Once in college, I was with a group of friends. One girl got very excited to tell us she had brought mint hot chocolate mix for a treat. The rude and sarcastic contingent of the group asked her why she didn’t just bring chocolate milk and toothpaste. And the next time we got together, that group of boys did just that. Clearly, they were not fans of mint and chocolate.
I will admit I have mixed feelings about chocolate and mint. It isn’t my favorite, and I rarely seek it out. But now and again, it is yummy. This dark chocolate pudding with a hint of mint was just that. The avocado just makes it very creamy and smooth – it doesn’t taste grassy or vegetal. It just tastes quite decadent.
I know the nutrition looks like this is quite high in fat. Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats which are good for your heart. In fact, some studies have fed people the same food, just adding avocado to some people’s diets. Even with the higher calories, they had better heart related blood values due to the beneficial effects of monounsaturated fat. So enjoy your avocados!
Dark Chocolate Mint Avocado Pudding (Serves 4)
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
¼-½ teaspoon peppermint extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large avocados
3 ½ ounces dark chocolate chips
- Combine water, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, peppermint, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it simmers and sugar and cocoa dissolve. (About 2 minutes after it simmers). Remove from heat and cover pan to keep warm.
- Put flesh of avocado into a food processor. Process for 2 minutes, until it is very smooth. With processor running, slowly add chocolate water mixture. Process until smooth and completely incorporated, about 2 minutes more.
- Microwave dark chocolate chips until melted, stirring at 30 second intervals. Add to avocado mixture and process until smooth.
- Transfer pudding to 4 serving cups, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition information (amount per serving):
Calories: 374
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 25 g
Saturated fat: 8 g
Cholesterol: 1 mg
Carbohydrates: 37 g
Fiber: 10 g
Sodium: 157 mg
Source: slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen