This easy no-cook chocolate peanut butter pudding is a healthy and guilt-free dessert! Naturally gluten-free and grain-free with paleo, vegan and dairy-free options.
I have a weird issue with bananas. For years, I seemed to be allergic to them. Then the allergy disappeared for a while and now it comes and goes. When I first made this pudding in 2012, I was fed up with all the banana-based smoothies and puddings, which is kind of funny because basically all of my smoothies nowadays use bananas.
The original version of this pudding used honey or coconut sugar as sweetener, but I recently found Natural Delights in a local store and wanted to incorporate some of them into this pudding. I’d seen Medjool dates before in an open bin at the organic shop but let’s just say that they looked on the unappetizing side. So I was excited to finally get my hands on some delicious Medjool dates!
If you don’t want to use dates, you can use whatever sweetener you’d like in its place. And if you don’t want to use peanut butter or another nut butter, simply don’t use it. It works without any kind of nut butter!
The only thing I’m not totally in love with is the amount of peanut butter flavor. It’s always the same when you combine cocoa powder and peanut butter. I did think about making a cocoa powder-free version but avocado + peanut butter pudding? It might taste good but I don’t even want to think about what that would look like.
I used Greek yogurt but regular yogurt will do unless you want it ridiculously rich and thick like what you see in the pictures. For a vegan and paleo version, make sure to use dairy-free yogurt.
I’ve made this several times and only once did I have an issue with it tasting less than stellar the next day. I think my avocados were just too old. So to be on the safe side, I recommend you enjoy the pudding on the first day, or at least within 12 hours. Making it in the evening for a school lunch the next day would definitely be fine.
No-cook Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Medjool date (23 grams) or 4 regular dates (23 grams)
- 6 tablespoons (96 grams) natural salted peanut butter (use almond butter or another type of nut butter for paleo or just omit it)
- 1 ripe avocado (140 grams of flesh)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150 grams) plain Greek or regular plain yogurt (use coconut milk yogurt for a vegan / dairy-free / paleo version)1
- 1/3 cup (38 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 medium banana (mine was 120 grams peeled), optional
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar, optional (you could also add more dates) – if not using a banana you'll likely need more than 3 tbsp of sugar
- milk of choice for thinning down the pudding, optional
- peanuts and shaved chocolate as garnish, optional (omit the peanuts for paleo)
Directions
- Pulse the date(s) and peanut butter in the bowl of a food processor using an S-blade until there are no longer any large chunks of date(s) remaining. If not using peanut butter, pulse the date(s) and avocado before adding the Greek yogurt and the other remaining ingredients.
- Add the avocado, Greek yogurt, cocoa powder, vanilla and if using, banana to the bowl of your food processor. Process until totally smooth and creamy. There shouldn't be any lumps remaining.
- Add sweetener to taste. If it's too thick for your liking, add a little milk at a time until it's the desired consistency.
- Spoon into a container and let chill for an hour in the refrigerator. Best enjoyed on the first day but will also be fine if prepared in the evening and eaten for lunch the next day. Garnish with peanuts and shaved chocolate, if desired.
Notes
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92 comments on “No-cook Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding” — Add one!
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Hayley – Wow, I can't thank you enough for your comment. That was so nice of you to type all that up! Key lime pie (although I just use normal limes) is my favorite pie, tied with peanut butter, so I have to try this. If key lime pie didn't have all that sweetened condensed milk in it, I'd be eating it every day. I need to try making almond milk because I need the pulp for a pizza crust so maybe I could use that. Or maybe I'll try something else in place of the condensed milk. I'm so excited! All the stores are closed today and tomorrow or else I'd go and buy some limes because I have two very ripe avocados just sitting there, ready to be used for this recipe! I'll of course post it if it's successful and I'll go with a gluten-free crust in honor of you and your awesome comment. :)
I don't have many gluten-free recipes since it's supposed to be a whole grain baking blog, but I've been baking a lot of grain-free things lately that are gluten-free. So I'm happy you can enjoy it despite the lack of recipes you can make (but the gluten-free recipes will increase in the future :))
Thanks again for your reply! I've already gone and put the two really ripe avocados in the fridge. I hope that'll keep them okay for the next two days!
You asked what other things I have tried avocados in… I make smoothies out of them all the time too. I have also made an avocado pie a few times using lime juice. Kind of like a key lime pie. I cannot eat gluten (migraine trigger), so I usually make some kind of nut crust .
One day I thought how I could use avocados for a base for a key lime pie, and decided to just Google it (I knew I couldn't be the first person out there to think this was a good idea), and I found lots of recipes! I'm pretty sure this is the one that I used: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Fruit/AvocadoPie.htm
I haven't made it in about a year, but I know I made a few changes to it. Naturally, I did not use a pre-made crust like the recipe suggests. (I'd love to give you the recipe for the nut crust, but I just wing it each time… it's different each time I make it) Secondly, I used only lime juice, no lemon juice. I'm sure I zested the lime, as there is never a reason to waste all of that flavor! ;) I'm pretty sure that I did not used sweetened condensed milk. My tummy does not handle milk well, so I probably used almond milk (homemade is ridiculously rich and tasty). I also had issues with the pie setting up. If I remember correctly, I boiled 1/4 cup of water and dissolved the gelatin in that before adding the lime juice. I just think that the way the recipe was written the gelatin just wasn't dissolved enough to set up. And do NOT skip on the sour cream/whipped cream topping. It's utterly delicious.
There are other recipes out there that use a custard base to thicken it all up, and I'm sure they are totally worth a try, but this came out really yummy. Either way, I hope you try it, make it your own, and post your results! I'm really enjoying your blog.
~Hayley
Sarah – Oh no… I hope your weekend has gotten better! Things are looking a little better over here, especially after a long baking session. Have a nice and relaxing Memorial Day. :)
I was totally shocked by the avocado in these! Love it! I've had a weekend like yours too…and would definitely be glad to sit down with one of these and unwind a bit.
Chung-Ah – Thank you! I like the jars too but I was so hoping I could do layered stuff with them. It was just a mess!
Becca – Haha. I'm the same. I don't actually eat whipped cream because to me, it tastes like nothing, but I'll use it when I take pictures.
Rachel – Thanks! I have already enjoyed quite a bit of chocolate this chocolate. :) Happy long weekend to you, too!
MyFudo – Aww, that's a nice way to think about it. Thanks and have a nice holiday weekend. :)
Well, as they say, when it rains it pours…But at least there is a rainbow coming out after the rain. This looks yummy! Have a great weekend!
Knock on wood nothing else goes wrong for you. Have a nice weekend… and hopefully enjoy some chocolate :)
I'm so sorry all your appliances are breaking. But everything will right itself eventually :)
Good looking pudding, by the way. I never eat/use whipped cream, but I feel like that makes desserts pop in photos.
These jars are just too cute! And this chocolate + peanut butter combo is amazing. Sorry about your banana food allergies!
Cassie – I don't know about unique but I hope it is. And I agree… what's better than chocolate and peanut butter? Other than butterscotch or white chocolate and raspberry, that is. :)
Miryam – Haha, you mean my second laptop? That's true. I could still break that one (which is the old one in the kitchen that has icing and flour and grease from food frying next to it – it's nasty but provides me entertainment while in the kitchen :)) It better not die! And thanks for the nice comment. :)
Heidi – I think things are going better now, thanks. :) And the Greek yogurt had to go in! I had 8 containers expiring and I had to think of something to do with them.
Anon – I hope you like it! What do you put avocados into? I'd love to try some more stuff other than chocolatey pudding/filling. And smoothies. I have those down. :)
I'm so glad to see other people making desserts with avocados. I do this all the time, and people think I'm nuts! This looks really good. I can't wait to try it.
Oh no, I hope things are going better now! I think we all have days like that sometimes :( This pudding looks awesome! I love the greek yogurt!
Well I guess you can brake your laptop as well :-) I know the feeling…..
I was going to say about the bananas, aren't you allergic?
These look really good, and not healthy at all, even better :-) I am sure they were super yummy.
So unique, Erin. I love this. Chocolate + PB = top notch flavor combo!
Kathryn – Thanks! I hope so too. I don't have much left to break. Although I guess there are the dishes…
Amy – Haha, that made me laugh. I like how you think. :)
this sounds absolutely wonderful! + sorry to hear about all the breaking in the household lately, but at least the lens you sat on didn't break – i feel like that means your luck is turning around. =)
Oh I hate it when everything starts breaking like that, you always wonder what's going to be next. Hopefully your unlucky streak is over now.
These puddings look delicious, so rich and creamy!
Caroline – Aww, I'm so bummed. I wanted to help you out with your chocolate pudding craving. :( We'll just have to come up with some healthy chocolate pudding that doesn't contain avocados or bananas! It sounds kind of impossible, though. Good luck with fulfilling your pudding craving and sorry I couldn't help! And thanks for the well wishes for my oven. :)
Katrina – Thanks! :)
This sounds so healthy and yummy. Love it!
I totally feel your pain with both everything breaking and food allergies. I'm glad you didn't break your lens, because then we'd be twins! ;-) Haha…so not funny. Anyway…food allergy wise, I can't have avocado and it always makes me sad that I can't have the healthier puddings, pastas, and sandwich spreads that contain avocado. It looks amazing, though! :D I hope your oven starts to work soon! :D