Chocolate pudding with real depth — cacao powder and chopped cacao nibs simmer into coconut milk for a bittersweet, grown-up pudding with no dairy or refined sugar. Tapioca flour does the thickening in about three minutes, and straining leaves it impossibly smooth. Chill it for four hours and you've got a paleo dessert that tastes like a fancy pot de crème.
SERVES 4
Ingredients
½ cup palm sugar
2½ tablespoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cacao powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
2½ cups coconut milk
2 ounces cacao nibs, chopped
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Preparation
1.В В Combine palm sugar, tapioca flour, cacao powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk coconut milk and palm sugar mixture together in medium saucepan. Add cacao nibs and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick and glossy (about 3 minutes).
2.В В Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled (at least four hours, or up to two days). Gently stir pudding before serving.
Pro Tips
- Toast your palate's expectations aside — the cacao nibs cook in the base and are strained out, so they steep in chocolate flavor without leaving gritty bits.
- Whisk the cacao powder with the palm sugar and tapioca flour while dry; this is the reliable way to avoid cocoa lumps in the hot coconut milk.
- For a deeper, darker pudding, swap one tablespoon of cacao powder for an extra ounce of cacao nibs steeped in the warm milk before straining.
- Press plastic wrap onto the surface before chilling — it keeps the pudding glossy and prevents the skin that coconut-based puddings are prone to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead can I make this chocolate pudding?
It needs at least four hours to set, and keeps beautifully for up to two days in the refrigerator. Stir gently before serving to loosen the firm set.
Is this pudding very sweet?
It leans rich and chocolatey rather than sugary — the cacao keeps the palm sugar in check. If you have a sweet tooth, increase the palm sugar to two-thirds of a cup.
Can I use cocoa powder instead of cacao?
Yes, natural unsweetened cocoa substitutes one for one. Dutch-process cocoa will give a darker, smoother chocolate flavor with less bitterness.
Why isn't my pudding setting?
Tapioca needs a full three minutes of gentle cooking with constant whisking to fully thicken. Undercooked, it stays loose — keep cooking until it thickly coats the whisk, then chill thoroughly.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Combine palm sugar, tapioca flour, cacao powder, and salt together in bowl.
- Whisk coconut milk and palm sugar mixture together in medium saucepan.
- Add cacao nibs and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture becomes thick and glossy (about 3 minutes). 2. В В Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
- Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until well chilled (at least four hours, or up to two days). Gently stir pudding before serving.
