A vegan treat sounds like a bummer: it's a treat, but it's vegan. Getting into the spirit of being "more vegetarian" and "more vegan," I tried a standard recipe for vegan chocolate pudding.
Avocados, cocoa powder, liquid sweetener, milk of your choice, vanilla extract.
I could eat that.
The recipe was simple. Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor. The ratios are up to you. Left out the vanilla extract because I didn't have any.
The good news was that there was nothing fake. Avocado was the fat and they taste good, too. The recipe called for agave nectar or honey; I went for maple syrup. I tried my recently purchased almond milk, an even better choice since I wouldn't have noticed the real milk.
But this didn't mean it was taste good.
Followed the recipe to a T, except for the vanilla. Looked good; this could certainly pass for pudding.
Didn't taste like avocado. It was good, fine even. But it wasn't very sweet. Usually I applaud something that is not sweet. But this was too not sweet.
I used a really dark cocoa powder. I used the full amount of sweetener. Maybe I used too much avocado. This could have used vanilla extract and cinnamon and a bit more maple syrup.
The difference is this wasn't bad. Texture was fine, taste was fine. Met the minimum basic standards.
Vegan is going to be different than traditional food. Pudding with milk is not going to taste like vegan pudding. Some choose one or the other, but you might find that some of both might fit your balance of food.
Not quite on the level of a treat, but this was the first attempt. Baking, even on this level, is still a green area for me. The difference is I would adjust the recipe and give this a second chance.
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