Over a 6-week period, the class created menus for case study patients requiring specific dietary modifications. On the last day of class, we prepared a complete meal—including appetizer, entree, beverage, and dessert for six discerning judges (aka a panel of professors).
Difficulty swallowing? No problem!
We were assigned meal planning for a patient needing Dysphagia Level 1, a diet made for someone cleared to swallow foods only if they are thick, smooth, and homogenous. No chunks.
Our client reported he wasn’t eating much because didn’t like the mushy foods he had to eat. He missed his favorites like Jewish deli bagels, pastrami, and chocolate cake. His family wanted to help him get calories in while adhering to dietary restrictions and appealing to his appetite.
While the judges were critical of a few of our items (including the whipped salmon we tried to mold and decorate to look like a piece of actual smoked salmon on a bagel), our dessert got high marks. It happened to be the easiest recipe we made too!
Why it works.
We blended avocado to form the base of a dark chocolate pudding designed to be thicker, creamier, and higher unsaturated fat than the classic deli dessert. I thought it was so delicious, and Ann and I have been tweaking and re-testing that original recipe off and on for the past five years.
Finally, we are ready to share. And right before Valentine’s Day!
Let’s discuss the avocado in the room...
Friends, family, and even kids who taste-tested at my kids’ school had no clue there was avocado in this pudding. You will not detect it－it just makes the pudding richer and more velvety. The key is perfectly ripe avocados, which have very mild flavor and deliver a smooth mouthfeel. Ripe avocados will also blend easily and fully into the other ingredients.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
Dark Chocolate Avocado Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar*
- ⅓ cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened vanilla almond)**
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- Optional add-ins: ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon and dash of cayenne if you like the flavor of Mexican hot chocolate!
- Optional for serving: flaky sea salt, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and/or cinnamon
Instructions
- Blend all the ingredients together, including cinnamon and cayenne if using, and then refrigerate for 30 minutes (longer is fine). Helpful hint: If the mixture seems too thick for your blender, add a teaspoon or two of milk at a time to thin, and scrape down the sides and stir a few times. ***
- When ready to serve, top with flaky sea salt, fresh whipped cream (or whipped topping of choice), chocolate shavings, and/or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Storage: Covered tightly or stored in an airtight container, the avocado pudding will maintain freshness for 3-4 days.
Notes
**Milk options: We taste-tested with almond milk, coconut milk, and dairy milk and felt the unsweetened vanilla almond had the best flavor and mouthfeel. However, feel free to use what you like and have on hand.
***Blender options: For smoothest texture, I like using a Nutribullet, just like you would for a smoothie. A traditional blender, which is what we used during our cooking competition, may not get this pudding as smooth, although adding more milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, can help get the ingredients blended. I’ve also used a mini food processor.
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