Coconut Chocolate Pudding
| March 6, 2013 | Posted by Christine Fischer under Dessert |
Life’s been seriously busy since my last post, and for once I’m not complaining.
Between resuming my workout routine, being preoccupied at work, and planning/celebrating a special birthday, I’ve had my hands full. So like any normal person with too many tasks to accomplish and too few hours to do them, I’ve been taking some shortcuts, and my cooking was one of them.
I’m talking Lean Pockets for dinner, stale crackers for snacks, and leftover Valentine’s chocolate for dessert.
Classy, huh?
my ingredients
But eventually I ran out of chocolates to feed my sweet-tooth, and even though I was in culinary hiatus, I decided to break into my kitchen for an ultra easy dessert. Like, something that takes 5 minutes and zero brain power. Something with minimal clean-up, as in one dish. Also, something healthier than truffles.
What I came up with was Coconut Chocolate Pudding.
Jell-O Chocolate Pudding was one of my favorite desserts as a kid, and my Grandma used to make it for me all the time. Always a fan of the classic, I considered doing a twist on a traditional recipe for my pudding post. But rather than repeat the same old song, I chose to make an unconventional version that you can enjoy in an instant – no heating, no cooling, no waiting!
my amaaazing mini food processor! thanks mom 
Because it had been waiting for its big debut, I decided to finally use my Cuisinart Mini Food Processor for this recipe. My Mom gave it to me as a Christmas present, and for whatever reason it laid dormant in my cabinets for months – what a waste! It’s so cute and compact and adorable, I literally squealed when I took it out of the box. This little baby is magic, and I’ve already conceived 100s of ways to use it going forward. Seriously, if you don’t own a food processor go pick this up. It’s easy to store, super powerful, and great for single-serving meals. Honestly, I’m in love. Almost as much as I’m in love with this pudding.
ready to eat in an instant!
To get things started I replaced the traditional milk & cornstarch/gelatin blend with plain Greek yogurt. Next I balanced out the tartness of the yogurt with vanilla and Splenda sugar, building sweetness without adding calories. To make this chocolatey, I enlisted trusted Hershey’s cocoa. And for my hint of coconut, I added Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut for that delicious tropical taste.
Done in a flash and consumed even faster, this Coconut Chocolate Pudding was exactly the sweet treat I was looking for. Thick and smooth with a creamy flavor and a kick of tart, this pudding recipe is one short-cut I will definitely be taking again!
- 2 cups Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
- ⅓ cup Hershey’s Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
- ⅓ cup Cream of Coconut
- 2 tsps Vanilla Extract
- 3 tbsps Splenda Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)
- In food processor combine greek yogurt, cream of coconut, vanilla, sugar, and sifted cocoa powder. Blend until smooth, then plate and serve, topping with coconut flakes if desired. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
ready to serve!
a perfect half-cup serving
enjoy!
FABULOUS DESCRIBES THIS!
Wow, this looks so delicious! So creamy and chocolatey! Can’t wait to try it.
thanks so much Jenn! It was a bit tart (which I like!) with a creamy chocolate & coconut flavor. A great healthy dessert, esp. for busy weeknights!
Are there any replacements for cream of coconut? My roommate is allergic
Thanks girl!
yes you can use McCormick’s Imitation Coconut Extract instead. This will cut out a lot of calories too, which is an added bonus. B/C you are removing the cream of coconut you might need to add a bit more sugar, so just taste test it as you go