It's been a long time since I've eaten pudding made with cows milk. It was one of many desserts I would savor as a midday snack after school. The recipe I used to make my own pudding was basically adding milk to the powder pudding mix I bought and putting it in the refrigerator for a few hours. Not the ideal way to make fresh pudding from scratch but I didn't know any better.
If I didn't feel like making pudding I would buy the pre-made Jell-O pudding packs that are sold in the dairy section of the supermarket. I would even eat those other pudding packs that are sold in the baking aisle and that you could eat without them being refrigerated. Now that I think about it I'm not sure how I could have eaten pudding that didn’t require refrigeration. Who knows what kind of chemical preservatives and how much excess sugar is in just one pudding pack for it to stay “fresh” in room temperature? Yikes!!!
I've come a long way since making those processed puddings. For this recipe, I wanted to make a pudding that is made with real ingredients but also tasty and nutritious. It also needed to have the smooth and creamy texture traditional pudding has. In many plant-based dishes, cashews are used to create creamy sauces without the need for any dairy ingredients.
When cashews are blended they turn into a creamy sauce like texture because of the high amount of healthy fat they contain. That is the base for this simple pudding. Not only is this pudding dairy-free but also contains protein and fiber which will make you feel satisfied after eating it.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. If you find that you can't get enough of this pudding like me and need more then go ahead and double the recipe. Just remember that there are cashews in this pudding and even though the fat in cashews is a healthy fat you can't go overboard with the amount you eat. You can still gain weight by eating too many nuts. I recommend watching your portion size and try not to eat more than ½ cup of the pudding in a day.
Cashew Pudding
Get the printable recipe here.
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut palm nectar
½ lemon juiced
1 teaspoon coconut oil
¼ cup water
Directions:
1. Soak cashews in water overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the cashews.
3. Place the cashews in a blender.
4. Add the vanilla extract, coconut palm nectar, lemon juice, coconut oil and water into the blender.
5. Blend all of the ingredients together until the mixture is a smooth silky texture.
6. Remove from blender and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
