Beat the heat with these dairy-free chocolate pudding pops

Saturday, June 16, 2012 by: Christy Pooschke
Tags: chocolate, pudding pops, recipes

(NaturalNews) Sweet frozen treats are perfect for hot summer days! Unfortunately, the lack of nutrition and over-abundance of chemical ingredients in most commercial varieties is far from ideal. This summer, try making your own. It's a great way to control the quality of your ingredients! Even a novice in the kitchen can easily whip up the simple homemade recipe included here. This dairy-free version of chocolate pudding pops contains natural ingredients and a raw healthy fat that you may not expect to find in a dessert!

Bananas are one of the natural ingredients in this recipe, and they add a good dose of potassium to these pops. Avocados are the surprising star of this dairy-free delight. They are packed with raw healthy fat that gives these pops their dairy-like creaminess. Avocados are also loaded with fiber, and they contain 60 percent more potassium per ounce than bananas!

Unlike commercial varieties, these pudding pops are sweetened with natural raw honey - a sweetener that actually contributes to your health. Raw honey is full of vitamins and minerals; it contains high levels of antioxidants and it actually reduces the inflammation associated with many conditions (e.g., allergies, infections). Make sure you purchase honey that is truly raw because heating (i.e., pasteurizing) honey destroys its natural health benefits! You will most likely find raw honey at your local farmers market, natural food store or health section of your regular grocery store. It is generally thicker and less clear than regular pasteurized honey. In fact, it often must be scooped out of its container rather than squeezed or poured.

"Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding Pops" Recipe

Makes 5 or 6 pops (4-ounces, each)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw honey
2 small ripe avocados (about 12 ounces total, weighed whole)
2 medium ripe bananas
3/4 cup + 1/8 cup water

Place ingredients into a blender in the order listed above. Blend on high until batter is smooth, stopping to plunge the ingredients as necessary. Pour into popsicle molds, and place in freezer until solid - about 8 hours. Run a bit of warm water over the molds to ease removal if necessary. Enjoy!

Sources for this article include
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/avocado.html
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/banana.html


About the author:
Christy Pooschke is a natural health advocate who became passionate about avoiding food additives after healing from years of chronic illness. Want more simple & tasty natural recipes? Check out her e-book, Eating Additive-Free- a natural cookbook packed with 160 recipes and a complete additive-free grocery shopping guide!