When you’re a real food household, coming up with snack and treat ideas can be bit of a mental bog down (though these fifteen toddler snacks do help!). While I was never a huge pudding desserts fanatic as a child, a lot of my friends were and thus, their kids are now too. So in an attempt to give baby bear a similar dessert as her friends, I whipped up this homemade chocolate pudding recipe! Since my oldest daughter is only two, I’m not sure if pudding cups are still a huge lunch time staple as when I was a kid. I was never a huge fan of them to begin with but so many of my friends were. Flash forward to us all having kids and I’ve been seeing them more and more frequently. Many of my friends kids are 3-5 and snack pack pudding cups have begun to make an appearance. Unfortunately, baby bear is at the age that she has finally noticed that other kids are eating food she is not. Womp womp. This creates a bit of a sticky spot for me as I don’t want to deprive her of fitting in but I can’t, for the life of me, give her so much crap food. I’ve been more and more lenient with her having bites of “daddy’s food”. This is a lot of sandwiches on white bread or chips (sigh, yes, I am a health FANATIC and my hubby is not). But I just can’t imagine giving her a juice box (here’s why she doesn’t drink juice) or pudding cup. My issue with pudding cups is that they honestly just suck. Yes that is a blanket statement but they have just about zero nutritional benefits and yet they’re used as snacks and not even a once in a while treat. Sugar, modified corn starch and palm oil are the first few ingredients. So, so unnecessary! I’ll leave the sugar debate alone as we all know where I stand on that but even the oil makes me cringe. Palm and vegetable oils are pretty terrible for you as they’re horrifically processed, promote inflammation and mess up your membrane barriers. So not exactly something I want to give my daughter even as a “treat”. So in an attempt to make her feel normal and keep my mind at ease I whipped up some homemade chocolate pudding! And the sugar-free pudding recipe was a huge win. Not only did all the kids love this homemade chocolate pudding (myself included. I think I ate half of what I made haha) but I was beyond happy that there was absolutely no added sugars! Yup you read that right, not even maple syrup was added to this pudding recipe (gasp!). This homemade chocolate pudding not only tastes great but is super healthy too! Bananas keep the pudding sweet and helps with texture. Bananas also help with digestion, contain vitamin b6 and obviously give a potassium hit. The almond butter and chia seeds in this healthy, homemade, sugar-free pudding recipe offer two perks: Both of these ingredients help to thicken the pudding and give it a creamier consistency but they also give the pudding a hit of healthy fats. Chia seeds are one food I think just about all kids need in their diet because they come with so many health benefits (here’s how to work them into your diet!). I used almond butter (my favorite) but I imagine this recipe would be great with sunflower seed butter also if you need a nut free option. And lastly, cacao powder. I have a genuine obsession with this chocolate powder and you can read more about it’s amazing health benefits here. It’s one of the least processed forms of chocolate. It has more calcium than cow’s milk. And it makes everything chocolate need I say more? This homemade chocolate pudding has four ingredients, making it easy to whip up. It’s dairy free, gluten free and vegan which fits most dietary restrictions (and can easily be nut free!). It contains no added sugars but has a balance of natural sugars and healthy fats to prevent a sugar crash. Plus, it’s creamy, chocolate and decadent. It makes a healthy snack for kids or delicious, spoon licking treat and it’s oh so much better than store bought pudding cups! I know I won’t be able to hold out on all sugar filled foods forever with my daughter, but I can keep trying! And if you want them to really fit in, serve it up in a lunchbox with these cute plastic store bought cups(I couldn’t find an eco-friendlier version)! Note: all of these health boosting ingredients can be purchased through my favorite retailer Well.ca– and the best part is that they offer free shipping! Peel and break apart the banana. In a food processor, combine the bananas, cacao and almond butter. Combine until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and whisk in chia seeds. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up and chill. Makes two small servings or one large. This four ingredient dairy free chocolate pudding recipe is fast to whip up and makes a perfect, healthy snack for kiddos or adults! Peel and break apart the banana. In a food processor, combine the bananas, cacao and almond butter.. Combine until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and whisk in chia seeds. Let sit in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up and chill This chocolate banana pudding is creamy, dairy free and contains absolutely no additional sugars! With only four ingredients it’s quick to whip up and a perfect healthy snack for kids (or for yourself!). Filled with only real food ingredients this treat is vegan and gluten free. Sugar Free Homemade Chocolate Pudding-GF/V
Why I Dislike Pudding Desserts
Why It’s So Healthy
Ingredients In The Homemade Chocolate Pudding
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How To Make Sugar-Free Pudding
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Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep Time 0 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 317 kcal
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Amount Per Serving
Calories 317
Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 6mg0%
Potassium 904mg26%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 12g50%
Sugar 22g24%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 115IU2%
Vitamin C 15.4mg19%
Calcium 131mg13%
Iron 2.8mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This does look delicious! When my eldest was born, I was so strict about what she ate but, as time has gone on, and with another little one too, I have let things slide a bit, but I’m always after healthy, tasty recipes to have a go at.
And congratulations because someone loved this post so much, they added it to the BlogCrush linky! Feel free to collect your “I’ve been featured” blog badge 🙂 #blogcrush
I think it’s a super hard balance between convenience and healthy eating- especially when you have two (it’s downright insane). My best advice is to just rock what works for YOUR family and keeps you sane. But seriously, this pudding is yummy lol
Ooh yum! This looks delicious, banana and chocolate is such a fab combo x #BlogCrush
It’s the best combo ever 😀
Hi,
I am going to try this! Thank you! I have one question about the amount of almond butter, is it 2 jars or 2 tablespoons? Sorry i am not much of a chef, he he..
Hugs,
Tea
Jeepers Creepers THANK YOU for the catch! Sigh… I do triple check my posts but for the life of me I miss something every single time… It’s two tablespoons! Thank you millions for letting me know, truly! Shelby 🙂
I just noticed that one part of the recipe says 1/2 tablespoon of chia seeds, but the other part says 1 1/2 tablespoons. I only used 1/2 T because I didn’t notice the discrepancy soon enough. Will you clarify which is correct? Thanks!
Oh my gosh you rock for catching this-n thank you! I’m on my way to change it now, it should b2 0.5 tablespoon so you got it right. It shouldn’t make a huge difference if you went more as it’s just to thicken the recipe but THANK YOU. And also… did you love it?!