In my quest for kid friendly recipes that incorporate ‘makes mom happy’ ingredients, I stumbled on this fun recipe of chocolate pudding with sweet potatoes. Just by looking at it, I could tell it had potential but I was very pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It was creamy and smooth without a hint of trying too hard to be something it’s not. I changed a couple of things to suit my personal taste and have been happy with my spin, especially since it incorporates my favorite kefir.
Kefir
Kefir is a true super-food, and is the best available source of a large number of probiotics, far superior to yogurt and sauerkraut. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties (source) – can’t have too much of that with the kids at school! Here is how I make kefir at home.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes add natural sweetness and a wealth of nutrients like beta carotine and anthocyanin, to name a few. Children especially benefit from naturally occurring (non synthetic) form of vitamin A (source).
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are full of antioxidants, fiber and protein. According to Authority Nutrition, chia seeds are one of the most nutrient dense foods. My older kids are not fans of chia seeds so I try to include them in recipes like this where they don’t stand out.
HOW TO MAKE PROBIOTIC CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH SWEET POTATOES AND DATES
Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1.5 cup kefir (how to make kefir) – use homemade coconut milk for Paleo/vegan version
1 tablespoon chia seeds
5-6 soft Medjool dates (if your dates are too hard, soak them in water for 15 minutes)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Toss together kefir, cacao, chia seeds and dates in a bowl of a mixer (preferably high powered) until cacao is hydrated.
Poke potatoes with fork and bake on a baking sheet for 30-35 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and let cool until just warm.
Cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop into the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth scraping sides as necessary (I use a ‘smoothie’ cycle on my Blendtec).
Serve immediately, or chill before eating.
Probiotic Chocolate Pudding {with sweet potato and dates}
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1.5 cup kefir how to make kefir - use homemade coconut milk for paleo/vegan version
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 5-6 soft Medjool dates if your dates are too hard, soak them in water for 15 minutes
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Toss together kefir, cacao, chia seeds and dates in a bowl of a mixer (preferably high powered) until cacao is hydrated.
- Poke potatoes with fork and bake on a baking sheet for 30-35 minutes, until soft. Remove from oven and let cool until just warm.
- Cut sweet potatoes in half and scoop into the blender. Blend until creamy and smooth scraping sides as necessary (I use a 'smoothie' cycle on my Blendtec).
- Serve immediately, or chill before eating.
Notes
I soak cacao powder in kefir while the potatoes are cooking to increase improve its consistency and reduce phytic acid.
If you sweet potatoes are not very sweet, add more Medjool dates or your favorite sweetener.
