Silken tofu chocolate pudding is an easy-to-make vegan dessert that tastes rich, but uses nutritious, protein-packed silken tofu as a base.

Let’s wrap up the year with something sweet, yes?

There’s a lot of pressure to relinquish sweets at this time of year. Online recipe content switches suddenly from holiday treats to wholesome, sensible fare for a new year.

I can understand the impulse to get back to basics in January. After lots of holiday cooking, simplicity feels good. But sweet and simple aren’t mutually exclusive. This silken tofu chocolate pudding proves that.

This is a rich, creamy, very chocolate-y dessert that’s easy to make. Silken tofu is a nutritious, protein-rich base, which gets blended with both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

The pudding takes only minutes to prepare, and it’s delightful to eat. It’s an easy indulgence—the best kind!

Why silken tofu is the perfect base for dairy-free chocolate pudding

There are many ways to create a vegan chocolate pudding. I’ve used avocado (the famous chocomole), pumpkin, and cashew as a base.

I’ve also seen recipes that call for whipped aquafaba as a chocolate pudding base. They’re made similarly to traditional chocolate mousse.

But silken tofu chocolate pudding is my personal favorite for a lot of reasons.

First, ease. Yes, you’ll need to melt your chocolate (either in a double boiler or in the microwave). But there’s no stand mixer required. No need to use cornstarch or another thickener. No custard to create.

Making the silken tofu chocolate pudding is as simple as blending silken tofu with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, a sweetener of choice, and a pinch of sea salt. It sets in the fridge overnight, and then it’s a perfect texture for eating.

Silken tofu does more than enable easy preparation. It’s also a nutritious base for this dessert, rich in all of the nutrients that soy beans offer. This includes plenty of plant-protein, healthful fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory soy phytoestrogens.

There may be other ways to create a dairy-free chocolate pudding or mousse, but I can’t think of a creamy base that offers as much nutrient-density as this one!

Silken tofu chocolate pudding ingredients

It’s not every day that I make a dessert I love with only five ingredients. But that’s how silken tofu chocolate pudding works. Here’s what you’ll need.

Silken tofu

I remember the days when silken tofu was easiest to find in 12-ounce packages. You can still find those online, but when I go to the grocery store, I usually see silken/soft tofu in 16-ounce containers.

So that’s what this recipe calls for: 16 ounces of silken tofu. If you happen to have the 12-ounce packages at home, you can always save your leftover tofu for smoothies, soup, or another use. You can also scale down the chocolate and other ingredients 25% to accommodate only 12 ounces of tofu.

Dark chocolate

Any vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate should work in the recipe. You can use chips, chunks, disks, or a chopped up dark chocolate bar.

I like something in the semi-sweet range for this recipe. Bittersweet chocolate is too bitter for me. But you can use the percentage and level of sweetness that you like. When I use a bar to make the pudding, I usually use this one.

Cocoa (or cacao) powder

I tend to prefer the flavor of cocoa powder over cacao. Once again, though, you can use the powder you have at home. I use this cocoa powder for some of my baking, hot cocoa, this pudding, and chocolate mousse pie.

Maple syrup (or agave)

I like to use liquid sweetener—maple syrup or agave—in the recipe. However, I’ve tested it with both coconut sugar and cane sugar, and they also work well.

Salt

You won’t need more than a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt for the pudding itself. But if you like chocolate and sea salt together, you can definitely top each ramekin of pudding with some flaky salt, too!

Storing and preparing silken tofu chocolate pudding

There’s not much to the preparation process of this silken tofu chocolate pudding. Blend, chill, eat.

The pudding should yield 4 large or 6 smaller portions. I use ramekins to portion it out (and because it makes an otherwise low-key dessert feel fancy). But you can certainly store all of it in a larger storage container, too. It will keep for up to five days in the fridge.

Speaking of, the pudding needs at least 3-4 hours to chill in the fridge before eating. However, I like it a lot better once it sets in the fridge overnight. At that point, the pudding has a texture that’s still silky but also set. It’s some hybrid of pudding, mousse, and pot de crème.

So, if you have the time, I recommend making the pudding a day before you plan to eat it. For example, you can make it today and enjoy it tomorrow, as a means of welcoming the new year 🙂

More chocolate goodness…

I was so focused on gingerbread that I didn’t give much thought to chocolate this holiday season. But it’s always a good time for a little bit of chocolate. If you’d like a few more ideas, here are some of my favorite chocolate treats:

• Cashew espresso truffles
• Vegan, gluten-free espresso brownies
• Raw, vegan brownie bites
• Tahini skillet brownie
• Chocolate pear cake

I’m having mixed feelings today, just the way I did on Christmas. I feel grateful to have made it through the year, but there’s a lot of sadness associated with what didn’t happen and wasn’t possible. Some of the things that I had hoped for at this time last year.

But in addition to being a reminder of the fragility and preciousness of life, 2020 had its sweet moments.

The sweetest of them were very sweet indeed: life coming back to NYC this summer. My first few reunions with friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. Many outdoor walks, some chilly, some rainy, some absolutely glorious. A lot of special time sitting in the park with my mom.

These small moments were even sweeter because of the circumstances. As I savor this dessert today, I’ll honor them, and the sweetness of life. It’s always there, even in the toughest moments.

Enjoy the silken tofu chocolate pudding. Can’t wait to hear what you think. And a great big hug to you on this New Year’s Eve.

xo

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