Chocolate-Coconut Puddings

i don’t think i could be friends with someone who didn’t like chocolate pudding.

there is something ultimately comforting about a bowlful. i don’t have an endless bank of memories from my childhood, like my sister does. but i do remember one particular night… my parents were going out for the night, a sitter was coming over. my sister and i were watching television eating still slightly warm chocolate pudding. i’m almost certain we were fresh out of the bath, with our hair combed and slicked, already in our pajamas. what i remember most vividly is the pudding…

i confess i do occasionally crave the addictive chemical flavor of a box of cake mix or pudding. it’s rather counterintuitive to the rest of me, being a bit of a “natural” nut and foodie freak. maybe that all started back on that fateful night. this recipe, though, feeds the healthier side of me. it’s not your (or my) momma’s chocolate pudding, but one that would probably make my fellow dietitians a little prouder of me (it’s gluten-free, vegan & dairy-free!). but it still fits my definition of comfort food. really, you’ve gotta try it.

this chocolaty, coconuty deliciousness requires no cooking… therefore no chill time… therefore you can eat it immediately. a whole different spin on “instant pudding”!