Chocolate pudding has to be one of the all-time best comfort foods. Especially the type that comes in the little individual cups at the grocery store. While I never ate the really commercial kind, I have been known to buy the Zen brand (made with almond milk) on occasion, and it sure does hit the spot. It’s not where I go when I want something super rich or decadent, but rather a nice, comforting reminder of childhood.
I’ve also made my own dairy-free pudding on occasion, since it’s not too difficult to make and I get to eat a lot more than what comes in the tiny little cup. However, the recipe I usually use calls for egg yolks to thicken the custard, and I wanted a completely vegan version. I also wanted something that was super quick and easy to make, which means I shouldn’t have to separate any eggs or labor over the stove while it thickens.
Enter teff flour, a high-protein gluten-free flour that should definitely be a pantry staple. (For more teff flour recipes, check out my maple-teff muffins, savory waffles, or pumped-up jam bites). How did I come up with using teff flour in chocolate pudding? Well, I recently added sorghum flour porridge to my breakfast rotation, which is made by whisking a sorghum flour paste into boiling water until thick. Out of sorghum one morning, I discovered it’s just as good – if not better – made with teff. In fact, since teff has a chocolatey-flavor anyway, I ended up throwing in some cocoa powder and cinnamon to spice things up and the flavor was surprisingly close to chocolate pudding. And it thickened so quickly.
My curiosity was piqued. While this teff-chocolate breakfast pudding was more teffy than chocolatey – and far too grainy to be a sub for my imitation Zen brand pudding – perhaps one could use teff flour to thicken an actual chocolate pudding. In case you haven’t guessed already, one definitely can! And there are some definite advantages:
Advantages of using teff flour in chocolate pudding:
- More protein, which is always good when you’re eating sugar
- Thickens in minutes
- No starch
- Nutty flavor that pairs well with chocolate
- You can let the pudding simmer/boil without worrying about ruination (NOT true if you use eggs to thicken)
Advantages of this recipe:
- All of the above, plus:
- Vegan, gluten-free, and Low-FODMAP (it’s difficult to find desserts that are all of these things)
Oh, and don’t worry about the coconut milk: there is absolutely no detectable coconut flavor to this pudding.
A couple notes about the recipe:
-This recipe will yield about 2¼ cups of pudding. A Low-FODMAP serving size is a scant 1/2 cup (so as not to exceed 1/3 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder)
-If the pudding comes out lumpy, it can be blended very briefly once chilled (20 seconds) for a smoother consistency. Or you can always embrace any lumps that occur – after all, a chocolatey lump isn’t such a bad thing.
Chocolate-Teff Pudding
- 1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup teff flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Mix together the teff flour, cocoa powder, and water to form a paste.
Bring the milks to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar. Slowly whisk in the cocoa powder paste, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. The mixture will thicken within a few minutes, and it’s okay to let it bubble a little. Once thickened, stir in the chocolate chips.
Transfer to a container and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.
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