I wasn’t going to share this recipe because it calls for a specific ingredient that most of you may not have on hand and I kind of pride myself on (mostly) using everyday, non-crazy ingredients. But here’s why I changed my mind and posted it:

1. It is completely amazing — the creamiest pudding in the universe or close to it (statistic not based on actual research).

2. For a decadent, rich chocolate pudding, the indulgence comes a little bit lightened up, which is a lovely bonus.

3. If you haven’t tried dark chocolate almond milk, you must, you absolutely must.

4. It is dairy-, egg- and gluten-free and you know, I love giving shout-out recipes to all of you who eat some kind of “free.”

To be clear, we don’t have food allergies in our home, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy some dark chocolate almond milk just like my dairy-free friends. A cup of this creamy nectar is balm to my soul. And so much better (in taste and calories) than the other plastic jug chocolate milk varieties. I’m not kidding — this is a staple in my fridge.

After a few months of loving this, plain and simple, I decided the obvious next step would be to make chocolate pudding. Since I knew it would be dairy-free, I decided to go for an egg-free version, too. I wish I could say it was because I love my egg-free friends just as much as my dairy-free friends, but really, it was because I was out of eggs. Can we pretend it’s because I’m altruistic and selfless? Thanks. 

The result ends up being one of the tastiest chocolate puddings ever. Even though it’s lightened up a bit, it’s thick and creamy and completely luxurious. Try slicing a few bananas over the top. Oh, yum. You can see from the pictures that I also decided to toss a few chopped Toblerone pieces across the top too. Because…well…why not?

I’m sorry if this recipe and/or post causes a dark chocolate almond milk addiction on your part, too. We can enter therapy together.

Update: So I couldn’t resist trying a non-peanut butter version today (2/22/14) for all of those who asked about omitting it. Here’s the result: the cooked and chilled pudding without the peanut butter was really good! It was definitely missing that element of creaminess the peanut butter gives, but honestly, I loved it.

It wasn’t quite as thick as the peanut butter version so I would suggest upping the cornstarch to 2 1/2 or 3 tablespoons if you are leaving out the peanut butter. Remember to let it boil and bubble (stirring constantly!) for a good 2-3 minutes to help it get as thick as possible. It will still be slightly runny when pouring into a bowl but will thicken up considerably upon chilling.

Incredible Chocolate Pudding {Dairy, Egg and Gluten Free}

Yield: Makes about 5 1/2-cup servings

The pudding is already egg-, dairy- and gluten-free. For my peanut-free friends, try subbing in soy butter or sun butter for the peanut butter. As noted above in the post, I couldn't resist trying a non-peanut butter version today (2/22/14) since many of you asked about it.

Here's the result: the cooked and chilled pudding without the peanut butter was really good! It was definitely missing that element of creaminess the peanut butter gives, but honestly, I loved it.

It wasn't quite as thick as the peanut butter version so I would suggest upping the cornstarch to 2 1/2 or 3 tablespoons if you are leaving out the peanut butter. Remember to let it boil and bubble (stirring constantly!) for a good 2-3 minutes to help it get as thick as possible. It will still be slightly runny when pouring into a bowl but will thicken up considerably upon chilling.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Dutch-process or natural, unsweetened)

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 cups dark chocolate almond milk

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (see note)

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Sliced bananas for serving, optional

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch. Slowly pour in the almond milk and whisk to combine.

2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the pudding begins to bubble. Cook two minutes longer (while it boils and bubbles). The mixture will be thick but pourable and will set up more while it chills.

3. Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla.

4. Pour the pudding into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly to the surface to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate until well-chilled, 3-4 hours.

5. Serve with sliced bananas (optional). I also sometimes sprinkle chopped Toblerone bars on top, too. Just because I can...and it's amazing.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Café