Happy Pudding Day to Me

I can't say that I'm a big fan of chocolate pudding, but last year, when I discovered that my birthday coincides with National Chocolate Pudding Day, I knew that I needed to grow more familiar with this dessert. Thus, I started a new tradition of trying a vegan chocolate pudding recipe each year to celebrate my birthday, and to celebrate chocolate pudding. Go us!

Last year, my attempt didn't sell me on chocolate pudding. And to be honest, I've not tasted a chocolate pudding since. But with another birthday here, I knew I need to make another go at it.

Being busy with family in town, I wanted to make something very fast and simple, yet still be healthy and vegan. Even though I did collect some recipes to try this year, while browsing the chocolate section at New Leaf Community Market, something caught my eye -- Mori-Nu Mates Chocolate Pudding mix.

According to the package, it's simply add tofu and water, blend, and its done. It couldn't be more simple. And it's versatile. Double the recipe, decrease the water and you can make a chocolate pie filling (though I doubt it will be as yummy as mine!)

Adding to the intrigue of this "instant" chocolate pudding mix, it is vegan and all natural; it has no refined sugar, is low in fat, high in protein, and has no cholesterol. In other words, for a chocolate pudding, it's actually fairly healthy. And for only $1.89 for the mix, and $1.29 for the tofu (which was on sale), it was a good price. I knew I needed to give this a try. Happy Birthday Pudding for just over $3.00! (And it serves 4.)

Following the directions, I blended the 12.03 oz box of Silken Lite Tofu with 4 tablespoons of water in my food processor. Once creamy, I added the pudding powder and continued to blend, stopping the machine, scraping the sides, stirring, and then continuing to blend.

Initially, the pudding looked grainy, but as instructed, after 2 minutes of blending, the pudding began to look light and creamy. I was impressed. In under 5 minutes, I had pudding.

Though it passed the fast and simple test, the real test would be the taste. The directions say to "Scoop into pudding cups and chill." However, I decided to give it an initial try in the processor at room temperature.

In spite not having your typical milk or dairy, this pudding was very creamy in its texture as well as in its taste. There was a lightness to the chocolate flavor, not so much in terms of being a milk chocolate flavor, but a mildness that you'd find in a mousse. The chocolate was subtle in its tones, and tended to highlight the flavor of the dutch chocolate cocoa powder it contained. The chocolate taste was not overly sweet, and had a subtle coconut accent. It was nice, but most important, it did not have that tofu aftertaste that some do not like.

After scooping the contents into containers and letting them chill, I licked the food processor clean (well, nearly clean).

At my birthday dinner, I brought out this chocolate pudding for my family to try. Refrigeration did not change the flavor. While the adults were not so keen on the taste, my nieces however loved it and goobled it up, preferring the pudding to the chocolate cake they helped make! They even liked this pudding better than the one they had the day before in a kid's meal at Six-Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Overall, the Mori-Nu Mates Chocolate Pudding was light, creamy, and mild -- very different from the dark, dense, and bittersweet flavors that I enjoy in a chocolate cake. With its creamy chocolate subtlety, this instant vegan chocolate pudding paired nicely with the homemade vegan chocolate birthday cake, and would make a delicious filling for a 2-layered cake. As a pudding, it was enjoyable and something that I'd try again, especially since it is healthy and my nieces did love it. Not a bad chocolate pudding to celebrate 2 special occasions on this important June day!