Does tofu and chocolate seem like strange bedfellows for pudding? I was skeptical too but, with a bit of experimenting, I’ve found a simple, delicious chocolate pudding recipe in which tofu provides a great creamy texture. And if you use a plant-based milk, it’s a non-dairy, vegan treat. Lastly, if you don’t have much soy in your diet, with this treat, you can pat yourself on the back that you’re serving your body some different nutrients. After all, food variety is the spice of life!
Intrigued? Then let’s whip it up!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ORANGE COGNAC CHOCOLATE PUDDING
We suggest a MIXER (or FOOD PROCESSOR) to thoroughly blend the ingredients, to avoid a grainy feel (and tired arms). Check current prices for a Kitchen Mixer on Amazon.
To make plain, but delicious, chocolate pudding: Use 2 Tbsp VANILLA EXTRACT instead of the COGNAC, ORANGE JUICE and ORANGE ZEST
16 oz SILKEN TOFU, drained and gently patted dry
2/3 cup unsweetened COCOA ( I have NOT tried dark chocolate cocoa)
1 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/2 Cup MILK (I use unsweetened ALMOND MILK)
1 Tbsp COGNAC (we use Courvoisier in the video)
1 Tbsp ORANGE JUICE (we use freshly squeezed in the video)
1 Tbsp minced ORANGE ZEST
Potential Garnishes
Homemade crème fraîche or cool whip
Nuts (like toasted almond slivers or fancy-pants pistachios)
Berries
HOW TO MAKE TOFU CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Drain your tofu, and gently pat dry.
Combine all your ingredients in a medium to large bowl. Mix at medium to high speed for 3-5 minutes, careful not to spatter precious pudding mix all over. Stir occasionally. When ready, it will still be soupy. And it’s okay that there are tiny tofu grains still visible in your pudding. Check out the video for a sample of what you can expect.
Spoon about 1/2 cup in small dishes – a full recipe makes 8 servings. I know, I know, a half a cup seems like a small serving. Trust me, this recipe is very chocolaty. Even if you are a chocoholic, you will want small portions. Don’t add toppings to your pudding now, because they will become soggy.
Cover and chill overnight; a minimum of 4 hours. You are waiting for the tofu to ‘re-solidify’ to a pudding-y texture.
Enjoy your pudding ‘straight’, or with your favorite garnishes.
EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR TOFU PUDDING RECIPE
Use the pudding to make a trifle! Also, you can experiment with different flavor combinations. We’ve divided a 16 oz container of SILKEN TOFU in half, then experimented with one half of the recipe. That way, if your experiment results don’t excite you, you know you still have some delicious chocolate pudding. For easy reference, here is the recipe for 8 oz of tofu:
8 oz SILKEN TOFU, drained and gently patted dry
1/3 cup unsweetened COCOA
1/2 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/2 cup ALMOND MILK
2 Tbsp of liquid flavoring
Here are some other things we have added to HALF the chocolate pudding recipe successfully:
1/4 cup PEANUT BUTTER, OR
1 tsp MARASCHINO CHERRY JUICE (subtract 1 tsp of the VANILLA EXTRACT), OR
1/2 tsp ESPRESSO POWDER, OR
Juice and minced zest from 1/2 large ORANGE, OR
1 Tbsp COGNAC, instead of 1 Tbsp of VANILLA EXTRACT
Remember, as you experiment, keep the liquid amount constant (no more than 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp) so that it can set. Who wants soupy pudding?
Also, you will need a strong flavor combination to overcome the tofu flavor. We’ve tried lemon and berry varieties, but couldn’t quite disguise the tofu flavor. Of course, for those that enjoy the tofu flavor anyway, you will not have such worries. For the rest of us, it’s like using yogurt instead of mayo in a recipe – it sets up different expectations for your taste buds.
More Tofu Recipes!
And if tofu pudding has got you wanting to experiment with other soy options, take a look at our recipes for tofu scramble, garlic brown rice with mukimame, miso soup, and tofu lasagna (yep, you read that right!).
How healthy is Tofu? Check what institutions of higher learning have to say on the health benefits of soy.
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