Pistachio Pudding

Did you love pistachio pudding as a child? I sure did! All those alien-looking green treats {cookie bars with a pistachio pudding layer, pistachio pudding jello…} — yum! Then again, I’ve always been a huge fan of colorful happy-looking food — colors make me happy :). So when I got requests for a healthier pistachio pudding on the blog, I was more than happy to comply ;)

Since January I’ve gotten multiple reader requests for a pistachio pudding that would fit a gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free diet — something people said they’ve been missing a lot and didn’t think they’d ever be able to eat again. Here’s something one person said when reminiscing about this favorite childhood treat during a January giveaway I ran:

My absolute favorite childhood dessert was my grandmother’s pistachio pudding dessert. As a kid, I only knew it as the Yummy Green Dessert. Pistachio pudding sandwiched between a bottom layer of yummy cake like crust and topped with whipped cream. I’m sure everything about this dessert was artificial, but it sure was good. ~ Dru

So a few weeks ago {while working on this pistachio ice cream} I set out to see what I could do and came up with this delicious pistachio pudding that is far from the artificial green goopy goodness we all remember from our childhood and dare I say actually good for you! I even one-upped the requests and made this recipe paleo, raw, and SCD too. I’ve had a crazy few weeks and kept running out of time to share the recipe, but in honor of today’s universal celebration of green goodness {St. Patrick’s Day} I decided to put my foot down and get it out already :), so here goes!

Oh, a few notes before we begin:

– This recipe only makes 1-2 servings {about a cup in total}, but you can easily multiply it as needed if you’re making desserts with pistachio pudding {such as the one described by Dru above}.

– And you can make it two ways — one way is much simpler and holds no fuss at all, the other involves an extra step and the addition of agar agar to make it more jello-like. Both taste equally delicious, the difference is really more in the texture. If you’re a pudding texture purist, go with the agar agar. If you’re not overly picky but are just looking for a delicious pistachio pudding treat then you can absolutely make it without. I’ll leave it to you how you’d like to enjoy your pudding — I’m of the latter camp personally :). I put the agar agar instructions separately in the notes or the recipe.

Pistachio Pudding

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★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 cup / 2 servings

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Description

A raw, dairy-free creamy pistachio pudding that is refined sugar-free.

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Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and de-pitted
• ¼ cup pistachios, pre-soaked 15 mins in warm water {or longer in cold water}, then strained
• 5 tbsp maple syrup
• 5 tbsp water or coconut water
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp rose water
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Optional: 1 handful of baby spinach leaves {add if you want to adjust the color if your pistachios are not very vibrant — I did not need to add any to the pudding in the pictures, but I had some gorgeous-looking pistachios to work with}
• Garnish: more chopped pistachios + salt flakes

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Instructions

1. Place all ingredients, except garnish, in a high power blender {I used my Vitamix for this} and blend everything into a smooth consistency. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed {or use your Vitamix tamper if necessary}.
2. Once the mixture is smooth, transfer the pudding into 2 small jars or glasses {I used 2 of the jars pictured}, cover and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to an hour to chill. When ready to eat, garnish with extra pistachios {chopped or whole} and sprinkle with some coarse salt flakes, and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: Because this recipe uses avocado, it’ll tend to brown up after a day or so out of the freezer {even if kept refrigerated}. To avoid that, I recommend keeping the pudding frozen until ready to consume and take it out of the freezer and let sit at room temp for a bit to let it thaw out a little.

Agar-agar addition for a more jello-like pudding: Prior to blending, place the 5 tbsp water or coconut water {roughly ⅓ cup liquids} and 2 tbsp agar agar into a small saucepan. Bring to a light simmer {don’t boil!} on medium heat. Stir occasionally to help the agar agar dissolve faster. Once simmering, lower temperature to low heat and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat. Add this mixture along with the rest of the ingredients into the blender and process according to directions above. It will need to be frozen for at least 3-4 hours initially for it to set into a jello-like pudding. (Note: if you’re planning on using this jello-like version as a layer on top of some cookie bars or a pie, etc, then transfer and spread the mixture over the bars immediately after blending, and then place the whole pan into the freezer and allow the mixture to set as specified above.)

♥ Audrey

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Disclaimer: this post contains an affiliate link to a high power blender.