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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This pudding sounds great. I would do it without any form of nut butter, just because of the calories. I like plain chocolate better anyway. This would make a great snack for us (and I wouldn’t tell my husband that it has avocado)…
It’s definitely not a low-calorie treat. ;) I hope you and your husband will enjoy it! And I do the same with Mr. T – not a word about avocados in the sweets until he tells me how much he likes it!
I don’t think I’d have any problem eating it all in the first day :) Looks SO GOOD
Haha. I thought that same but it’s really, really filling. ;)
Oh I love that there’s an avocado in there! I am going to make this with my cashew butter :)
That sounds delicious! Let me know how it turns out. :)
I am loving these ingredients! I also like to add avocado to my puddings, it adds the perfect amount of creaminess!
Same here! I’m so happy I finally gave avocados a try.
love this!
Thanks, Sofie!
Lovely recipe, thanks for sharing! I’m not a fan of puddings and I was looking for an avocado based recipe since I love those. Just made this and it’s really tasty, I’m surprised by how creamy it turns out :) I was hoping to try this out on the boyfriend to get him to eat healthier snacks, but he didn’t like the mix of banana and chocolate… Although I didn’t tell him about the avocado and he didn’t spot it! I’ll make this again without the banana next time, there’s still a chance to get him to sneakily eat more fruits yet… I’ll definitely be checking out more of your recipes in the time being :)
I actually added less honey because I love rich bitter flavours and I really liked it without any sweeterner at all (just a heads up for anyone else). I have a feeling that if I added more it would’ve been a hit with the man but I refuse to compromise… Seems to be a common theme with other commentators!
I’m happy to hear that you liked it! When you try it without bananas next time, just keep in mind that you’re losing a lot of the sweetness, so it’ll be even more bitter (which I hope you’ll still enjoy :)) And that’s awesome that your boyfriend couldn’t detect the avocado! I hope he’ll like the banana-less version. :) Thanks so much for your feedback!
Does anyone know how many calories are in each serving?
I intentionally don’t include the nutritional info (I focus on making healthier choices rather than low calorie / fat / etc.) but you can copy and paste the recipe here for that info, if you like. I hope you’ll enjoy the pudding! :)
Delicioso! I did a search for “what can you do with over-ripe bananas,” hoping to avoid the ubiquitous banana bread and I found this. What a treat!
Austin-man won’t try it — “avocados and bananas? no thanks” — so I’m ‘stuck’ with it all to myself. tsk, tsk. thank you for a sweet treat that is pretty darn healthy.
Haha. You should have kept the avocado bit a secret! Although having it all to yourself isn’t the worst thing ever. ;) So happy that you liked it! Thanks a bunch for the feedback and rating. :)
This pudding snds amazing! What could b a gd alternative to yoghurt?
I can’t have lactose
Thanks, Isabella! Have you tried the So Delicious cultured coconut milk? It’s like Greek yogurt! I haven’t tried it here but I’m assuming it’d work. They also have an almond milk version. I hope that helps! :)
Just found your site today. I would love to try this, only thing is my husband can’t have avocados or bananas! Though if the bananas are cooked, say in bread, for some reason he can eat it. Anyhow, I have a couple of your recipes pinned, and can’t wait to try! I also understand living in a foreign country and not having access to certain American things – since we lived in Hungary for a while. Danke!
Oh, that stinks! I have the weirdest banana allergy. It seemed to have almost disappeared out of nowhere about a year ago and while I still can’t eat them plain, mixed together with other stuff is usually okay. It’s bizarre. But even if I put them in smoothies or something, every now and then, I have a reaction. :( So sorry that there’s no good replacement for the bananas and avocados in this recipe! And someone who understands what it’s like to not have access to basic American stuff like brown sugar! You must be happy to be back. :) Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and say hi!
Erin!
I made this tonight – my poor hubby almost tried to eat some, but realized at the last second he couldn’t; poor guy. It’s awesome!!!!!! My kids were drooling, wanting more. Only thing is that I put in a frozen banana – ha ha ha, I had to dig it out of my food processor, because it wouldn’t mix it in. My oldest was thrilled to be able to eat the banana chunks while I put in another “non-frozen” banana. He said, wow mom, you can’t even taste the avocado. Thank you so much, you made our night!
Aww, your poor husband! I feel awful he couldn’t partake in the pudding! I’m so happy that you and the kids liked it. Even with the frozen banana. :) Thanks so much for coming back to let me know how it went! And thanks for the rating.
Hi there,
I’m really excited about trying this recipe but was wondering what you have put on top of the pudding in the picture?
Thank you
Hi! It’s whipped cream, shaved chocolate and peanut butter chips. All of them are really unnecessary. I just wanted to make them pretty. ;) I hope you’ll like the pudding!
WOW Erin, this recipe is soooooo goood! I just devoured it for breakfast and could not believe how thick, creamy, rich and chocolatey it was! Mmmm, I will surely make this often again. Thank you so much for sharing this!
I did not use the bananas (was out) and used half cocoa and half carob powder. My nut butter was sunflower cashew. YUMMO!
Laura
Laura – So happy to hear that it worked out for you. Yay! I like your substitutions. Sounds even better that way! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate you took the time! :)
Anon – No problem! And better to wait than to waste avocados, isn't it? :) But I know it's annoying!
Thank you so much for the quick reply! sigh…guess i'll have to wait
Anon – I think this will be really really thick without the yogurt! And not as creamy. I suppose you could add some milk, but it won't be creamy and have that pudding like consistency. I'd wait until I had some Greek yogurt. Hope you like it. :)
I just went to make this and realized i don't have any yogurt! Do you think it would still be good without the yogurt?
I'm trying to get to sleep and I just realized I referred to you as anon although I know your name. The things I realize when I'm trying to fall asleep. Anyway, sorry Hayley!
Anon – I promise to post it here if the recipe works out. The two avocados I bought went bad before they got ripe so I have to buy more. It'll happen soon, though. :) And haha… so you were one of those non-Spanish learners. I was one too. I started in Spanish but switched to German in 10th grade. :)
You're very welcome! I love to share recipes. Usually the person you share with is nice enough to share something back. And heck, you have an entire blog dedicated to sharing recipes! I hope the avocado lime pie turns out well for you. I sure hope I see it here!
Tschüß! < --remembered that from 8 yrs of German!
Hayley
Sonia – I know! I want my peanut butter stuff to taste like peanut butter. I don't go for subtle flavors. The jars… haha. I think I got about 30 jars and glasses for photo studio time and then some practical ones. Things have turned around a bit, so thanks. :)
I am so right with you with the peanut butter flavor never being strong enough. I mean, I want PEANUT BUTTER and all I'm getting is always meh, peanut butter.
But this looks stunningly delicious nonetheless. And the jars? Wow! Beautiful. How many did you order in total? Like 375?
And sorry to hear about your misfortunes. Hope the wind's changed for you since!
Anon – Unfortunately I live in Germany so I don't think I'll be much of a help. By if anyone else living in Germany is wondering, I got them from here:
http://glaeserundflaschen.de/
I must try that.
From where do you buy your jars?
sweetsamsations – True! Thanks so much for your nice comment. It really put a smile on my face. :)
Gabrielle – YAY! Thanks for letting me know! I love it when people leave feedback. Thanks again. :)
Baltic Maid – Yeah, you have to try it!
Spencer – Wow, that's so nice of you to say. Thank you. :)
How divine! That looks so good. Almost too good to eat infact. It looks like a work of art!
I have made many drinks with avocado but no pudding yet. I really have to start giving it a try. I love pudding and healthy pudding is a dream come true… :-)
Just made this and it's heaven (no bananas) ! Healthy pudding I'm all in!
awww.. sorry to hear about your oven! But sometimes situations like that inspire creativity like this! that looks so delicious! :D Good thing your lens didn't break because I really love your food photography! How beautiful!! Take care!
Jeanette – Thank you! It sounds a bit weird but I think it worked out quite well. And thanks for pinning! :)
Wow, this sounds incredibly good. I love this combination of chocolate and peanut butter, especially paired with avocado and banana. Pinning this for future reference!
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