Easy 3 Ingredient Fudgy Chocolate Avocado Pudding

This fudgy chocolate avocado pudding has just 3 ingredients, can be made in 5 minutes or less, and is a healthy dessert alternative that feels truly indulgent. No more dessert guilt!

I spend a lot of time thinking about dessert. It's one of my favorite things in life, and I am forever trying to find ways to make dessert healthier so I can eat it more frequently. This chocolate avocado pudding cracks the code.

I mean, I make a lot of dessert recipes: Almond Butter Swirl Brownies, Pumpkin Cupcakes, Chocolate No-Bake Vegan Energy Balls (fancy name, really just disguising dessert), Mixed Fruit Tart, Flourless Chocolate Cake. You get the idea.

And they're all great - but crafting paleo desserts can be tough, time consuming, and sometimes require ingredients that we don't have on hand. That doesn't help when you need a quick fix.

Now, with this chocolate avocado pudding, you only need three things, that most of us probably have on hand already:

• an avocado
• carob powder or cocoa powder
• maple syrup

Health benefits of avocado

When building a balanced plate, avocado definitely falls in the healthy fats category. Avocados contain both polyunsaturated fats as well as monounsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats are necessary for your body to function - but you can't make them on your own. Your body uses these fats to build cell membranes as well as the covering of nerves. They’re also used for blood clotting and muscle movement.

Monounsaturated fats are similar to the fats found in olive oil. Some studies have linked them to reduced inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease, and anti-cancer effects.

Plus, an avocado contains about 10 grams of fiber! Want to know more? Here are 15 Ways Avocados Can Support Your Health.

How to know if an avocado is ripe

Avocados can be fickle. In the morning, they can be hard and underripe, and by that evening, they're brown on the inside. There's nothing more frustrating than cutting into an avocado to find you've missed your 10 minute window to eat it!

An avocado is ripe when you squeeze gently and the skin gives a little under the pressure. If it's hard, it's not ready yet. If it feels super soft, it might be too late - but the only way to know is to cut into it. If it feels empty or caves in, its definitely too late!

If your avocado is under ripe, put it in a paper bag at room temperature and close the bag. It will ripen within a day or so.

If your avocado feels ripe but you're not quite ready to eat it, stick it in the fridge. It will slow down the ripening process and preserve it for a day or two until you're ready to eat it. This trick also works for under ripe ones that you aren't ready to eat yet!

What is a carob?

If you're following an AIP diet (Autoimmune Protocol), you're probably no stranger to carob powder, as it's as close to chocolate as you're going to get.

For those of you who are not familiar with AIP, here is a bit of background on a carob:

The carob tree is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. It is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the legume family.

But wait! Legumes are beans, and beans aren't paleo or AIP friendly, right? Here's the catch - we aren't eating the beans- we're eating the pod.

The ripe, dried, and sometimes toasted pod is often ground into carob powder, which is sometimes used to replace cocoa powder. Carob pods are naturally sweet, not bitter, and contain no caffeine, thus making them AIP friendly.

Carob Powder vs. Cocoa Powder

The main difference between the two is their chemical profile. Cocoa powder contains theobromine as well as caffeine, and carob powder contains neither.

There's also a distinct flavor difference - if you're a true chocolate lover, it's likely that you won't find carob powder as satisfying as others might when trying to fill that gap. That being said, it has a nutty flavor when roasted, and is much less bitter than the cocoa powder alternative.

Here is a great article on the differences between carob and cocoa powder.

If you're looking for purchasing recommendations, this is the carob powder I am using in this recipe, and this is the cocoa powder I use regularly in my kitchen.

(Please note that these are affiliate links and I earn a small commission off qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!)

Can you use cocoa powder for this recipe?

When I created this recipe, we were trying AIP in order to see if it helped with my husband's sarcoidosis, so we were not eating cocoa powder.

Since then, we have tried the recipe with cocoa powder, and my opinion is this: it will work in a pinch, if it's all you have, but it's not anywhere near as good as carob powder.

You also need a bit more maple syrup to counter the bitterness of the cocoa powder that is not present in the carob powder. For this, I just recommend adding to taste until you get to a place you are happy with it!

Looking for more AIP friendly recipes? Check out my Autoimmune Healing Bowls, my Teriyaki Sauce recipe, and this roundup of AIP-friendly Easter desserts!

I may earn a small commission off purchases made through affiliate links in this post from Amazon and other sellers. This helps me continue to run the blog and keep providing you fresh content. Thank you for your support!