Valentine’s Day is just 6 days away, and there’s only one thing on everybody’s mind: LOVE CHOCOLATE!  Or maybe a little bit of both.  I’m about to give you one more thing to get all googly-eyed over…

Chocolate Pudding!

… with a luxurious raspberry sauce.

Make that… sinfully delicious, smooth, rich (secretly healthy) 4 ingredient, raw chocolate pudding with the easiest one ingredient (one minute) red raspberry sauce.  Thought I’d better make that clear.

Prepare to fall in love, my friends.  You won’t believe your mouth when you taste this pudding. It really is the best chocolate pudding I’ve ever had!  I have a passion for pudding you might say.  I already have one pudding recipe on FYB, (the yummy carob-banana chia pudding) and I’ve been sitting on this and a third pudding recipe for some time now.  It is probably in my top three favorite desserts, with chocolate being my favorite flavor.  The discovery that a delicious and creamy chocolate pudding could be made with plant foods, was a complete game-changer several years ago. The first time I tried chocolate mousse made with avocados, I was floored.  “This creamy spoonful of chocolate-y heaven is made from avocados?!”  I’ve tried all combinations of avocados, bananas, and/or canned coconut milk to whip up dairy-free pudding recipes over the years.  I’ve loved quite a few of them.  There are certainly times that an avocado based pudding sounds perfectly delicious. Sometimes though, I don’t want my dessert to taste so, well, healthy.  I probably shouldn’t be admitting that here, but let’s be honest, there are days when you want something indulgent, rich, and naughty-tasting.  You want to taste CHOCOLATE with no obvious banana or avocado undertones.

Although this pudding has banana in it, it isn’t enough to make it banana-y tasting. It’s just enough to add a touch of sweetness and creaminess. The base of this raw pudding is cashews, which impart a velvety texture, without a discernible flavor (not to mention healthy fats, copper, phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese). Dates add sweetness and fiber.  And raw cacao powder, well obviously that is the source of rich chocolate flavor, and a slew of antioxidants.  The one ingredient, one minute, raspberry sauce takes this already mind-blowing pudding to the next level.

Want to really impress your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day?  Blend up this lush pudding and super easy raspberry sauce.  Then watch them fall in love all over again.  (With you, of course. Ok, and maybe the pudding too. But mostly you 🙂

Silky, Decadent, Raw Chocolate Pudding

Makes 2 choco-holic sized portions, or 3 normal (small) portions 😉

1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed

4 – 5 medjool dates, soaked with 1/2 cup of hot water for at least 20 minutes (save the soaking water)

1 small, very ripe banana or 3/4 of a large banana

3 Tbsp of raw cacao powder

(pinch of pink Himalayan salt, optional, but it does bring out sweetness and flavor)

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, including the 1/2 cup of date soaking water.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Use a spatula to scoop into glass storage containers and allow to chill in the fridge for about an hour.  Serve with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries.

Notes: I also had success using my food processor. You’ll need to blend for 6-7 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.  The results are slightly less silky but still smooth and delicious.

See below for recipe variations.

Raspberry Sauce

1 cup of fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

Blend the raspberries with a splash of water (one or two tablespoons) in your blender, until smooth.  That’s it!  Store in the fridge.

Alternative Recipe! Chocolate Pudding – maple syrup sweetened

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 4 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup filtered water

1 small banana, or 3/4 of a large banana

3 Tbsp of raw cacao powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 Tbsp of pure maple syrup (or more to taste)

a pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Instructions: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth.  Chill in the fridge until serving.

A Lovely Link, just for you:

Need a caffeine and sugar free pudding? Try my carob-banana chia pudding!