Healthier Chocolate Pudding Is Only 2 Ingredients And 5 Minutes Away

Chocolate pudding was a dessert everyone loved to eat in the 1980s, and we still adore it today. However, pudding lovers may often feel plagued by the high fat and dairy content. Luckily, you can swap out most ingredients in chocolate pudding for just one, combine it with chocolate chips, and still get a decadent result. That magical ingredient? Tofu.

To make this two-ingredient dessert, you just need to get your hands on some silken tofu and chocolate chips. Semi-sweet and milk chocolate work well, but you can use dark chocolate for a little bitter edge. Start by melting about a cup of chocolate chips in the microwave, heating them incrementally until they've melted into a smooth, even texture. Then, add your package of tofu and the melted chocolate to a food processor or blender and blend on high. Before long, a pudding with a thick, whipped mousse-like texture should take shape. Spoon the mixture into a bowl or individual servings, then refrigerate until it firms up. Upon tasting, you'll be met with a treat that tastes like luxurious chocolate pudding (and not at all like tofu).

This simple recipe is also easy to customize based on your preferences. You can top it off with a little whipped cream or berries, add a pinch of sea salt, or even add maple syrup to the dish to enhance the pudding's flavor. This hack is also a great option for vegans, who can easily use dairy-free chocolate chips as a straightforward swap. As long as you start with a tofu base and melted chocolate base, you'll end up with a delicious, healthier take on chocolate pudding.

You may be more familiar with tofu in spicy or savory cuisine, but that's not all it can be used for. There's a lot that people don't know about tofu, including the fact that it can be (and is often) used for sweet dishes too. Chinese tofu pudding, which includes tofu in a sweetened ginger broth, is a traditional dessert dish in Chinese cafes, while tofu fruit bowls are another creamy dessert often enjoyed in Japan. Because tofu has a neutral flavor, it takes on the flavor of anything it's paired with. So when it's used in sweet dishes, it will end up tasting sweet as well.

As for how it sets into a perfect pudding texture, that has to do with tofu's moisture content and how delicate the silken variety is. Firmer block tofu has a grainy texture, but silken feels almost like a custard even before blending it. It has a creamy, dense, moist texture that doesn't need to be pressed or drained, and its binding capabilities make it versatile as a dairy-free replacement in sweet treats. Even tofu water is a key to vegan desserts, so don't underestimate this ingredient.

If you're still doubtful, be aware that the Internet has fully embraced this tofu hack. One Redditor said, "It tastes just like store-bought pudding! I'm new to eating tofu so this was groundbreaking for me." Another user agreed it was delicious, adding, "It's thick enough that you could put it in a graham cracker crust and make it into a pie. Takes like 5 minutes, tops, to make." If you have a sweet tooth, that short prep time makes this dessert hack an easy one to try.