6 September 2017 in Candy, Diet by Ann, Nutrition

Chocolate zucchini pudding

Today in my kitchen it’s zucchini, which is still available at every market and vegetable garden. I will make today a custom dish 🙂 It will be a chocolate pudding. Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but it tastes great and I think it’s worth trying 🙂

What do you think?

Two glass dessert cups of chocolate pudding rimmed with desiccated coconut, topped with berry glaze and blueberries, with avocado, walnuts and dates around them

The recipe is very simple and fast, so I encourage you to try :))

Zucchini is low in calories, easily digestible and has a lot of water in it, it helps the intestinal peristalsis. It is a source of vitamin A and vitamins C, PP, B1, carotene, and minerals: calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium

Why zucchini works in a dessert

Raw zucchini has almost no taste of its own and a lot of water, which is exactly what a blended pudding needs. It gives volume and a smooth, cool texture without adding sweetness, so the cocoa and the dates decide the flavour. Blended with a ripe banana and raw cocoa, nobody guesses what the base is.

Use a young, firm zucchini and dice it small. Large ones have watery, seedy centres that thin the pudding, and the skin of an older zucchini stays in noticeable specks even after blending.

Getting the consistency right

This is where a high power blender earns its place. The mixture has to be worked long enough to turn glossy and aerated rather than merely mixed, which is what makes it read as pudding and not as a smoothie poured into a glass.

If it comes out too loose, add a few more walnuts or another date rather than more cocoa, which would only make it bitter. Chilling for an hour firms it up as well, and the pudding sets a little as the banana settles.

The berry glaze

Blend the forest fruits on their own and pour them over the top, and the point is the contrast: sharp fruit against sweet, dense chocolate. Frozen berries work as well as fresh and give a thicker glaze, since they release less water once blended straight from the freezer.

Serving and keeping

Small glasses rather than bowls, because the pudding is rich and a modest portion is enough. Desiccated coconut around the rim is what you see in the photographs, and flaked almonds or chopped walnuts work the same way.

Eat it the same day, ideally within a few hours. The banana darkens the mixture over time and the glaze bleeds into the pudding. It is a dessert to blend and serve, not to prepare a day ahead, which also makes it a good one to reach for when the rest of the week is already planned.

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to the high power blender and mix until the mass is smooth and fluffy. Then, mix the forest fruit separately for the glaze. Place into small containers, pour the glaze and sprinkle with flakes.

Anna Lewandowska

Chocolate zucchini pudding

A blended raw dessert: diced zucchini, ripe banana, dates and raw cocoa turned into a smooth chocolate pudding, topped with a forest fruit glaze.

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Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 2 glasses

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: International

Calories: 290

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced raw zucchini
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup plant milk
walnuts
2-3 tablespoons raw cocoa
3 Medjool dates
1 teaspoon cinnamon
forest fruits

Method

Add the zucchini, banana, plant milk, walnuts, raw cocoa, dates and cinnamon to a high power blender.
Blend until the mass is smooth and fluffy.
Blend the forest fruits separately to make the glaze.
Place the pudding into small containers, pour the glaze over the top and sprinkle with flakes.

Notes

Calories and the number of glasses are approximate, estimated from typical ingredient amounts. Amounts of walnuts and forest fruits are left to taste, as in the original recipe. The photographs also show avocado halves, which are not part of the ingredient list.

Frequently asked questions

Can you taste the zucchini in the pudding?

No, and that is the whole point of using it. Raw zucchini has almost no flavour of its own, so it adds volume and a smooth, cool texture while the cocoa and dates decide the taste. Blended with a ripe banana it disappears completely.

Do you have to peel the zucchini?

Not if it is young and firm. The skin of a small zucchini blends away, while an older one leaves noticeable green specks, so peel that. Large zucchini also have watery, seedy centres that thin the pudding, which is why smaller ones work better here.

What can you use instead of dates?

Dates are the sweetener here, so anything replacing them has to do that job: dried figs, a spoonful of maple syrup or agave. Do not simply leave them out, because raw cocoa without a sweetener turns the pudding bitter.

Why is the pudding too runny, and how do you thicken it?

Usually because the blending stopped too early or the zucchini was a large, watery one. Add a few more walnuts or another date rather than more cocoa, which would only make it bitter, and chill it for an hour. It firms up as the banana settles.

How long does the pudding keep?

Eat it the same day, ideally within a few hours. The banana darkens the mixture over time and the berry glaze bleeds into the pudding, so this is a dessert to blend and serve rather than prepare a day ahead. If you want something that can be made in advance, there is a chocolate chia pudding on the blog. And if you would rather have the week of meals decided for you, the Diet & Training by Ann app plans the menu around your goal.