Calder came back from trick-or-treating this year with a lot of candy. He was more stoked than usual… perhaps because his mother (who me?) slashed the sugar in his daily diet, save for stops at Sweet Peaks with his grandma and aunt. Know what he was most excited about in his bag of loot?
Pudding. A Jello chocolate pudding cup.
I was a little surprised, but not completely thrown off… he comes by it honestly. I love pudding. LURVE PUDDING. I think it’s the mouthfeel… but UGH I hate that word. Right up there with Milk. Bungalow. Panties. Mound. Undulate. The list goes on.
I told Calder that we should try re-creating chocolate pudding with stuff that was good for us. He looked skeptical, but when I said he could lick the spatula, he was in.
Antioxidants from cacao powder? Check. Healthy saturated fats from (BPA-free, additive free) coconut milk? Check. Good choice of sweetener? Check.
Secret ingredient: gelatin. It’s a staple here now. (We make gelatin gummies weekly… last week’s kombucha gummies tasted like beer and they disappeared faster than usual… bad sign?) Bet part: Gelatin is amazing for you. For the kids, I like how it contributes to strong bones, aides digestion, and helps heal the gut. For me, I like how it does all those things, and also how it can help tighten loose skin, aid in skin hair and nail growth, and help with phase II liver detoxification (cheers!).
Want to know more? Here’s a long version, and here’s a short version.
In an ideal food world, we’d consume high-quality homemade bone broth a few times a day and would be well balanced and have no need for extra gelatin. Since we’re not in an ideal world (ha!) we supplement with high quality gelatin. I use Great Lakes Kosher Gelatin since it’s been verified to come from humanely raised cows that are grass fed and finished.
xo Andra
- 14 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup or raw honey
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp gelatin
- In a medium saucepan, whish together the milk, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking often.
- Turn heat to low and add gelatin. Immediately and vigorously whisk for 1-2 minutes, until lumps are gone and pudding is smooth.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour into individual covered serving containers and chill for 2 or so hours before serving. Will last 4-5 days in the fridge... but good luck with that.
Recipe adapted from Paleogrubs and Grassfedgirl
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