Chocolate Pudding-Pie Filling, Date Sweetened

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This date-sweetened pudding is rich and delicious with a minimal amount of effort, and pairs really well with the Graham-Type Crust.

 

 

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Chocolate Pudding-Pie Filling, Date Sweetened

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Chill Time: 3-4 hours
Ingredients:

1 graham or graham-type pie crust, see Graham Type Crust

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or  milk of choice

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/3 cup soft medjool dates*, pressed to measure

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cocoa or carob

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 rounded tsp agar powder

 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup coconut milk — this can be replaced with almond milk, it just won’t be as rich

1/3 cup maple syrup — only 1/4 cup if using carob powder instead of chocolate

1 tsp vanilla

 

Instructions:
    1. If your dates are dry, soften them in a little hot water and drain.  I am not a fan of this because you lose sweetness in the liquid drained, but sometimes it is necessary — see Note below.
    2. Combine the first group of ingredients in your blender and blend until the nuts and dates are smooth as cream.  If you do not have a powerful blender, just blend longer.  It can also help to blend briefly to break up the nuts and then let it stand for 10 minutes and let them soften a bit.
    3. Add the additional almond and coconut milk, blending briefly, and then pour it into a 1-quart saucepan.  Cook and stir until it is thickened and bubbling.  Remove from the heat.
    4. Stir in seasonings and maple syrup, mixing well.  Continue to stir pudding several times while it is cooling to keep a skin from forming.
    5. For pudding:  cover and refrigerate until ready to serve or fill individual serving cups and cover.  For pie:  pour into a prebaked crust and cover.  Chill for several hours or overnight.

 

Notes:

*If all you have is Deglet Noor dates which tend to be drier and not as sweet as Medjool, you may need a few more and might need to soak them first.  This will change the pie texture somewhat, but it should work.  Or you could just use the amount suggested and the pie would not be quite as sweet.

I like to purchase dates when they are soft and moist, then freeze them to keep them fresh.  It is important to press out any extra air before you seal the bag.