Chickpea, Dates - A Chocolate Pudding (ok, don’t freak out, it is delicious!!)

There are times when you have finished your dinner and looking for something that is magically tasty, yet healthy. You, momentarily, consider the ice cream in your freezer as an option, yet you are looking for ‘something else’. Then, how about a chocolate pudding? This is an easy recipe for a quick, healthy dessert with minimal effort. It is vegan too, so yay!!

 
Extra (nerdy) info
There are literally only 4 ingredients. Let us review why I used them:
1. Chickpeas - The sticky nature of canned/ cooked chickpeas behaves like a binder (egg-like) which gives it a creamy appeal in puddings.
2. Cocoa powder - Because chocolate flavor rocks, of course!!!
3. Dates - FYI, adding dates does not make a recipe sugar-free. Using stevia or xylitol will make it sugar free, but I wanted to use a sweetener that kids can also eat. Dates will also trigger an insulin response. However, it is a little better than sugar because the fiber in the dates will slow down the absorption of sugar. Also, please note - you have to use a proportionally high amount of dates. Despite that, the dates give a subdued sweetness that I like a lot.
4. Coconut milk - It adds creaminess.

Ingredients (for 4 servings)
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is perfectly fine)
4 tsp cocoa powder
1/6 cup coconut milk
20 dates

How to prepare recipe
Add all ingredients to a high powered blender like Vitamix. The finer we grind, the smoother and yummier it is.
Chill, if possible, before serving. Cold pudding tastes sweeter and yummier!!

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 220.7
Total Fat 3.1 g
Saturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 47.9 g
Dietary Fiber 7.4 g
Sugars 29.2 g
Protein 5.1 g