Chocolate Fudge with Avocado

A chocolate dessert made with avocado…it seems weird, I know. But you don’t taste the avocado at all! I swear! It just gives the fudge a decadent, smooth, butteriness that is to die for. I actually feel a little naughty, like it is some sort of sneaky deception to put avocado in this silky, satisfying dessert. (Cue evil laugh now.)

The last thing I posted for you was this delicious, albeit gluttonous, breakfast strata recipe, so I figured I would switch gears. Here’s a little sweet treat for you that’s on the healthier side. I’m one who believes in everything in moderation, because if I deprive myself of something I really like in an attempt to be healthier or lose weight, I’ll just lose it and end up bingeing on that one thing. So this dessert (or snack, or breakfast…) is really nice because you get that satisfying sweet without the side of guilt. And If I’m going to spend calories on something sweet, it had better contain chocolate. Vanilla cake with vanilla icing? Not today. Something fruity? Possibly. But if it’s lemon, it’s probably a no.

The recipe I adapted this from calls it a mousse. When I think of a mousse, I think light, fluffy, and airy. While this is uh-MAZingly, blissfully, delicious, I would not call it fluffy. To me, it is more like fudge. Thick, creamy, rich, chocolately, peanut buttery fudge. We kept it in the refrigerator, and it was practically like ice cream. It’s incredibly rich, so even though you’re going to want to eat a giant portion of it, I wouldn’t recommend it.

For us, this kept for a few days in the fridge. Just think about how long you’d leave an avocado in the fridge and that’s about how long I’d leave this. It’s so good, it won’t last long anyway! I always know something I make is a winner if my husband calls it “ridiculous.” This. Is. “Ridiculous!”

Chocolate Fudge with Avocado

Ingredients:

• 4 oz semisweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used half dark chocolate)
• 1/4 cup agave, honey, or maple syrup (or any combination thereof)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter

Directions:

Heat the chocolate and coconut oil in 30 second intervals in the microwave until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, mash the avocado with a fork or potato masher, then whisk to get the lumps out. Add the (slightly cooled) melted chocolate to the smooth avocado and stir until combined. Add the remaining ingredients except for the peanut butter and mix well. Use a spatula to force the mousse through a fine mesh strainer to get any last lumps out. (This takes a few minutes, but be patient. This step is so worth it because it makes the fudge so smooth!)

Stir in the peanut butter.

Now this is the hardest part. Refrigerate for two hours (or however long you can stand it) to allow it to cool before eating. Store in the refrigerator.

Ah, chocolate. You make my life complete.