Superfood Vegan Chocolate Pudding.

This Superfood Vegan Chocolate Pudding recipe gives pudding a makeover with almond milk, cacao powder and naturally sweet dates.

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Before I get to the healthy dessert recipe today, I have to share a Chicago story about chocolate. I work downtown in the Loop, and several times a week I get a strong whiff of chocolate walking to and from the L. When I saw it's strong, I mean it - the scent is similar to opening the oven in your kitchen to a baking pan of brownies. The chocolate smell comes from Blommer Chocolate Company, located downtown in the West Loop.

This phenomenon has been written about many times {WBEZ; Chicago Tribune; and Fodor's Travel}. Someone even created a Daily Chicago Chocolate Smell Map to track the odor. Whenever I smell the Blommer factory, a chocolate craving inevitably hits. I finally have a healthy snack to answer for this - Superfood Vegan Chocolate Pudding!

I was home visiting my family last week, and I had the urge to create a new healthy snack recipe. While perusing my mom's cupboard, I found Cacao Powder, a version of raw unsweetened chocolate that is considered a "superfood." Cacao powder contains flavonoids, which may help lower blood pressure and blood flow to the brain/heart. {source} I decided to make this  pudding in individual serving cups, using vegan milk.

Instead of processed or refined sugar, this pudding is sweetened naturally with Medjool dates. To create a very creamy pudding consistency, I pureed pitted dates in a blender with unsweetened vanilla almond milk prior to cooking the pudding on the stovetop.

I hope you enjoy!

Superfood Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Yields: 9 servings

Ingredients:
5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
6 Tablespoons cornstarch
8 dates {pitted}
3 Tablespoons Cacao Powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
*Puree dates with almond milk in a blender, until smooth.
*Remove the milk/date mixture and whisk in cacao powder for ~2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
*Divide the liquid mixture in half - to one half, add 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the other half to the stovetop in a pan on medium low.
*When the liquid comes to a simmer, add the rest of the cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Add the other half of the liquid mixture and continue cooking.
*Whisk every few minutes to ensure the pudding stays smooth. Continue cooking on medium low for ~10 minutes, until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken.
*Turn the heat to low and continue cooking for at least ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
*Pour pudding into ramekins. Chill in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 2 hours.

{Adapted from hell yeah it's vegan! - Vegan Chocolate Pudding}