Mylk Chocolate Chia Pudding

One of my favorite desserts is chocolate pudding. However, since I can’t and shouldn’t enjoy dairy, and traditional and processed puddings are high in sugar and fat, I had to come up with a yummy alternative. Avocados are always great to use in raw puddings and frosting. They provide the right amount of “good” fat and creamy consistency needed for these delights. Bananas are a great, nutritious, naturally sweet desert that combine great with avocado while defusing the avocado flavor, and still maintain the pudding texture. Add the rest of the healthy ingredients and you have a super yummy non-dairy, vegan chocolate pudding alternative! To boost the nutritional content of this pudding, as well as provide added texture I mixed in soaked chia seeds. This is definitely one of my favorite raw pudding recipes to date – enjoy!

¼ cup raw almonds

4-5 Medjool dates (pitted)

1 ½ tsp non-alcoholic organic vanilla extract

1 cup filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and mix on high until smooth. Set aside.

½ T chia seeds

¼ to 1/3 cup chia seeds

Combine ingredients in a small bowl, stir well. Let set until gelled. Set aside.

1 batch prepared Instant Mylk recipe

1 medium-sized, ripe banana (peeled, chopped)

1 ripe avocado (peeled, pitted, chopped)

6-8 drops chocolate flavored SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia

1-2 tsp lucuma powder

1 pinch pink Himalayan salt

drizzle agave or honey (optional – adjust sweetness)

1-2 T cold press coconut oil

1 batch prepared soaked chia seeds

Combine mylk with pudding ingredients in a high-speed blender, excluding the coconut oil and the chia seeds. Blend until well combined and super smooth. Adjust sweetness, and add the coconut oil. Blend again until smooth. Carefully blend in the chia seeds – don’t over mix. Poor into a container or into serving bowls, garnish with fresh fruit if desired, and serve. Store pudding in an air-tight closed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For a frozen treat, freeze pudding. Lightly mash or blend in a food processor and serve cold; or place in pudding pop molds and freeze to set, and enjoy. Makes approximately 16 oz.