Alton Brown has made a "instant" chocolate pudding with dairy and one made from avocados and chia seeds. This post covers both of them as they both are Good Eats!
Chocolate.
The one word brings comfort to many.
One of it's best forms is in pudding. There is a lot chocolate pudding out there, but much of it lacks in one important area - chocolate flavor.
For a true, rich, deep chocolate flavor you don't need a box or a 4 pack.
Making chocolate pudding from scratch is not that hard to and will result in a chocolate lover's dream.
It can be done either with dairy or without and both are rather tasty.
This post is a review of Alton Brown's chocolate pudding recipes from Good Eats.
Two Chocolate Pudding Recipes
Alton Brown has created two very different chocolate pudding recipes, one that contained dairy and a new dairy free version created for his return season. Let me share with you all about that new recipe and after that you can keep on reading about what I originally wrote about that old recipe.
You can never have enough chocolate pudding, right?
Alton Brown's Avocado & Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding
Out of the two recipes this one is actually the easier to do. There is no cooking involved and you really can't screw it up.
The magic of chia seeds makes the pudding come together so easily and the avocado adds the creamy texture.
Now these ingredients do make it more expensive to make, but it's a great healthier option and a perfect choice for those those that avoid dairy.
How to Make Chocolate Avocado Chia Pudding
Here is how I made it.
My son enjoys helping me weight out ingredients. Since my scale does grams and Alton offered it in grams, that is what we did.
Now the recipe calls for Dutch processed cocoa. I didn't have any one hand only natural cocoa, so I used that. The Dutch might be better because it will have a less acidic taste, which is what the dutch processing does. Regular cocoa powder does work.
The cocoa powder is combined with hot water.
Once the cocoa and water have come together, the avocado and chia seeds are welcomed to the party. Puree until well combined about 45 seconds to a minute.
Some other reviews I read said they ground the chia seeds before hand so that the seeds would not be noticed in the final product. I haven't tried that, but I really didn't have any problem with the seeds.
By step 5, it's looking pretty good. Still need to add some coconut oil to bring it all together.
I had to heat up my oil a little bit to make it into a liquid. My coconut oil is a solid at room temp. It's important to be a liquid as you add it with the machine running slowly to help incorporate it properly.
Review of Chocolate Avocado Chia Pudding
I wasn't sure how I would like it compared to the original. It's equally good. It's rich with deep chocolate flavor. If you don't like darker chocolate and are use to pudding that comes in a 4 pack then this might be more than you are use it. I say embrace the darkness (of chocolate that is!)
Alton Brown's Chocolate Avocado Chia Seed Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- ½ cup maple syrup Grade A Dark Robust
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 1 avocado pitted, skin removed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil liquid form
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place the cocoa powder into your blender.
- Heat up 1 cup of water in the microwave for 1 minute. Add to the blender and blend on high for 30 seconds.
- Add in the avocado, maple syrup, chia seeds, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of water. Blend on high for 45 seconds.
- Microwave the coconut oil if it's a solid at room temperature until it becomes a liquid. Then slowly stream into the blender with it's running. Blend for 60 seconds.
- Remove from the blender into a large container with a lid or individual containers and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before enjoying.
Notes
Alton's Original Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Now let's head back in time to the year 2004. In the Good Eats episode entitled Puddin Head Blues, Alton made an absolutely delicious chocolate pudding that likes in which I have never eaten before.
For your reading pleasure here is my original recipe review untouched (including the photo from when I had ZERO photography skills) from 2011.
1. You begin with a dry mix, much like you would buy in a box in the store, but a thousand times better. Choosing what cocoa to use will have a huge impact on the final flavor. Alton calls for dutch processed cocoa that will produce the richest chocolate pudding. If you find that it's too rich for your taste, you can always use natural cocoa powder. I have had to use it before and it was still good, just not as rich as with the dutch processed.
2. The dry mix should be enough to make 2 batches. So the second time you make the pudding, you will already have one step complete.
3. When cooking the pudding, it's very important to continue to whisk. You don't want anything to stick to the bottom of the pan. Speaking of the pan, make sure you use a large enough pan, bigger than you think you need. The last thing you want is your pudding to bubble over and create a huge mess.
4. The recipe calls for vanilla extract, but sometimes I use peppermint extract. I love the combination of mint and chocolate.
5. Alton says to use a sieve, after cooking your pudding. I found this to be very important. When with the best whisking, I find some clumps still in the pudding and that's not Good Eats.
6. If you do everything right you will end up with a pretty thick pudding.
The best thing about this pudding is that it is rich, so a little will go a long way. Enjoy it with some whipped cream (homemade would be best) along with a little sprinkling on cocoa powder on top of the cream.
Recipe Grade: A
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The Sage Butterfly
Yum-yum! I will have to try this real soon!
Tom
I have made the chia pudding twice.
The maple syrup is actually a poor sweetener and very expensive. I just used white sugar, about 1-1/2 to 2 to one for the cocoa or sweeter if you want.
You can back off on the cocoa about 30% and it will still be chocolaty.
Let the chia seeds soak in hot water for 15 minutes before adding to the blender. Otherwise the pudding is awfully crunchy.
If you add some crunchy topping like nuts or crumble, the seeds won't seem so crunchy.
Whipped cream is a nice topping.
Eric Samuelson
You are right about the maple syrup being an expensive option. I didn't mind the seeds in the final pudding but I could see how someone would mind them. Thanks for sharing your alternative, it would definitely be worth trying it your way.